Sept 25, Jer 29-32

Good morning at church. Great worship focusing on who God is and then the sermon was on Gen 15 - quickly becoming one of my fave passages! Especially when JD preaches it!
Anyway...
Jer 29.11-14 - This is such a popular passage. We often don't look at the context though. The Israelites weren't listening to the judgments and laws of the Lord and they were worshipping other gods. He was going to bless them and they won't listen to Him. If we only would listen and worship Him - and not other things - then we would have those great and wonderful futures that He talks about giving to us.
30.24 - Anger is a way that God accomplishes what He has in mind for His people. Sin has created that rift between God and man and His anger must carry out retribution for His name.
31.12 - And they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord. Let me be radiant over your goodness (who you are and what you provide). Let me never think or portray to others that you have acted in my behalf for me - for everything you do is to bring your name glory. The side benefit is that I am blessed because of You.
31.14 - And my people shall be satisfied with my goodness - in your presence are pleasures evermore.
31.18 - Bring me back that I might be restored. Bring me back - doesn't say lead - it says bring. Something that we can't do ourselves. Restoration - usually includes some pain, even when you restore a piece of wood or something you strip away the old, and you put the new on. What a great verse of grace and refinement.
31.20 - Therefore (because we are his children) he yearns for us. God longs for his children that have fallen away to come back to Him.
32.17 - I love finding songs that I sing in Scriptures. This is one of those times. Ah Lord God, thou hast made the heaven and the earth, by thy great power, by thine outstretched arms. Nothing is too difficult for thee...