Sat.’s Devo - The End Result is Wonderful

Read: Jeremiah 30:1-31:26; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; Psalm 87:1-7 Proverbs 25:18-19 God told Jeremiah to write down all the words He had given him for the record. They had all been words of destruction and war with just a small bit of restoration. But, today, he was given a big picture of the restoration. He summed all the bad up in a picture of a woman in labor, but there was a baby in the end which would make all the labor worth it. After the 70 years in captivity, God was going to bring them home again from all over the world. God would destroy the nations that held them and punish them. God had to punish Israel and Judah because her sins were incurable. Jerusalem would be rebuilt and the fortunes of the people would be restored. The palace would be reconstructed with joy and songs of thanksgiving. The Jews would be honored and their children would prosper. They would be established as a nation and have their own rulers. They would be happy once again and dance for joy. Gd would comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing. Jeremiah got all this good news in a dream. He woke up and proclaimed that his sleep had been very sweet! That was probably the best night’s sleep he had had! God said in Jeremiah that he was doing something new. In the New Testament everything was new. Jesus had brought a new age and they were having to change their way of life. Paul instructed Timothy and the people in Ephesus to do things differently than they were used to living. The men were to praise God with holy hands and put away their anger and controversy. Women were to dress moderately to let people see the inner beauty instead. They were also to be quieter and learn to listen. The Greek women, which were not submissive had always ran the everything. They were not raised like the submissive Jewish women. Paul was trying to calm them down so their husbands would rise up and take a more responsible place in the home. The men were the picture of Christ and the women were the picture of the Bride. By nature, women are more easily deceived than men. For example, Eve was deceived by the serpent. But, Paul said that women would be saved in childbirth as they continued to walk in faith, love, holiness and modesty. I can’t say that I understand everything God meant by that but I do know that having children changes your priorities completely. A woman’s heart is changed by having someone other than herself to care for. Lord, thank you for giving us each other to care for so we won’t be so self-absorbed. Thank you for good news of a bright and wonderful future you have prepared for us.