33 “This is the New Way of Worship that I will give to the Jews. When that day comes,” says the Lord, “I will put My Law into their minds. And I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people. 34 No one will need to teach his neighbor or his brother to know the Lord. All of them will already know Me from the least to the greatest,” says the Lord. “I will forgive their sins. I will remember their sins no more.”
I love hunting stories. My dad would tell me and my brother hunting stories from when he was a kid with his dad. Stories of seeing that monster buck or an amazing shot that still baffles me. Recently, my daughters had a chance to go hunting. While most of them do not want to hunt, one of them was all for it. That weekend was super cool because I got to build some memories and be the author of a great hunting story I am sure to tell my grandkids one day. Those memories, as they say, are written on my heart.
As circumstances go for the Israelites, it was not a good time. Israel’s heart had become so black with sin and separation from God that a cleansing was needed. This cleansing looked like an invading army from Babylon coming to take the Israelites into captivity for 70 years. Jeremiah was one of the prophets to foretell this. The Lord told him to tell the people, “If you serve Babylon, you will live, but if you refuse to serve Babylon, you will die.” In today’s terminology, don’t run from the punishment. In chapter 29:4-9, it even tells the exiles to build houses, marry off their sons and daughters, pray for the prosperity of the city they live in, and not listen to the false prophets, for they only tell lies and their words are not from the Lord.
While Jeremiah had foretold this exile, the Lord also tells him to prophesy and write down some things to come that are not so grim. In our verse above, the Lord speaks of the “New Way of Worship” that God will give to the Jews. This “New Way” is a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ. When Jesus comes down from Heaven and teaches His disciples about the “New Way,” they change the world. This “New Way” has the Holy Spirit living inside of every man who gives his life to Christ. Because of this, God will write the law of the Lord on their minds and on their hearts. It says that the Lord will be known by all, from the least to the greatest, and God will forgive their sins and remember them no more. This speaks of Jesus and His ultimate sacrifice on the cross, once and for all, for the forgiveness of all our sins.
In the old days, men had to remember the law and follow it from memory. Today, we have the Holy Spirit inside of us, guiding us in all things toward the Lord. I pray all the time that the Lord would write the Word of God on my heart and mind. I also understand that while I am still here on this sinful earth, just like the people of Israel were in Babylon, I must still live life to the fullest. I cannot cower in fear because Satan is the god of this earth. No, I must remember that Jesus has overcome the world and I am victorious through Him in Jesus’ name. My words are life and death. My actions follow my heart posture. My plans are made by consulting the Lord and those godly men and women near me. I pray for my children and the ones around me to know the Lord and to follow Him. God is writing the very stories (testimonies) I can give to tell all for the glory of God.
You see, you are writing a story every time you wake up and live that day. Your every action and reaction are being recorded and will be played back under the banner of your story one day. My prayer has always been that when that day comes, when part or all of my story is told, it is filled with and ends with, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Life can dish out some no-hitters for all of us. Sometimes we sit in the deer blind and freeze, not seeing a blessed thing for hours. Remember that the Lord is making a way and preparing you for His work, even in the middle of life’s no-hitters and not-so-good stories. He has always carried you and will never forsake you, even when you are in the middle of dealing with your poor choices and bad habits. He never left you. It is time you start a new chapter in your story, one that begins with, “That day I gave it all to the Lord Jesus and started following Him.” That chapter is going to be a page-turner for sure.
Prayer: Father, help us to never forget you. In life, we can get distracted by being too busy and dealing with the stupid choices we make. Today I pray that I give it all to you and drop all my baggage at the cross of Christ. I realize, Lord, I will have to walk through the mess I created, but I now know you are with me, and I will get through this. I will go forth and write my story with chapters of breakthrough and victories, and I will be able to help others who have lost their way and point them to the “New Way.” In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let It Go 
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