I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.
Jeremiah 24:7
Throughout Israel’s history, they had a habit of “returning” to God half-heartedly. In the book of Judges, every time Israel was oppressed by their enemies, they’d put away their idols for a few years, maybe even a generation or two. When they repented, God delivered them, but the Israelites quickly forgot God’s deliverance and would bring out their idols again. This happened up until the time of the exile, when this promise was given to Jeremiah. God promises to give them a new heart, a heart that knows and honors Him.
God fulfilled His promise through Jesus. God has made himself known to us by sending His Son Jesus, fully God and fully man. When Jesus was born, they called His name Emmanuel, God with us. It is only through Him, and because of His death and resurrection that we can be given new hearts – hearts that know Him. Hearts that know God’s word. Hearts that stand in awe of who God is, recognizing God’s worthiness. Hearts that have relationship with Him.
What does it look like to return with our whole heart? As I was thinking about Christmas, I considered how we prepare to have family or friends come over for various activities throughout the season. Whether that’s preparing food, cleaning house, or wrapping up gifts, we put time and effort into preparing a space for our family and friends to enjoy. What if we did the same for our hearts? Instead of half-heartedly acknowledging Jesus’s birth as the reason for Christmas, what if we specifically set aside time to open our hearts to Him? To reset our priorities from the things we exalt over God, whether it be ourselves, our families, our traditions, or anything else, and give our hearts wholly to Him.
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation!
References: Judges 2:11-23, John 1:14-17, Matthew 1:23
Studio Update:
Not much has happened in the studio this month, since we were busy with the open house and Thanksgiving preparations. Speaking of the open house, thanks to everyone who stopped by, it was lots of fun!
In place of my normal collage of pictures from the month, I have a time lapse I took a little bit ago. This peach rose is featured on the “Language of Flowers Thank You Cards”, as peach roses have been used as symbols of gratitude.
Thanks for stopping by!
Blair