"Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." (Psalm 100:3)

"And you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” (Jeremiah 30:22)

November 26, 2025

Dear friends,

In years past, during our family Thanksgiving dinner, we would go around the table and share something for which we were thankful. The most often mentioned things were family, friends, happy marriages, good health, and God's provision over the past year.

This morning, as my wife and I were reading in Jeremiah, we came upon this verse: "And you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” (Jeremiah 30:22) The prophecies of Jeremiah contain pronouncements of judgment upon evil and of chastisement of God's people. But, sparkling like drops of water on the trees after rain, are the promises of forgiveness and restoration from God.

The truth that "you shall be my people, and I will be your God" appears frequently throughout the Bible (Exod 6:7; Lev 26:12; Rev 21:3) and in Jeremiah (24:7; 31:1; 32:38). In Jeremiah this promise is in context of the New Covenant (31:31-34) ...

"...I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34)

This, of course, is covenantal language, like that of marriage vows. Our covenant relationship with God through Christ is exclusive, faithful, and permanent, as in, "...until death do us part." In our relationship with the eternal God, this means forever.

Isn't this the supreme thing that we should give thanks to God for, that we have been called into an eternal relationship with the Lord? That we are his, and he is ours. As important as it is to give thanks to God for our health, family, and food, it is most important to thank him that we are "his people, the sheep of his pasture" (Ps 100:3). We belong to him, and he belongs to us forever!

This morning, we sang the "Old Hundredth" together. You may know it as the common tune for the Doxology, with the words of "All People That on Earth Do Dwell". The melody is originally from the Genevan Psalter (1551), and the words from the Scottish Psalter (1650). [Words and melody here.]

This would be a great song for you and your family to sing before Thanksgiving dinner!

(Btw, every home should have a Psalter on the shelf. I have two: this one, and the Psalter from the Book of Common Prayer).

Wishing you all a most blessed Thanksgiving time,

Sandy

Afterwords is an occasional newsletter on topics of interest to me (Sandy Young) since my retirement from full-time pastoral ministry. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.