Shout With Joy

Step #1: Lectio / Read

Jeremiah 31:1-7

At that time, says the LORD,
I will be the God of all the tribes of Israel,
and they shall be my people.
Thus says the LORD:
The people that escaped the sword
have found favor in the desert.
As Israel comes forward to be given his rest,
the LORD appears to him from afar:
With age-old love I have loved you;
so I have kept my mercy toward you.
Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin Israel;
Carrying your festive tambourines,
you shall go forth dancing with the merrymakers.
Again you shall plant vineyards
on the mountains of Samaria;
those who plant them shall enjoy the fruits.
Yes, a day will come when the watchmen
will call out on Mount Ephraim:
“Rise up, let us go to Zion,
to the LORD, our God.”

For thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel.

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Step #2: Meditatio / Meditate

Today is my two-year anniversary. Not sure if that will be related to what I'm about to talk about, but it felt important to make sure everybody knows that.

In today's reading, we hear from the prophet Jeremiah who is delivering one of the most positive messages we hear in his whole book. You see, Jeremiah lived at a very difficult time for the people of Israel. The people were falling into sin and turning away from the Lord, and in the midst of that Nebuchedrezzar, king of Babylon, is threatening to come and take over Israel. In fact, at the end of the book of Jeremiah (spoiler alert) he does come and the Babylonians destroy the city and take captives from Jerusalem back to Babylon.

​In the midst of that time, Jeremiah is prophesying to the people of Israel. He is seeing all of the things that the people are doing - their sins, their faults, their failures - and constantly trying to teach them to turn back to the Lord and away from their sins. 

Chapter 31, in the midst of this book, the one we hear from today, is a bit of a reprieve at moments from that. Specifically, in the first seven verses that we read today, Jeremiah is prophesying that there is joy to shout for, that the Lord has delivered and will continue to deliver His people from their enemies. Today, as we read Jeremiah, we are reminded that even in the midst of the desert, the people of God have found favor with the Lord. 

In two years of marriage, there have been plenty of days that have been joyful and awesome. During those two years, though, there have also been plenty of days that were the desert, that were dry and difficult because life is hard sometimes. The promise of joy today is not a promise that things will be easy; no, it is simply a promise that says that as we continue to draw near to the Lord, we will always be able to shout for joy.​ 

Praise God for the gift of His love in the midst of the desert and the oasis; draw near to the Lord, and He'll always ​draw near to us.

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Step #3: Oratio / Pray

"Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his people,
the remnant of Israel."

Today, take a few minutes to reflect on joy in your life. Are you finding joy in the Lord? Are you drawing near to Him and looking for what He offers you each day? Are you proclaiming that joy to all people that you meet each day?

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Step #4: Contemplatio / Contemplate

Lord, You offer me joy.

I draw near to You.

I find my joy in Your love.

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For the Rest Of Your Day...

In every encounter, show to everyone you meet the joy that you find in the Lord!

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Smartphone Lock Screen

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Today's prayer was prepared by Jason Theobald,
Director of Youth Ministry at St. Mary's in Huntley.