May 26, 2023
Passage Read: Jeremiah 29-32
Meditation Verses: 32:39-40
Thought
The Lord promises to do good to His people, to prosper and bless them as He has always promised. But His promise has always been predicated on their obedience to His ways. Even in this promise, He is able to fulfill it because He will give His people singleness of heart and action so that they will always fear Him for their good and the good of their children after them. He will never stop doing good to them because He will inspire them to fear Him and never again turn away from Him. This transformation, He began in and through the Gospel, giving us new hearts, making us new creations, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. He will complete it at Christ's second coming, when even our bodies will be made new and holy and eternal.
Application
The blessing that God has promised, He is able to bring about because He has changed me. If He has indeed changed me, then I should have a fear of Him that inspires me to obey Him. If I do not have that fear of Him such that I am intent on obeying His Word, then I should be concerned that I am not truly saved, that I do not truly believe the Good News of Jesus Christ, because somehow I have not been changed. If I do not have that fear, I have no right to expect the blessing He promised. If I do not have that fear, I need to seek it, to seek the Lord and stand in awe of Him, both for His frightening power to punish His enemies and for His incredible power to do good to His people. For the hatred of sin and desire to save that led Him to sacrifice His own Son to effect this change in me.