Jeremiah 3:19 CSB "I thought, "How I long to make you my sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of all the nations." I thought, "You will call me 'My Father' and never turn away from me."
God chose to make Israel a nation of envy. From one man, the man Abraham, God created Israel. The country would be like a child. Israel would obey God’s rules, and God would bless them beyond all other nations. Actually, things went well for a while. David establishes the city of God. David’s son, Solomon, leads the people in worship of his father's God (The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who God named Israel). King Solomon led the people to worship the God of the Bible. But Solomon allowed false gods and beliefs to enter the nation. Solomon dies, and a power struggle ensues. A civil war divides Israel into the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah). The people no longer envied belonging to God as much as they envied other nations' power and prominence.
Sound familiar? God uses the imagery of Family. God calls a runaway child or straying spouse to return home. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God uses wordplays of the word “return” to warn his people what happens when we resist God’s call to repent. The struggle for a nation divided sounds familiar when we turn on our TV or login into our social media accounts. However, like Israel, we have more of a personal problem than we have a national crisis. God calls individuals to repent and return. A nation returns to God one person at a time.
God warns us this morning that failure to heed His warning to return home (Faith in God, obedience to His rule, and worship of Christ alone) only hardens of hearts. Every time we resist God’s individual call to return home, our hearts become more calloused. Every time the Holy Spirit, through God’s Word (Bible) and our conscience, convicts us of not obeying God’s laws and we refuse to repent (turn from sin and turn to a restored relationship and fellowship with God), our heart hardens. God warns us the longer we wait to repent, the easier it is not to return to His will for us.
Saved people (believers in Jesus’ finished work on the cross) know God’s ways and the world’s ways do not work together. We know when we have disobeyed God. The longer we wait to repent, the easier it is not to return home to worship and obey God. Why do we not repent and return? We envy what those around us have more than we envy our relationship with Christ Jesus. We see other people doing what they want, getting what they want, and nothing bad happens. Therefore, we think that is not fair; why can't I do what I want? If others do what they want, it's ok. I will get back to church, regularly praying, reading my Bible, spending time with the Lord and other believers as soon as I get what I want. God warns us the longer you wait, the more likely you will not return home until you have suffered the consequences of your sin.
Lord Jesus, I hear you calling “Come Home, O sinner, Come Home.” Lord Jesus, I acknowledge our relationship is no longer a priority in my daily life. Jesus, thank You for calling me home. Lord, I repent and return to Your gracious homecoming offer: "If we confess our sins, [Jesus] is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Lord, I no longer want what the world offers. Lord, I want to be with You in all I say and do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen and Amen.
Daily Devotion
God calls us to return home.
Verse of the Day, February 9, 2021
Jeremiah 3:19 CSB "I thought, "How I long to make you my sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of all the nations." I thought, "You will call me 'My Father' and never turn away from me."
God chose to make Israel a nation of envy. From one man, the man Abraham, God created Israel. The country would be like a child. Israel would obey God’s rules, and God would bless them beyond all other nations. Actually, things went well for a while. David establishes the city of God. David’s son, Solomon, leads the people in worship of his father's God (The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who God named Israel). King Solomon led the people to worship the God of the Bible. But Solomon allowed false gods and beliefs to enter the nation. Solomon dies, and a power struggle ensues. A civil war divides Israel into the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah). The people no longer envied belonging to God as much as they envied other nations' power and prominence.
Sound familiar? God uses the imagery of Family. God calls a runaway child or straying spouse to return home. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God uses wordplays of the word “return” to warn his people what happens when we resist God’s call to repent. The struggle for a nation divided sounds familiar when we turn on our TV or login into our social media accounts. However, like Israel, we have more of a personal problem than we have a national crisis. God calls individuals to repent and return. A nation returns to God one person at a time.
God warns us this morning that failure to heed His warning to return home (Faith in God, obedience to His rule, and worship of Christ alone) only hardens of hearts. Every time we resist God’s individual call to return home, our hearts become more calloused. Every time the Holy Spirit, through God’s Word (Bible) and our conscience, convicts us of not obeying God’s laws and we refuse to repent (turn from sin and turn to a restored relationship and fellowship with God), our heart hardens. God warns us the longer we wait to repent, the easier it is not to return to His will for us.
Saved people (believers in Jesus’ finished work on the cross) know God’s ways and the world’s ways do not work together. We know when we have disobeyed God. The longer we wait to repent, the easier it is not to return home to worship and obey God. Why do we not repent and return? We envy what those around us have more than we envy our relationship with Christ Jesus. We see other people doing what they want, getting what they want, and nothing bad happens. Therefore, we think that is not fair; why can't I do what I want? If others do what they want, it's ok. I will get back to church, regularly praying, reading my Bible, spending time with the Lord and other believers as soon as I get what I want. God warns us the longer you wait, the more likely you will not return home until you have suffered the consequences of your sin.
Lord Jesus, I hear you calling “Come Home, O sinner, Come Home.” Lord Jesus, I acknowledge our relationship is no longer a priority in my daily life. Jesus, thank You for calling me home. Lord, I repent and return to Your gracious homecoming offer: "If we confess our sins, [Jesus] is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Lord, I no longer want what the world offers. Lord, I want to be with You in all I say and do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen and Amen.