Drawn with loving kindness
Every Friday we meet as a team with anyone else who wants to join us to pray. We pray for women around the world, for the team, for the Domestic Abuse Bill and specifically for women in our Survivors' Network. Not as individuals, we never share information like that, but we pray, collectively, for all those in the Network and all those experiencing domestic abuse.
This is one of the encouragements we send out specifically to the network every fortnight. We wanted to share this one a little wider, as we know that there are many people out there experiencing abuse who aren't part of our Survivors' Network. From the whole team, we want you to know that we're praying for you.
As we were praying recently, a phrase popped into the mind of our Director, Bekah, that she recognised as being from Jeremiah: ‘I have drawn you with unfailing kindness'. It’s a message from God to His people at a time when they had experienced extreme oppression and lost everything that they had known, including their identity.
She was struck by what God’s love looks like - that He draws us in with unfailing kindness.
He doesn’t coerce, or control or force or dominate. His love does not work like that, it invites us in at our own pace and through our own choice. It’s beautiful and it’s safe and it’s not what a lot of us have experienced from men who were meant to love us.
We want to share these words of restoration and love from our Father in Heaven with you at the dawn of a new year so that you can hold on to them on the days when it feels too much.
We pray that the promise held in this chapter will give you hope on the dark days; hope that another day will come when you will dance with joy and know sorrow no more.
Why not take time to read this through and insert your name to make this your promise from God.
'I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.'
— Jeremiah 31:13 —
''At that time,' declares the Lord, 'I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.'
This is what the Lord says:
'The people who survive the sword will find favour in the wilderness; I will come to give rest to Israel.'
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying:
'I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again, and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt. Again you will take up your timbrels and go out to dance with the joyful. Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit. There will be a day when watchmen cry out on the hills of Ephraim, 'Come, let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.''
This is what the Lord says: 'Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations. Make your praises heard, and say, ‘Lord, save your people, the remnant of Israel.’ See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return. They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel’s father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son.
'Hear the word of the Lord, you nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’ For the Lord will deliver Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they. They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the Lord— the grain, the new wine and the olive oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more. Then young women will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty,' declares the Lord.'
-Jeremiah 31: 1-14-
We are praying that you are able to find peace as God leads you beside streams of water.
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