"The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name which it will be called: 'the Lord is our Righteousness.'" - Jeremiah 33: 14-16
When Jeremiah heard this voice from God, he was surrounded by devastation. The Babylonians had ransacked Jerusalem, looting the temple and burning the city. The most educated and accomplished Judeans were exiled to Babylon, while a remnant of the population remained to try to live their lives amid the destruction.
1. If you found yourself among a handful of people living amid the horrors of a desolate city, how would you feel? What would you think about God?
2. What do you think people who found themselves left behind in a ravaged and deserted city believed God's promise to be?
3. Is it possible that any leader might be expected to always execute justice and righteousness? Do all human leaders eventually fall short of doing what is just and right?
About Grace UMC
Grace United Methodist Church is a welcoming congregation, seeking to know Jesus Christ through prayer, worship, study and mission. Although each one of us is at a different place in our own spiritual journey, we are bound together by our love of God and neighbor. Open to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, we seek to serve God in the world.
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