Post by Cindy on Nov 14, 2024 12:49:04 GMT -5
I will rejoice in doing them good.(JEREMIAH 32:41)
But this assurance was originally given to a group of people described by God as those who “have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth” (verse 30, NIV). They were in captivity in Babylon because of their sins over many generations.
When I married my first wife—who is now with the Lord—we asked that the following Scripture be read at our wedding. Note the many expressions of God’s goodness: “They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul” (Jeremiah 32:38–41, NIV). This sounds appropriate, doesn’t it, for two young people committed to serving God full time?
But this assurance was originally given to a group of people described by God as those who “have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth” (verse 30, NIV). They were in captivity in Babylon because of their sins over many generations.
Just a few chapters earlier, God had said to them: “This is what the LORD says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’ ” (Jeremiah 29:10–11, NIV). If anyone qualified for demerits, surely the Israelites in captivity did. Yet God promised to prosper them, to rejoice in doing them good. Holiness Day by Day
And God delights to do good for you too because He really does love you! As my pastor likes to say, God not only loves you, He also likes you! When thoughts that disagree with this come into your mind, you need to refuse to consider it and tell yourself the truth and keep telling yourself every time one of Satan's lies tries to come in your mind saying this isn't true. Here is some ammunition for you. Keep repeating these to yourself until you can't stop smiling! There are many more but these will do to get us started!
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9–10)
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
“All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:3–5)
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16)
“I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:23)
““As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” (John 15:9)
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 John 3:1)
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38–39)
!!
