Jeremiah 33:14-17
How much time do we spend waiting?
We wait in line.
We wait for our birthday – or Christmas – or vacation.
We wait to grow up. We wait for retirement.
We sometimes grow weary while we wait.
By the time we get to the place of the prophets in the Old Testament, the people of God had been waiting for their ultimate leader, and they were growing tired of waiting.
As the editors of the Spark Story Bible near the end of their Old Testament tales, they tell young readers this about Jeremiah:
“Some of the kings who ruled after King David were not very good. These kings made the Israelites so sad that they forgot about God. There was much trouble in their country. However, God did not forget about them. God sent a man named Jeremiah to give the Israelites hope.
Jeremiah said, ‘Soon God’s promise to save the world will be kept! When the right time comes, God will send a leader from King David’s family, and he will be a good ruler.’
‘Hurray!’ shouted the people. ‘God remembers us!’ The people were hopeful. Everything would be good again. The people could hardly wait!”
We wait for our lives to feel full of purpose and joy and peace. But what we are waiting for is already here for us. We know the name of David’s descendent. Hopefully, we also know Him personally.
God, help me to enjoy right now what so many generations spent their time awaiting, a close a personal relationship with You through my Lord Jesus. Thank You for giving me a great and gracious ruler for my life. Amen.