Objects in the mirror are closer
than they appear. I am not beyond the long arm
of God’s grace simply because
of my transgressions.
I can turn away,
I can look askance,
still I cannot hide.
The sparrow, the lily of the field
I am counted as one.
God shows no partiality
Christ died for the sins of all.
I am His
because I believe.
Because I believe
I am His.
—Audrianne Hill
Early in his career as a war journalist (“The Babylonians are at the outskirts of Egypt, and the Lord’s really got it in for the Egyptians”), Jeremiah assures the Israelites that, as vengeful as God is about their sins, God will restore them as a nation after seventy years.
Then, in this passage, Jeremiah flashes God’s unexpected promise to make a new covenant, not just a system of laws but also a living relationship within each of God’s people, a promise to “forgive their iniquity and remember their sins no more.”
What a gift! God promises acceptance and forgiveness, no matter what: unconditional grace. God promises that even unendurable oppression and horrific violence will give way to redemption. In our time, when today’s oppressions rule and corrupt people’s lives, can we still hope that God will claim us, “from the least… to the greatest”? Can we really hope?
—Tom Arendshorst
In my imperfection, I cannot but sin.
In my will, I cannot but be weak.
In my actions, I cannot but be selfish.
Is my legacy to be forgotten by my God?
Say it is not so.
Even though,
My sins cut the cord of Grace, raw.
Repeatedly, like the sting of sleet on the face.
Pray, do not allow me to walk away
From the fire within,
The warmth of Your Love,
To some snowy-frozen-scape of a Godless land,
The life-less creation of a thoughtless man.
Recall me to your Presence,
Wash me with the Holy Spirit,
Light a path that my heart may follow, and
I will look for fellow travelers
And speak of the promise of Grace found waiting…
Patient, beyond human understanding,
… to apply the balm of love to a contrite heart.
—Bob Jerow
After forcefully chasing the money changers and sellers of sacrificial animals out of the Temple, Jesus was asked by the “Keepers of the Law” by what authority or sign he had done this. Jesus’ answer, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it,” baffled both the Temple authorities and his disciples. After his resurrection, Jesus’ disciples understood these words as referring to the temple of his body. Neither the “Keepers of the Law” nor the disciples recognized these words of Jesus as the beginning of the end of religion as they knew it. Gradually the church realized the Temple, Sabbath keeping, circumcision, and laws about sacrifice were all done away with in Christ. Resurrection changed everything.
Today, we in the Church must keep reexamining old and familiar ways of thinking in the light of new Spirit-led experiences. May we recognize Jesus as the “Temple” where God dwells in the fullness of grace and truth.
—Ann Anderson
One of the great temptations in times of stress and struggle is the temptation of magic—that someone, somewhere, has the elixir that will make all the problems go away. From politicians to infomercials to bookstore shelves, the promise of easy answers and quick fixes calls. No long process. No hard conversations. No confusing dialectic to toss and turn in the brain. No dealing with people who don’t see it my way. Just the answer.
But the Bible, and the faith we derive from it, has never been a book of magic—it is rather a wellspring of hope that strengthens us and allows us to go forward no matter the circumstances. Hope stirs the imagination, expands horizons, energizes; it honors the past, references the present, and remembers the future. Hope is why the Psalmist can say, “for dominion belongs to the Lord.”
We are a people of hope and the people of Hope (Church). For in God, we are able to see what has not yet been and what will be:
“(to) sing to our Lord a new song;
(to) sing in our world a sure Hope:
Our God loves this world,
God called it into being,
God renews it through Jesus Christ,
God governs it by the Spirit.
God is the world’s true Hope.”*
*from the Reformed Church in America’s “Our Song of Hope.”
Prayer: In your grace, O God, grant us the wisdom and courage to this day and every day be people of hope.
—Jeff Japinga
Meditations for People of Hope 