Promises Promises!

I do my Bible read-throughs slower than most people. The first time I did it, it took me five years. I'm attempting to accomplish my current read-through at a break-neck speed of two years in the Good News Bible. I typically intend to read several chapters in a sitting, but often am hindered. I'm presently in Jeremiah, and was making fairly good time, but then I hit chapter 31 yesterday. Chapter 31 gives me a lot to think about, so I only got through two chapters yesterday.

Today, I made it all the way to chapter 32 . . . so that's one more chapter. When I get to promises that God made to his people, it overwhelms me. Take these for instance from vss. 38-41:

38 Then they will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them a single purpose in life: to honor me for all time, for their own good and the good of their descendants. 40 I will make an eternal covenant with them. I will never stop doing good things for them, and I will make them fear me with all their heart, so that they will never turn away from me. 41 I will take pleasure in doing good things for them, and I will establish them permanently in this land (GNB).

• They will be my people.
• I will be their God.
• I will give them a single purpose in life.
• I will never stop doing good things for them.
• I will take pleasure in doing good things for them.

When I read these kinds of things, I have to stop and meditate on them. Do they apply to the church, God's people today? Does it apply to me? What is the evidence of their fulfillment in my life? What in my life hinderes the realization of experiencing God in these ways?

Has God given me a single purpose in life? That almost sounds too simple to be true and I like simple. The first core value of our church is "Simplicity." I think "yes, he has simplified my life down to a fairly simple pursuit with a promise that he'll take care of most of the stuff himself": But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:33, NASB).

Does God take pleasure in doing good for me? I needed to come to this one. Though I know, intellectually, that God's approval of me is not based on performance, I tend to be a performance based person. I tend too easily toward, "I" need to do this or that for his glory, or "I" need to do this for his name's sake, or its my duty to do this for him. How about just slowing down to meditate on the things that God delights to do . . . for me. Wow! Those things are there but are easily taken for granted if we're too busy doing, even if it's for him .

I admit it, I got distracted, I only made it through one chapter this morning. If this keeps up, I might have to consider a three-year read-through.