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THE GOODNESS OF GOD (JEREMIAH 31:1-14)

A message of hope and restoration to the exiled Israelites in Babylon.

REFLECTION
The goodness of God is the theme for our reflection. A person said to be good if the person makes others happy and satisfied. Goodness is the quality or state of being good. The goodness of God refers to God’s attribute or character of making His children happy and satisfied. At the time Jerimiah delivered the message of hope and restoration, the Babylonian Empire had destroyed and taken Isreal captive. Babylon was the superpower at the time. It is in this context of hopelessness, fear and uncertainty that Jerimiah said to the exiled people of Israel, “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.” (Jeremiah 31:10)
It is important to note that Israel was captured by Babylon because they disobeyed God. Anytime we disregard God’s way of life and yearn for what pleases us and the standards of the world, we are on the way to captivity. However, we witness the goodness of God through His love and mercy even in a situation of exile and captivity. It is not God’s will for us to remain in captivity and suffer, therefore, Jeremiah promised the captives in Babylon “For the LORD has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him. (Jeremiah 31:11) In other words, we cannot rescue or liberate ourselves from our captor or a situation of anxiety and distress, for it may be too hard for us, but we are reminded in Psalm 27:1 that “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
What predominantly holds a person captive is his or her addiction to sin. My dear friend, to experience the goodness of God in captivity of sin, you must be like the prodigal son who after reflecting on his life in exile due to his disobedience said “I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” (Luke 15:18-19) Repentance, restoration and experiencing the goodness of God are inseparable. There is a difference between a faithful Christian or disciple of Christ and a mere churchgoer. There are many ”churchgoers” (unrepentant people in the church) who yearn to experience the goodness of God yet they always go back into the world and remain captives of corruption, sexual immorality, drunkenness, and all manner of fleshly desires that are against God’s will for their lives. James describes a “churchgoer” and a person who is in spiritual and moral captivity of sin in the following words, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.” (James 1:23-24)
Beloved in the Lord, the goodness of the Lord is seen in His total restoration of our hopeless situation. We witness the goodness of God in the holistic transformation of our sinful lives. The goodness of God encompasses every aspect of our lives including our finances, wealth and well-being or health as seen in Jeremiah 31:12-14. God is ever ready through Jesus to save you from what is holding you captive, are you willing to repent and experience the goodness of God? The choice is yours to make.“Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion” (The rebellion is about the Israelites, during their journey with Moses from Egypt to the promised land, those who hardened their hearts incurred the wrath of God in the wilderness).(Hebrews 3:15). Let us experience the goodness of God through obedience and not the wrath of God due to disobedience. Shalom
PRAYER
“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” Amen (Psalms 27:13-14)