May 31, 2001
Go, proclaim this message toward the north:
"`Return, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD,
`I will frown on you no longer,
for I am merciful,' declares the LORD,
`I will not be angry forever
"Return, faithless people," declares the LORD,
"for I am your husband. I will choose you
Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart,
who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.
"`How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land,
the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.'
I thought you would call me `Father' and not turn away from following me.
But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel," declares the LORD.
"Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding."
Jeremiah 3:12, 14, 15-16, 19-20, 22
The above are select verses from Jeremiah chapter 3... as I read I was struck by how often in this chapter alone, God speaks of Israel & Judah's faithlessness and unfaithfulness... but rather than give up on them God's resounding cry and appeal is that they return to him. I did a quick search and found that the word 'return' appears 28 times in the book of Jeremiah (NIV) and in the King James version it appears 48 times (just in Jeremiah)!! That caused me to stop and think.. when was the last time I had to tell someone something 28 - 48 times? I can't remember ever having the patience for that... recently I was ordering a sandwich at a restaurant and it took 4 attempts to get the server to get it correct by which time I was mildly irritated.. when my sandwich came out with all the things on it I specifically said I didn't want I was extremely irritated. My lack of patience in a simple, unimportant situation helps me to see God's patience and love more clearly -- God is not frustrated with his people but in fact, he has a limitless patience with us!! It is enough that God doesn't get tired of us and wipe us out but he goes beyond that to continually give us what we need to make it to heave... he won't frown on us, he will be merciful, he wants to be our husband, give us shepherds, treat us as sons, give us an inheritance.. he will cure us of backsliding!! God steps into our lives and makes a firm commitment to our success, our victory in this life - amazing!