July 24, 2001
"I will forsake my house,
abandon my inheritance;
I will give the one I love
into the hands of her enemies.
My inheritance has become to me
like a lion in the forest.
She roars at me;
therefore I hate her.
Has not my inheritance become to me
like a speckled bird of prey
that other birds of prey surround and attack?
Go and gather all the wild beasts;
bring them to devour.
Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard
and trample down my field;
they will turn my pleasant field
into a desolate wasteland.
Jeremiah 12:7-11
At first glance this may not seem to be the most encouraging scripture but it is! What caught my eye is that despite the fact that his inheritance, his people have become like a wild animal, out of control, biting the hand that feeds them... God still claims them as his own. In just these few verses he claims them as his own eight times! I remember being child and on many occasion when I misbehaved one parent would say to the other "Well, she's your daughter". It is so comforting to know that even when we aren't what we need to be that God is still willing to claim us!! That is God's unconditional love!