Chapter 31 – Their Life Shall be a Well Watered Garden

This book is about exile and homecoming. We are well over halfway through now and the sounds have changed. So much of the first half of the book is marked by warning and judgment and sorrow and pain and loss. There is devastation that the people could scarcely have imagined.  
The book, in the end though, is about renewal that is in God. The language of judgment and terror is a way of showing us that God takes up all of the darkness in the world, all of it. Now, we begin to see the light in God that overcomes the darkness. There will be redemption and renewal. That redemption and renewal will be in and by the character of God.  
Here, in chapter 31 listen to these words and ask the Holy Spirit to bring to life the images, feelings, and emotion. Hear in these words the promise of life. 

“I will be their God and they will be my people.” 
“I will build you up and you shall be built.” 
“You will go forth in the dance of merrymakers.”
“A great company shall return; the blind, the lame, the pregnant woman, she who is in labour, those from the farthest parts of the earth.” 
“I will make you walk by brooks of water, in a straight path by which you will not stumble.” 
“You shall come back and sing aloud.” 
“They shall be radiant with the goodness of the Lord.” 
“Young women will rejoice in dance. Young men and old shall be merry.” 
“I will turn their mourning into joy. I will give them gladness in exchange for their sorrow.” 
“There is hope in your future.”  

Then, Jeremiah 31:31 speaks of a new covenant. We see the glory of Jesus Christ the One who renews all things.   

“I will be their God and they will be my people.” 
“No longer will each one teach his neighbour saying, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me.” 
“I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more.”  

There is this beautiful little verse in the midst of this. As the chapter turns from words of comfort and promise to talk of a new and eternal covenant. It is always particular for Jeremiah. He is embodying this.  You may have experienced things like this, when you have been weary, tired, maybe anxious, maybe depressed, sleepless or too much sleep but little rest. Here is Jeremiah upon hearing this word of God’s promise; 

“At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me.”  

Dear God; 
I pray for those who have not felt sleep that has been pleasant. Now, in the midst of uncertainty, may they know a rest of body and spirit that is pleasant and good because by your Spirit they have known your promise. Even now. I heard some words in an old Counting Crows song, the lyric is “Things are getting worse, but I feel a lot better and that’s all that really matters to me.” 
Could it be that even before we are through the worst of things in our lives or in the world, or due to our own mistakes that we hear your word of promise? I pray that we would. And I pray for those sleepless ones, for rest. 
Amen