The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Jeremiah 31:31-33 NIV
Praise our God for loving us enough to make this covenant with us. He sent us a Savior because His love for us exceeds human understanding! God know us! He understands us! He gets us!
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV
His incomprehensible love for us is accompanied by complete understanding of his creation. He knows and has experienced all that we will encounter during our time in this world. He truly gets us!
Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person. John 2:23-25 NIV
He knows we will have troubles.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV
As humans, we experience real world consequences to real world issues. We suffer many things. Among them, pain, loss, illness, and loneliness. God understands! Christ has suffered more than anyone, and has certainly experienced the most heartbreaking elements of humanity.
Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Matthew 8:20 NIV
He knows what it’s like to feel forsaken.
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). Matthew 27:46 NIV
He was rejected more than anyone has ever been rejected;
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. John 6:66 NIV
He suffered emotional and physical pain from the time of his arrest in the garden until he was nailed to the cross for us.
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5 NIV
Our God understands us and all we are up against. He is the author of creation, and the father of all that is good.
He loved us enough to come down and dwell among us. He’s experienced all we have experienced and worse, then still loved us enough to die on the cross to save us.
One day we will dwell with him again!
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” Revelation 21:3 NIV
He truly understands!
Remember, Love one another!
Barnabas
Special thanks to Barnabas for this guest submission.