Jeremiah 31:31-34

“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” vs. 33

For hundreds of years Israel had prided itself on being a covenant people. God had chosen them out of all nations and had promised to be their God forever. It was a covenant rooted in the steadfast love of God and ratified by Moses on Mt. Sinai. There had only been one problem. The people of Israel seemed incapable of keeping their part of the deal–they persistently violated the covenant terms through their reckless and sinful living. Jeremiah knew this and had railed against the disobedience through his entire ministry. But he never lost hope–it isn’t that he thought the people would suddenly come to their senses and start living in a new way. Rather, his hope rested on the steadfast love of God. He believed that God would establish a new covenant, one rooted in grace and in heart-changing forgiveness, and people would be transformed.. He didn’t lay out a time-table, but there has certainly been a move in that direction. More and more faithful people are living according to that new covenant, the one ratified by Jesus at the Passover meal, and Jeremiah’s vision is coming to pass. Our challenge is to hang on to Jeremiah’s hope, and celebrate the steadfast life-changing love of God.

Thought for the Day: Where do I see signs of hope in the world?