The Redemption, Promise, and Faithfulness of God

A Reflection for Wednesday, March 25 by Katherine Mayer

Lectionary reading for 03/25/2026: Psalm 143; Jeremiah 32:1-9, 36-41; Matthew 22:23-33

Selected passage for reflection: Jeremiah 32:36-41

Read

Jeremiah 32: 36-41 (NRSV)

You are saying about this city, ‘By the sword, famine and plague it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon’; but this is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me, and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.  I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all their heart and soul’.

Reflect

As I read the passage, three things stood out: God’s redemption, promise, and faithfulness. All three are evident in God's covenant with Israel and in our own lives.

God tells Jeremiah that He will return the people of Israel to the land He promised them. He will gather them from their scattered places and reunite them. No longer captives or wanderers, they will be home. This land, once taken from them, will be a safe place for new memories. Similarly, God restores and redeems us, breathing new life into old dreams and using past memories for His glory.

In Jeremiah's redemptive love, we see God's promise to Israel. He assures them they will return to their homeland, even if some generations have never seen it. God promises safety, encapsulated in the declaration: “They shall be my people, and I will be their God.” This promise, embodying Israel's repeated redemption, extends to us as well, affirming that we are also God's people.

God's greatest act of redemptive love was sending Jesus. As He sacrificed His life, we are promised and marked as God’s people. This promise signifies a redemptive love that transforms us. Each encounter with God's redemption brings change, just as the people of Israel were transformed through their experiences of redemption.

Lastly, God remains consistently faithful to Israel. Their story reveals a repeated cycle of freedom and captivity, yet God is always present. No matter how far they turn, He remains faithful, chasing after them. The same is true for us; God is always there, steadfast and faithful. Nothing can separate us from His unwavering love.

The redemption, promise, and faithfulness of God shown to Israel in Jeremiah is the same we experience through Jesus’ sacrifice. It is through the cross that we know God’s redemptive love, and through Christ’s resurrection that we are promised eternity with Him. This is the beauty of the cross, which we celebrate and reflect on during this Lenten season.

Respond

During this Lenten season, take the time to reflect on the redemptive love you experience day after day.  Take time to reflect on the promises that God has given you. Where does God meet you? What promises has God given you? How do you experience God’s redemptive love? Where do you see God’s faithfulness?  Whether you are in the valley or on the mountain top, give God praise for the redemption, promise, and faithfulness you have in God.

Take a moment and listen to the song “How to be yours” by Chris Renzema. Imagine the song as the people of Israel talking to God, and reflect on how God responds later in the song.

Rest

May we remember God, that your love is not for us alone.  May we bless others with the same grace and mercy you have shown us, even when they have wronged us. Thank you, God, for your redemptive love and the promise that it brings. Thank you for your faithfulness even when we turn our faces from you. May your Kingdom come and your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

About the Author

Katherine Mayer is a pastor, wife, mom, and Spiritual Director.  A year ago, she stepped down from her position as an Associate Pastor at her church to focus on raising her kids and her own health.  Being called out of her position was not something she expected, but it has been an unexpected gift from the Lord.