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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. (Jeremiah 31:27-34 NRSV)
Happy Thursday, dear Friend! I pray that the weather in the area where you live has been pleasant. We prayed on Tuesday night for rain and most of that night, we got rain. We also got some cooler weather. My prayers are that we all stay safe and that we are aware of the needs of those who have no homes. Pray for one another. Pray for yourselves. Find a way to get involved in helping others.
We come to the Weeping Prophet again. As we're in the midst of the month set aside to show our appreciation for our pastors, his words and situations work well to help us all understand some of the pressures and challenges of pastoral ministry. I received this quote from a colleague, written by Frederick Buechner, a noted author and pastor:
"I HEAR YOU ARE entering the ministry," the woman said down the long table, meaning no real harm. "Was it your own idea or were you poorly advised?" And the answer that she could not have heard even if I had given it was that it was not an idea at all, neither my own nor anyone else's. It was a lump in the throat. It was an itching in the feet. It was a stirring in the blood at the sound of rain. It was a sickening of the heart at the sight of misery. It was a clamoring of ghosts. It was a name which, when I wrote it out in a dream, I knew was a name worth dying for even if I was not brave enough to do the dying myself and could not even name the name for sure. Come unto me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you a high and driving peace. I will condemn you to death."
That statement is both powerful and true. It is difficult for most pastors to fully and satisfactorily answer the question of Why we were called into ministry. Those truly called were called by the Author of Life. The call was mysterious as was the road ahead. None that I know had the special privilege that Paul had to have the Lord reveal to us what we were to suffer; we have been surprised, both pleasantly and not so pleasantly. We have seen the absolute best and the worst in people. We have been blessed, and some of us have been cursed, cussed, and discussed. Some of us were even disgusted. Some us even have been in situations like Jeremiah saw and wept over. People doing the most incredible and unexpected things; and all like as if nothing bad or evil had even been done. As the Message version says, and it's today's theme, "parents have eaten the green apples and the kids have gotten the stomachache." The actions of parents leaving consequences for their children; yet the truth follows in the 30th verse, "But all shall die for their own sins." Yet, the coming of the new covenant in the Messiah is written in that passage; God still wants us, and God is willing to pay the ultimate price of losing His only Son for us. And the day is coming, God says through the prophet, "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." The day is coming, God says, when teaching others about God will no longer be necessary because all will know, and all will follow and all will obey. And all will have their sins forgiven.
PRAYER: Gracious God, we long for that day but for now we celebrate Jesus and all He has done. For now we also must continue to teach one another about You and all You do. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the living of these days. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Tell someone about God's love for them today! AND show some appreciation for your pastor(s) before this month is up!
Blessings of love and strength,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
