Daily Devotions
Jeremiah had his work cut out for him. He was sent to tell the people of his time who God is and what He is like. No small task here. And this is what He is like. He passes judgment, severe, hard, conclusive. He is a God of justice and decision. But at the same time—the Bible persistently reminds us—He is a God of grace and everlasting compassion, always willing to save and ever ready to help.
One look at human nature, and God being a God of judgment makes perfect sense. But, thankfully, God didn’t stop there. He is a God of mercy and grace. In fact, He has demonstrated Himself to be a God of mercy and grace. And how do we know this? Because God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to become a Man and to pay for all the sins of the world, every last one of them, every one you and I have committed.
God is for you whether you know it or not, whether you like it or not, whether you listen to Him or not.
But I urge you, my friend, do listen to God, wherever you are today, as He speaks to you in Jesus Christ. In His beloved Son, He offers us a new covenant, full of mercy and grace and complete forgiveness. In Jesus—and because of Jesus—He will forgive our blackest sins. Jesus’ death on the cross and His third-day resurrection from the grave are His eternal guarantee. The new covenant between God and man is now established.
“Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
WE PRAY: Heavenly Father, grant us faith through Your Holy Spirit that we may receive Jesus into our hearts and know the forgiveness He has won for us. In His Name we pray. Amen.
From “Demonstrators for God,” a sermon excerpt from Rev. Dr. Oswald Hoffmann, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Reflection Questions:
1. Have you ever had to give someone bad news? How did that go?
2. Why do you think God made a covenant with Israel knowing they would ultimately break it?
3. Was is necessary for Jesus to go to the cross to pay for our sins? Could God have done it differently?