JEREMIAH 32:36-41 – “Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.”
THEME OF THE DAY: GOD’S COMMITMENT TO US. We are exhorted throughout the scripture, from our pastors, and as part of our responsibilities to other believers in the body of Christ to examine our commitment to the Lord Jesus. In the letter to the Hebrews, clear instructions are given toward this end.
“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13).
As we heed this command personally and toward others, what is the chief motivation sustaining us? Obviously, the answer is love. The Apostle Paul would close out the thirteenth chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians with the following words:
“So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
The chief motivation in all of the Christian life is love. Yet, it is important we get the proper order in the motivation of love. Too often our application in the Christian life, or the Christian life in general, begins with us, and that never leads us to any place good. And when it comes to our commitment to the Lord, if it starts with us, we may soon find ourselves “running out of steam” for more often than not, we attempt spiritual obedience in the strength of self (the flesh), and that fizzles soon. All things are from God, for God, sustained by God, and end with God, and that includes the motivation of love. Yes, we do love Him but why? The Apostle John tells us…
“We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
The motivating power of our commitment to the Lord is love, but it is His love to us first and foremost. And that ties us into today’s scripture and God’s commitment to us. Do a little study of today’s passage from Jeremiah. Circle, highlight, underline, or write in a journal how many times we read “I will” as it pertains to the Lord and His people. The answer is ten but go further in your study and expound what follows each I will. What is identified is the astounding commitment God’s makes to His people, and that includes us who are in Christ. And the more we focus on God’s commitment of love to us, the result will be a more consistent and joyful commitment to Him.
So, want a deeper commitment to the Lord? Of course, but let’s not start looking in the mirror. Start with today’s scripture and His commitment to us. It will motivate and sustain our commitment to Him.
PRAYER: Father, I praise You for Your everlasting covenant promises that motivates my commitment to You.
REFLECTION: Think about your commitment to the Lord only AFTER you stand amazed at His commitment to you.