Get out the tambourines with new ribbons

Albert Bogle April 13, 2023 2 2

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Jeremiah 31: 1-6 (NIVUK)

1 ‘At that time,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.’

2 This is what the Lord says:

‘The people who survive the sword
    will find favour in the wilderness;
    I will come to give rest to Israel.’

3 The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:

‘I have loved you with an everlasting love;
    I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
4 I will build you up again,
    and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt.
Again you will take up your tambourines
    and go out to dance with the joyful.
5 Again you will plant vineyards
    on the hills of Samaria;
the farmers will plant them
    and enjoy their fruit.
6 There will be a day when watchmen cry out
    on the hills of Ephraim,
“Come, let us go up to Zion,
    to the Lord our God.”’

This reading is a source of great comfort to me. It speaks of God’s tenderhearted kindness. It tells me that God is capable of acting in an unpredictable kindly compassionate manner. Not only that, this scripture underlines the words of Jesus in John chapter 3:16 when he reminds those who had gathered to listen to him that God truly loves the world and that he had come to heal and restore broken lives. In other words, God loves folk like you and me. If this is true then there is hope for all of us when we feel forgotten, taken for granted, use, and of little worth.

So if you’re feeling flat perhaps it’s time to get the tambourines out and put new ribbons of them and start singing. God thinks you’re worth dying for. In my book that is absolutely an unpredictable, compassionate act of great love and kindness!

We can all give more

Lord,

I’m thinking

When you felt flat

Forgotten

Taken for granted

Used

And worthless

When the noise in the room

Raised eye brows

And crushed your soul

And conversations might well have exploded

Mary

Who had also felt all these feelings

Broke open a box of precious perfume

And the aroma filled the room

Her act of unpredictable kindness

Transformed the mood

The place

The people

Lord Jesus

Tenderhearted kindness

Doesn’t come naturally to most of us

Thank you for your generosity and example

Your love is changing my response

To so many things

Thank you for the gift of unpredictable kindness.