RTW August 13

When Our Spiritual Time-Out Ends

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity,…
Jeremiah 31:23a

 

 

My Takeaways

Something Old

I turned away from God, but then I was sorry.  I kicked myself for my stupidity! I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days.
Jeremiah 31:19

I kicked myself for my stupidity all the time.

Something New

  • He will rebuild on the foundation that we called ruined.
  • He will restore our hearts by writing His instructions on our hearts.
  • He will remove our shame by not remembering our sin.

Something to Do

Celebrate the ending of spiritual time-out.

 

 © RTW is a membership Online Bible study. The material is copyrighted and intended for the sole use of RTW members. Materials are not available for reprinting or distribution. All video teachings are intended for the sole use of RTW members. They are not available for copy and distribution on of any kind. Thank you.  All Rights Reserved.

6 Comments

  1. “Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy.” Jeremiah 31:16
    I know that this verse is about Israel, but as a mom waiting on a wayward child at the moment, I want to claim this verse as hope for my personal situation, too. God restores Israel. God restores us too – back to Him, back to our families. And the end of verse 22, “ For the Lord will cause something new to happen – Israel will embrace her God. “ I pray my child will embrace God again, too.

    And then the Lord’s announcement through Jeremiah of the new covenant…verse 33…”But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days says the Lord, “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” God deep within us! The Holy Spirit will abide deep within us! Hope! The new covenant, the New Testament is coming… Sometimes when I’m reading the Old Testament and I can’t understand the behaviors, I have to remind myself that they did not yet have the Holy Spirit. It’s hard to imagine, but I have to remember that is a New Testament gift to God’s people. I am especially grateful that God chose to write his instructions on our hearts.

    1. I continue to pray for your personal situation. I think we both focused on the same chapter today to go back and reflect upon. I enjoyed your comments.

      1. Thank you kindly. I love reading your comments and learn so much because you are willing to share your reflections. Someday I would love to meet in person, have a cup of coffee and a nice chat!

        1. Wouldn’t that be fun, but we probably live miles and miles apart. I live in the Midwest. How exciting it would be if you did too.

  2. My Takeaways: God is Sovereign.

    Something Old: The last messages of Jeremiah show God’s sovereignty and his judgment. The prophecies have turned from Judah and Jerusalem to Babylon whose end is aproaching soon. God’s people will soon be returning home. God brings good out of evil, but he does not allow evil to remain unpunished. Let this be a reminder to me to stay clear from evil ways even if it appears to look good on the outside so that I do not fall into this kind of judgement.

    Something New: Jeremiah chapter 31 has some encouraging reading! The promises of deliverance and hope of restoration are given by God to Jeremiah – a New Covenant- “The day will come,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors, when I brought them out of Egypt. They broke that covenant… This is the new covenant I will make with the people. I will put My laws in their minds and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be My people… I will forgive their wickedness and never again re- member their sins” (31:31-34).
    This New Covenant was going to replace the Old Covenant that was between God and His people. This New Covenant is not written on stone but on my heart and made possible by my faith in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. Under the New Covenant I no longer am under the laws of the Old Testament because Jesus came to fulfill the law. I can now receive salvation in Christ, a permanent, unbroken relationship with God through Him. The best part about this New Covenant is that it is unconditional. I no longer have to worry about certain requirements in order to have a relationship with the Lord. It’s not about the work that I do. I am forever in God’s grace, not because of anything I’ve done but because of what Christ has done. What a blessing it is that I was born under the New Covenant! Just like Darena mentioned above when I turn my life over to God, he, by his Holy Spirit, places the desire to obey him, on my heart!

    Something To Do: Remember the words he has already written on my heart. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding, seek his will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” -Proverbs 3:5-6

Comments are closed.