Today's Verse: Jeremiah 31:16 (ESV)

Thus says the Lord: “Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the Lord, and nthey shall come back from the land of the enemy.

n Ezra 1:5; Hos. 1:11

Jeremiah preached to those in Judah who were condemned under exile to Babylon. He spoke to a people separated from God. And yet, they were not abandoned. There was still a message of hope. The exiled would rebuild themselves both physically and spiritually and would return to their promised land.

Today's Comments: The exile that the Jews faced was brought on my years of apostasy and disobedience. They were being punished for their disobedience. And yet, they were also being strengthened so that one day God would bring them back. Fierce judgment would give way to blessing. And this time, that blessing would be the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God.

Of course we all know what happened to Jesus. His own chosen people crucified him. And yet, that event was used by God to bless His people through the act of the resurrection and the conquest of sin once and for all.

For those of us who attend churches who are guided by the seasons of the Christian year, we are currently observing the season of Advent. Note that I did not use the word "celebrate." Why not? Well, Advent is a season of looking forward. But, we look forward not just to Christ's birth at Christmas, but we look forward to His death on the cross, as well. Because it was for that end that Jesus Christ the Messiah came to be born in that lowly manger at Bethlehem. We also look behind, as well. We look behind at the apostasy that existed in Israel at the time of Christ's birth. And we must also look behind to our own apostasy and disobedience.

Poem of the Week: I think that our modern apostasy is very well summed up in one of Beverly Caruso's poems, which appears below. Let us pray that we can still bring back the real reason for the season:

THEY'VE TAKEN MY JESUS AWAY

I don't like shopping anymore
For they've taken my Jesus from
All the stores
There's sadness in my heart today
Because Christmas is on the way
And my Jesus has no place to stay

For 200 years a Manger scene was
in my President's house
Now all of a sudden, this babe
Is not allowed

"No Public place, no public place
Will Jesus be found
They put an X on Christmas
To X out "Christ"
So now it's just "Xmas"
And Holiday lights

Well, I'm not visiting those
stores anymore
I'll take all my money
And give to the poor

"If you do this for the least of
These, the Son of God said
You've done it for me"

So let us always remember
Christmas is not the ornaments
and it isn't the Tree

It's the birth of a Savior
who died
FOR YOU AND ME !!

(Written by: BEVERLY CARUSO)