Jeremiah 31:13 “Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”
In this chapter, God is talking about the new covenant He will make with His people once they are restored. Again we have these twin motifs of repentance and returning. Verse 33 gives us additional insight that this new covenant, this new relationship, will be personal.
Jeremiah 31:25 “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”
The old covenant, to me, seems characterized by rules and regulations. As the Pharisees and Sadducees show, you can stick closely to the letter of religious law and not have God in your heart. This new covenant alluded to makes the relationship personal—it’s not just about fulfilling the law. It’s also about relationship with the Creator.
Jeremiah 31:31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.”
Lord, Thank You for the hope of the new covenant. Thank You for loving us so deeply that You want to be a part of our lives, that You want to know us personally. Help me, daily, to seek You and to seek to know You better. Draw me closer. Amen.
Jeremiah 31:33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
Have a blessed day.