Mon.’s Devo - God Restores

Read: Jeremiah 30:31-26; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; Psalm 87:1-7; Proverbs 25:18-19 The Lord encouraged them with promise of their restoration. God asked them a question: “Do men give birth to babies?” (They are trying to tell us that men can have babies but God knows they can’t. He made us male and female.) What God was trying to say was that there were some basic laws of nature that can’t be changed and this was one of them. Another one was that He would never abandon his people. It would go against his law of nature. It was indeed a time of great terror and trouble for the people of Israel but they will be saved. One day, they would choose the Lord as their god and God will bring them back to their land and prosper them. Jerusalem will be rebuilt and the palace will be reconstructed. They will be honored and their children will prosper as God establishes them as a nation. Anyone who hurts them will be punished. They will have a new ruler from their own people. For the meantime, the people who survive the coming destruction will find rest and blessings in the barren land. Jeremiah continues with the future of their rebuilding. They will return and rebuild with joy and love for their God. God will bring his people who had been scattered over the earth back home. They will come back repentive and sorry for abandoning the Lord in their youth. God always loves his children and will always have mercy on them. He told them to mark the road with signs so they can return to their towns. It seems that today’s reading was given to Jeremiah in a dream and when he awoke he described his sleep as sweet. God’s mercies are sweet. Paul continues his letter to Timothy who was living in Ephesus. Ephesus was a Greek city with many Greek gods and where women were worshipped. This influence was everywhere so when the Godspell was preached there the people came with all their culture. They had no idea who to live according to God’s ways so Timothy had to teach them. Paul was helping him instruct the people. The number one point was that Jesus was the only mediator between God and man. They were used to having many gods. He wanted them to have freedom to worship God free of anger and controversy. He urged the women to dress modestly and not bring attention to themselves but to realize that their beauty was in their good deeds, not their outward apparel. Lord, thank you for the promise of our nations’ restoration also. We are in a time of great trouble but you are our only hope and you have given us precious promises of restoration. Lift up the weary and give hope to the downtrodden. Our hope is in you.