Jeremiah 23:1-6 (NRSV)
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Chapter 23Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Verse 2Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Verse 3Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. Verse 4I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord. Verse 5The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. Verse 6In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: "The Lord is our righteousness."
Devotion
“I will, and I ask God to help me.” We make this “I will” promise in various church liturgies. I believe most people come to these words with good intentions. Yet when it comes to promises, sometimes we are shining stars of reliability; at other times we are bewilderingly inconsistent.
By contrast, God’s “I will” statements in today’s text reveals the dependable God of the scriptures. This God of promise came through for Israel and is faithful to promises for this age. In verse 2, we discover a God who is concerned about justice. In verses 3 and 4 we have God bringing promises of hope to a weary Israel. Finally, the Christ promise springs forth in the final section.
This “I will” God moves beyond the fluctuations of human promise and commitment. In this God of promise we find solid ground on which to build our faith.
Prayer
God of promise, help us to trust in your “I will.” In Christ, the promised one, we find hope for life and for life to come. Amen.