Praise the Lord! God has blessed us with another week in our lives to go forward victoriously in our spiritual pilgrimage keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. This week’s meditation passage is taken from Lamentations 3:19-26 (mentioned above), which talks about God’s great love and His compassion for mankind. Many a time we are unable to experience God’s caring nature in our lives because we fail to understand God and His compassionate love for us. Although we claim to be His sons and daughters, we do not behave like one or live our life according to His laws and decrees. We put the blame on God (or on someone else) if we are not successful in life or if we face hardships in life. This is because we fail to acknowledge that God who remains faithful to us is good at all times. For instance, in the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them, He created everything in perfect condition according to each of its kind (Genesis 1:1-31; Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Chronicles 29:11-13; Psalm 24:1; 1 Corinthians 10:26). At the end of each day, during His creation, God saw that His creation was good (Genesis 1:4,10, 12,18,21, 25, 31). When God made mankind, unlike all the other creations, He made them in the image and likeness of Himself (Genesis 1:26-27) and He made them perfect beings. Ecclesiastes 7:29 states that God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes. Satan (the devil), who was one of the archangels of God, was originally created as a perfect being. Although, he was created as a perfect being, He sinned against God, as prophet Ezekiel quoted God’s statement in his writings: You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty … You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you … So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones (Ezekiel 28:12-16). The sin he committed against God (Isaiah 14:12-15) cost him everything he was in heaven. Prophet Isaiah mentioned his name as Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12), which translates to ‘morning star, son of the dawn,’ but with the fall he became Satan (Luke 10:18), which means ‘adversary’ or ‘accuser.’ The human beings who were created in perfect condition, fell in the cunning trap of Satan (Genesis 3:1-24) and they sinned against the Lord God Almighty, their creator (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:8-13). From that moment on, sin spread among all mankind everywhere and there was not even one person who was righteous (Romans 3:23 [Psalm 14:2-3; 53:2-3]). Yet, God, being gracious and compassionate (Psalm 145:8-9; Ephesians 2:4-5), wanted to bless all of mankind and He chose Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) and his descendants (known as the children/people of Israel) out of all the people groups on the face of the earth to be His treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation to bless all the nations on earth (Exodus 19:5-6). God blessed Abraham and His descendants and they increased in number and became a powerful nation (Genesis 22:18; 24:6; Exodus 1:7; 19:3-6; Joshua 23:9-11). In fact, God hand-picked them and blessed them more than they could imagine or dream of and gave them a special place in His presence in order to bless all the nations on earth through them (Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2). In the light of this, Moses persuasively instructed the children of Israel again and again to be faithful to their Lord God and not to rebel against Him who brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery:

10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. 19 If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. 20 Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 8:10-20)

As per God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 22:18; 24:6), God raised the nation of Israel to be one of the most powerful kingdoms on earth, gave them a position that is higher than any nations on earth, and blessed them more than anyone else in the world.  Despite all the privileges and blessings that God showered upon the children of Israel, they too failed God and sinned against Him and became like any other nation on earth (Judges 2:11-13; 2 Kings 17:7-23). They became proud and arrogant and rebellious towards their Lord God (Deuteronomy 8:14 [10-20]; Hosea 7:10; Amos 6:8; Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 11:28). They forsook the God of their fathers, the compassionate and gracious God, who is slow to anger, and abounding in love and faithfulness, who forgives wickedness, rebellion, and sin (Exodus 34:6b-7a). Moses also warned them that He does not leave the guilty unpunished (Exodus 34:7b). God already warned the children of Israel very specifically about the consequences of not following His righteous laws and decrees that were given to them through His servant Moses:

14 “‘But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, 15 and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, 16 then I will do this to you: I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. 17 I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.

18 “‘If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over. 19 I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. 20 Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of your land yield their fruit.

21 “‘If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve. 22 I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted.

23 “‘If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, 24 I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. 25 And I will bring the sword on you to avenge the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands. 26 When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied.

27 “‘If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, 28 then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. 29 You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. 30 I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you. 31 I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings. 32 I myself will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled. 33 I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins (Leviticus 26:14-33)

Although God warned His people time and again about their unfaithfulness to Him, they did not pay attention to His warnings. He reminded them about their sins against Him:

9 “Since the days of Gibeah, you have sinned, Israel, and there you have remained. Will not war again overtake the evildoers in Gibeah? 10 When I please, I will punish them; nations will be gathered against them to put them in bonds for their double sin. 11 Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh; so I will put a yoke on her fair neck. I will drive Ephraim, Judah must plow, and Jacob must break up the ground. 12 Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you. 13 But you have planted wickedness, you have reaped evil, you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your own strength and on your many warriors, 14 the roar of battle will rise against your people, so that all your fortresses will be devastated—as Shalman devastated Beth Arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed to the ground with their children. 15 So will it happen to you, Bethel, because your wickedness is great. When that day dawns, the king of Israel will be completely destroyed (Hosea 10:9-15)

The people of Judah (and Israel) are also included among the people who have turned away from the Lord God and became corrupt before Him, as it is mentioned in Psalm 14:2-3 [also refer Psalm 53:2-3] that The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. The king and his officials, priests and prophets, and the people of the land alike did evil in the sight of the Lord. When God saw that His people have no intention of repenting and returning to Him, His wrath broke out against them and He brought calamity upon His people Israel as He warned them time after time – the plagues, famine, and sword, to punish them (Jeremiah 14:1-6). God punished them because they sinned against the Lord God who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt (2 Kings 17:7-13).

• • The Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God (2 Kings 17:7a)
  • They worshiped other gods (2 Kings 17:7b)
  • They followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them (2 Kings 17:8a)
  • They practiced the sins that the kings of Israel had introduced (2 Kings 17:8b)
  • The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right (2 Kings 17:9a)
  • They built themselves high places in all their towns from watchtower to fortified city (2 Kings 17:9b)
  • They set up sacred stones on every high hill and under every spreading tree (2 Kings 17:10a)
  • They set up Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree (2 Kings 17:10b)
  • They burned incense at every high place as the nations around them did (2 Kings 17:11a)
  • They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger (2 Kings 17:11b)
  • They worshiped idols, though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.” (2 Kings 17:12; Psalm 106:36)
  • They mingled with the nations and adopted their customs (Psalm 106:35)
  • They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to false gods (Psalm 106:37)
  • They shed innocent blood of their sons and daughters to the idols of Canaan (Psalm 106:38; Ezekiel 24:7-9)
  • They defiled themselves by their deeds (Psalms 106:39)
  • They did so many things that were against their Lord God who redeemed them (Isaiah 1:2-5; Jeremiah 2:29; 3:13; 5:23; Ezekiel 20:8; Zephaniah 3:1)

Even during the last days of Judah’s life as a nation, God spoke through His servant Jeremiah repeatedly to the king and his officials, priests and prophets, and the people of Judah to stop being unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and rather repent and return to Him for He is merciful and compassionate. God set two ways before them, saying: I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death (Jeremiah 21:8 [Deuteronomy 30:19]). Those who listen to the word and act accordingly will live and those who do not listen or act accordingly will die. However, neither did anyone gave heed to Jeremiah’s messages nor repented from their sins and returned to the Lord. Even Jeremiah was tired of prophesying against his people judgement and punishment always, and he made a complaint before God:

7 You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. 8 Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. 9 But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. 10 I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side! Denounce him! Let’s denounce him!” All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, “Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him” (Jeremiah 20:7-10)

The Lord God has been warning Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers every time they sin against Him, but they did not listen to them: Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets (2 Kings 17:13). Due to their unfaithfulness to the God of Israel, God raised their enemies against them who killed their young and old and they were taken out of the land God had blessed them with (Lamentations 2:17, 20-22 [1 Chronicles 9:1b]). They were daunted and punished more than they could bear (Lamentations 2:1-9). Their enemies took them as captives to various foreign territories in the Assyrian and Babylonian kingdoms. It was due to their sin and unfaithfulness towards their God that they lost everything they owned including the land the Lord God had given them as He promised to their ancestors (Deuteronomy 8:19-20; 2 Kings 17:1-41; 25:1-21).

Prophet Jeremiah’s ministry was during the invasion of Judah by the Babylonian army and Judah’s captivity in to Babylon. He was the one who prophesied that Judah’s captivity in Babylon will last for seventy years (Jeremiah 25:8-11; 29:10; Daniel 9:2). Prophet Jeremiah was known as the mourning prophet (the weeping prophet). He lamented for nothing but thinking about Judah’s sin and its consequences that were going to devastate the nation. He was deeply sorrowful during his entire life due to the kind of ministry he was called to carry out (Jeremiah 1:4-10). There were so many reasons for him to mourn about but three main reasons are noted here for our information: (i) Judah’s unfaithfulness to the God of Israel who is the source of all their blessings; (ii) God’s plans for punishing them in His fiercest anger because of their unfaithfulness towards Him; and (iii) he, being a faithful citizen/member of Judah who wishes for its well-being and intercedes for it (Jeremiah 14:11-12). Also, as a faithful prophet of the holy God (Jeremiah 1:9-10), he was trapped and suffering between sinful Judah who continues to live in wickedness (Isaiah 1:1-17; Jeremiah chapters 14-17) and a holy God who does not leave the guilty unpunished (Exodus 34:7a; Numbers 14:18; Proverbs 11:21).

Let us jump into the passage we chose for our meditation, that is Lamentations 3:19-26. In order to understand the context of the passage we chose for our meditation, we need to read the preceding passage, that is Lamentations 3:1-18. When we read the preceding passage (3:1-18), we can understand the real life and ministry situations the prophet went through (we can assume that this is also a prophetical utterance about Christ’s sufferings):

• • The prophet has seen the affliction by the rod of the Lord’s wrath (3:1).
  • The prophet was driven away from the presence of God (3:2a)
  • God made me walk in darkness rather than light (3:2b)
  • God has turned his hand against the prophet (3:3)
  • God has made his skin and flesh grow old (3:4a)
  • God has broken his bones (3:4b)
  • God has besieged him and surrounded him with bitterness and hardship (3:5)
  • God has made him dwell in darkness like those long dead (3:6)
  • God has walled him in so he could not escape (3:7a)
  • God has weighed him down with chains (3:7b)
  • When the prophet call out or cry for help, God shuts out his prayer (3:8)
  • God has barred his way with blocks of stone (3:9a)
  • God has made his paths crooked (3:9b)
  • God dragged him from the path and mangled me like a bear or a lion (3:10-11a)
  • God left him alone without any help (3:11b)
  • God drew his bow and made him the target for His arrows (3:12)
  • God pierced his heart with arrows from His quiver (3:13)
  • The prophet became the laughingstock of all his people (3:14a)
  • The people mock him in song all day long (3:14b)
  • God has filled me with bitter herbs and given me gall to drink (3:15)
  • God has broken his teeth with gravel and trampled him in the dust (3:16)
  • The prophet has been deprived of peace (3:17a)
  • The prophet has forgotten what prosperity is (3:17b)
  • The prophet thought all his splendor that he had hoped from the Lord is gone (3:18)

The above statements (Lamentations 3:1-18) shows that prophet Jeremiah went through a lot of unpleasant circumstances in his life as a prophet of God. In the midst of great distress and life-threatening situations, Jeremiah placed his trust in the God of Israel and hoped that the Lord will come to his help and deliver him from all the painful life-situations he was going through.  Prophet Jeremiah knew that God is also faithful to deliver Israel from all its troubles. He prophesied God’s plans to restore Israel as a nation:

I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile” (Jeremiah 29:10b-14)

When God’s judgement came upon Judah (due to their unfaithfulness to the God of Israel) and brought misfortune in his life, Jeremiah did not hesitate to pray for God’s help for His chosen people despite their sins against Him:

7 Although our sins testify against us, do something, Lord, for the sake of your name. For we have often rebelled; we have sinned against you. 8 You who are the hope of Israel, its Savior in times of distress, why are you like a stranger in the land, like a traveler who stays only a night? 9 Why are you like a man taken by surprise, like a warrior powerless to save? You are among us, Lord, and we bear your name; do not forsake us (Jeremiah 14:7-9)

The following passage, that is, Lamentations 3:19-26, tells us six important things: (i) the prophet reaffirms the reality of his suffering due to Judah’s sin (Lamentations 3:19-20); (ii) his hope is in the God of Israel even in the midst of the sufferings (Lamentations 3:21); (iii) God’s compassion and faithfulness never fails (Lamentations 3:22-23); (iv) The Lord is our portion (Lamentations 3:24); and (v) The Lord makes Himself available to those who seek Him earnestly (Lamentations 3:25-26). Jeremiah faced so much persecution from the authority (king and his officials [Jeremiah 21:11-14; 37:12-16, 21; 38:4-6]), his colleagues (priests and prophets [Jeremiah 20:1-6; 26:7-11;28:10-11]) and the people of Judah (Jeremiah 21:8-10) due to his faith in the God of Israel who appointed him to carry out the ministry he was called to do. He was imprisoned, flogged, put in stocks, and came to the verge of execution. Also, he was thrown into a muddy cistern and left to die. However, he experienced God’s love and compassion each time the Lord helped and rescued him. Jeremiah praised God rescuing him from his oppressors:

11 But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten. 12 Lord Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause. 13 Sing to the Lord! Give praise to the Lord! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked (Jeremiah 20:11-13)

Jeremiah believed that the God of Israel who rescued him from the hands of his oppressors would ultimately forgive the sins of Judah and make everything right for His people Israel because of His great love and His compassions for them (Lamentations 3:22-23). Let us examine and go over with the passage we chose for our meditation (Lamentations 3:19-26):

• • I remember my affliction and my wandering (v.19a)
  • I remember the bitterness and the gall in my life (v.19b)
  • I well remember all the struggles I went through in my life (v.20a)
  • My soul is downcast within me because of all the struggles I went through (v.20b)
  • It doesn’t matter what situations I go through, I have hope in the Lord (v.21)
  • God’s great love for His people never runs out [God is rich in love] (v.22a)
  • God’s love saved us from destruction (v.22b)
  • God’s compassions never fail (v.22c)
  • God’s love and compassions are new every morning (v.23a)
  • Great is God’s faithfulness towards His people (v.23b)
  • Make the Lord our portion (v.24a)
  • Wait for the Lord in great anticipation (v.24b)
  • The Lord is good (v.25a)
  • Place our trust and hope in the Lord for He is good (v.25b)
  • Seek the Lord earnestly for He is good (V.25c)
  • Be still and know that He is the Lord (v.26a [Psalm 46:10])
  • Wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord (v26b)

Through this passage, God is assuring deliverance and glorious hope to His people in the midst of great distress and suffering. Prophet Jeremiah witnessed the fall of Judah and Jerusalem by the hands of the Babylonians. Everyone thought that the end of Jerusalem, the holy city of the Lord God Almighty, had come – the holy temple was destroyed, the city was broken down and burned, most of the people were killed, the remaining people were taken as captives to Assyria and Babylon, and there was nothing remaining there to boast about as worthwhile. However, it was not the end of Israel’s history (as many thought) but it marked the beginning of a new era in the history of Israel. Prophet Isaiah prophesied about the restoration of Israel as a nation:

Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive (Isaiah 52:1-2)

Although, God caused His people to go through such terrible situations because of their sins against Him, He had never forsaken them totally. As one of the Psalmist testified that Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once more (Psalm 71:20-21), God will restore us to Himself. Jeremiah testifies that because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your [God’s] faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23). Whatever happens in our lives (good or bad), let us make the Lord our portion and wait for the Lord who has compassion on us.

In the light of our meditation in here, we can understand that our God is gracious and compassionate. Even though we fail Him from time to time, if we confess our sins and return to Him, He will return to us and redeem us from all our oppressors (Jeremiah 29:12-13). Jesus who gave His life as a ransom for you and me is our mediator and He intercedes for us at all times at the right hand of the Father (Isaiah 53:12; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1). As the New Testament believers, we need to be very careful about God’s commands and we must obey them without any compromise. Remember that what happened to the people of Israel is an example for us and we need to take them as warnings in our lives. The world we live in is filled with too many things that are against the will of God. Apostle Peter urges the followers of Jesus Christ to abstain from such things, especially from all kinds of sinful desires that are against the will of God: Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul (1 Peter 2:11). As Christian believers, one needs to avoid following after worldly passions and rather live as a child of God and live as free people (1 Peter 2:16). King David testified from his personal perspective that the righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all (Psalm 34:19). Apostle Paul wrote: In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12). The Old Testament saint Job was blameless, upright, feared God and shunned evil, yet he went through a lot of suffering in his life but God delivered him from all his troubles/sufferings and blessed him twice as much as he had before (Job 1:1-2:10; 42:10-17). The most appropriate example of righteous suffering is the one that Jesus went through. Jesus, being the Son of God, came to this earth to give His life as a ransom for many and reconcile sinful humanity with the holy God (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19). However, when He came, His own did not receive him (John 1:11) and the ungodly and the wicked opposed Him. Such people not only hated Jesus but also hated everyone who believed in Him. Jesus told His disciples in advance that the world would hate them for just being His followers: If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you (John 15:18-19; 1 John 3:13). Also, Jesus warned His disciples at the close of His earthly ministry that they will have to face trials and troubles in this world: In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33). This means, as faithful followers of Jesus Christ, we His saints will have to face trials and tribulations in our spiritual pilgrimage. In fact, the apostles and the early Christians faced severe persecutions in their lives due to their faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 6:12-13; 7:54-8:3; 9:1-2; 12:1-4; 20:1-28:31; 2 Corinthians 11:16-33). As the apostles, including Paul and Barnabas, preached the gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ to all people, they spiritually strengthened and encouraged the early believers with the message of hope and assurance that Jesus promised to everyone who believes in Him (Romans 15:13; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:3-6; 1 John 5:13-14). They [apostles Paul and Barnabas] were strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). Apostle Paul wrote to Titus, his true son in our common faith that:

11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good (Titus 2:11-14)

We, the New Testament believers, must live a life that is worthy of His calling on us. We are not just an ordinary people but we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, as apostle Peter wrote to the early Christians (and to us):

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Like prophet Jeremiah placed his trust in the Lord and hoped for God’s deliverance in his life, let us also wait for the Lord believing that the Lord God Almighty will answer our prayers. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ alone is able to deliver us from all the painful situations we go through during our spiritual pilgrimage, as Jeremiah said: The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him (Lamentations 3:25). Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever, Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).

May the Lord God Almighty bless us all! Amen!