Jeremiah 31:10-14

“Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.” vs. 13

In spite of his concern for Jerusalem and his contempt for the policies of the king, Jeremiah could scarcely contain himself as he thought about the future the Lord had in mind for the people. His vision is magnificent, and he even gives a nod to the rejoicing that comes from dancing, probably a bit of a surprise to some of our puritanical forebears. And when he says that even the old shall be merry we can’t help but smile, because sometimes it doesn’t seem that the aged have much to look forward to. But Jeremiah refuses to be silent. We have a God that is full of surprises! Read again what he says, “I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.” What a treat it is to get this message from one of the prophets! Sometimes in these latter days, it seems that our country is out of control and that we’re heading in a direction that promises only disaster. But that’s not the big picture, and that message certainly doesn’t correspond to what we receive from Jesus. His promises will never fail, and one day the Kingdom of Peace will prevail!

Thought for the Day:When was the last time that I made merry?