Amazing God the unexplained and wonderful, make the needs and fears of this dear reader Yours; I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious name, amen.
Our text for today comes from Jeremiah 31: 27 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humans and the seed of animals. 28 And just as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord. 29 In those days they shall no longer say: "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." 30 But all shall die for their own sins; the teeth of everyone who eats sour grapes shall be set on edge. 31 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the Lord," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
The images being beamed live from Chile are life-affirming and great news! Thirty-three miners trapped underground for almost three months, are slowly making their way to freedom and life above ground. The world has been united in concern for their safety and cooperative international efforts to find a way to save them have paid off. One by one, these miners are being lifted up through a narrow shaft in a missle-like device to their freedom. Family and friends who have been praying nonstop for their release are now rejoicing for those few who have come up at this writing, and the others are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their husbands, fathers, brothers, sons. This passage speaks to those of us who are still trapped under the weight and guilt of our sin. Each one of us suffering and paying for wrong decisions, actions or words. We cannot blame our parents for our sins, we made the choice to sin and we alone carry that burden of having chosen or acted wrong. Thankfully, our God is a God of many chances. As God forgave the sins of Israel, so God forgives our sins. As God acted to re-write the covenant between God and God's people, through Christ, God has acted to write on our hearts, special, eternal, neverending, love. Through the blood of Christ shed on the cross, God remembers our sin no more.
Want good news on top of the world's good news? Surrender to Christ and allow Him to lift you from the mire of sin to light, life, and freedom! And then, act on that redemption, by helping others.
PRAYER: Loving God of love and second and third chances, I celebrate along with my brothers and sisters around the world for those who have been rescued from the prison that has been this mine for too many days. And I pray that I might be released from the underground prison of sin and the guilt and burden that has come with it. May I be lifted up too, to light, life and freedom. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
Prayer Requests: For Rev. J. C. Williams, our pastor at Harris Chapel in Nixon, who undergoes a kidney stone procedure this morning in Victoria, Texas. For Rev. Virgilio Vasquez-Garza, who has traveled to Rwanda to accompany the body and prepare the funeral of a fellow pastor from that country. May his return back to San Antonio be blessed.
