As I read the book of Jeremiah, I encounter an actual Person, a God as passionate as anyone you’ve met. God feels delight, frustration and anger. He weeps and moans with pain, a God who takes a deep interest in me. I do not see a distant, unapproachable deity like other religions out there. This God passionately desires His people. Why should the creator of heaven and earth care about an obscure human being such as I? The main message expressed by Jeremiah is this: God loves human beings. That gives me enough reason to follow Him.
After every national tragedy, invasions by Assyria, Babylon, Persia – Israel had nowhere to fall back on except on the love of God. EACH TIME God promises to start anew, to restore the remnant, to write laws on their hearts, to send a Messiah. Each time God promises never to give up, always to love.
Time and again, God said to His people, “O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful. I will not be angry with you forever. Only acknowledge your guilt. Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God.” “Return home you wayward children.” “I would love to treat you as my own children!” “My wayward children come back to me and I will heal you wayward hearts.” And, “O Israel, come back to me. If you will throw away your detestable idols and go astray no more.”
How can you encounter such a loving God and not be changed? How many times must God call out to you before you respond? Are we waiting for a tsunami wave to awaken us? Have we not learnt our lesson?
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