original photo: iStock_000006988609X
Tucked in the middle of gloomy news and reminders of the past from Jeremiah is this amazing word from the Lord!
I have loved you with everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
Everlasting love? Unfailing kindness? It’s just another way of saying, “My love for you never quits…ever!”
Then what was happening in the desert back then when His people were killed, sometimes thousands at a time for their complaining or unbelief or disobedience?
That was His love and kindness. He had a people who needed to be HIS people, to show HIM to the world around them…and to each other. He wasn’t taking out retribution on them just because he got mad at them like some PMS mom who is at her time of month when she just can’t conrol her emotions!
No, this was justice and love and sovereignty and holiness and a GOD whose attributes are all in perfect balance, acting in a way that was true to His nature. In order for His people to show the world who He was, He had to teach them all about it in real life.
This wasn’t a Johnny-come-lately. This was the Holy GOD of the Universe who was there from before the beginning of time. Who began everything including planning a way that humans could actually have a relationship with Him. He didn’t need it. He didn’t have to do it…but He did!
It just makes us appreciate what a great GOD He is! How gracious is He?
How much does He love us?
Enough that He will make life difficult for us in order to make us more like Him!
“At that time,” declares the Lord,
“I will be the God of all the families of Israel,
and they will be my people.”“The people who survive the sword
will find favor 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.”Jeremiah 31:1-4
Hi Martha! I am coming over from Ali’s blog.
I love the way you pointed out that God planned the relationship he wanted with his people. Even before we were made. Isn’t that amazing?
One of my favorite songs has the lyric “I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have called you and you are mine.” Now that’s some good news!
So nice to meet you today 🙂
Ceil
nice to meet you too ceil:) i see you live in the midwest. we lived outside of peoria, IL for 4 yrs. right after my husband retired. moved from TX to IL. not the direction most people move when they retire:) he pastored a small country church that loved us well there. great people!
i knew ali in Tyler, TX. she and her family were in our church there. When we returned after IL, to our home there, ali and i got to be good friends. that’s when she wrote her book and started blogging.
interesting that you are also a nurse too:) the last 5 yrs. i worked 3-11 in a rehab hospital…mostly part-time. now we are in AL near one of our daughters and her family where we are really retired!
welcome:) glad you came by.
An interesting reminder of God’s love in the Old Testament. It’s true, we sometimes forget how God exacted his punishments. We tend to want to only think about the happy and fun parts.
kalley, glad you stopped by. you make a good observation. i enjoyed browsing your blog:)
The Old Testament records God’s love, patience and judgement. I am currently studying the book of Ezekial and the repeated phrase through the first 24 chapters is “then you will know that I am the Lord.” God wants us to know Him. I’m visiting from Sunday Community.
thanks for stopping by carol. i enjoyed the beautiful flowers on your post today. i’m always amazed when i see how often GOD’s love, mercy and longsuffering are mentioned in books like jeremiah and ezekiel even when His people are so disobedient and in the middle of being punished. i guess love looks a lot different from His perspective than ours. we so often like to describe it as being painless and fun without the difficulties that come to grow us deep. thanks for stopping by:)
Reminds me of the song:
Your love never fails
It never gives us
It never runs out on me!
i love it:) i also enjoyed dropping by your blog today alison. thanks