Rev. Ray and Pat Amos
Jeremiah 31
THOUGHT FOR TODAY, December 9, 2019
“Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.”
The angels brought a message of joy and peace on earth because Christ was born. The Christmas story with all of its celebration also has a dark cloud in it that has never gone away, but it will vanish someday. The birth of “Goodness and Light” always stirs up evil and darkness. A jealous king orders the slaughter of children for no other reason than the fact that he was upset about a baby born to be king. Matthew wrote, “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
In Genesis, Rachel died after giving birth to Benjamin. She was buried by the side of the road that leads to Bethlehem. Some believed that whenever tragedy came to children she could be heard weeping for them, and that she refuses to be comforted until all the children are safe from evil.
Will Rachel ever stop crying? Today she must weep over the war torn refugees, the starving, the abused and all frightened children who are innocent victims of evil. She will continue to weep in the heart of every good and decent person until the day when evil has vanished, and God has wiped away every tear from her eyes.
Matthew’s words were a quotation from Jeremiah 31. God heard (and hears) Rachel’s weeping. “There is hope for your future,” declares the Lord. God speaks of a day, a better day, when the long night’s weeping will be turned to the joy of a new morning. That day will come because a Savior was born not far from Rachel’s place of weeping. His birth has not kept people from doing evil, but it will never allow evil to prevail!
“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: God is not dead, nor doeth He sleep; The Wrong shall fail – the Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men.”
Grace and Peace, Rev Ray
Link to Youtube – Joey Williams Sings
