The Painful Lesson 5 - Broken to Heal

The ground is parched and cracked for lack of rain. Where is God? Don’t abandon us, God. Don’t abandon me. I am Your chosen one. I bear Your name. For Your own reputation’s sake don’t abandon me.

I know you have cried this at one time or another. Right now? No fun, is it? No, the honeymoon is over – and the bride is not ready for that.

But who ended the honeymoon in the first place? Wasn’t it she herself? In this case it was.

“I’m ready to go home. I’m bored. Can’t I go and have some fun by myself for a while? No, I want to carry my own luggage, thank you. I can do this.”

And as the faithful Groom always does, He expresses love. “As you wish.” So He lets go. No, not forever. He’s not even far away. But He lets go.

And when He does, the Bride can’t understand. – we don’t always understand, do we? – I don’t understand. I have taken your name. We have made covenant. I am your bride.

Out text today is Jeremiah 14-17. You can go ahead and read it now, or go along as we reference it.

But who left Who? (15:5-6) You are the one who left, not God. Nobody is going to feel sorry for you; you got what you demanded.

This Bride – we – demand so often the rights that come along with our title, and often try to tell God how we need Him to come through for us, because we want people to see Him in a good light. To see Him love.

We know all the right words, don’t we?

But this one’s not His fault.

We are the unfaithful ones. We are the ones who stepped out on Him.

16:11

It is not forever, though. Our Faithful God knows how long it will take for us to learn this lesson. 14:1-18, 16:15. He keeps a close eye.

See verse 14:17 “My precious people”. He still cares, Dear One!

So let’s go back to that reputation thing. We ask God to honor this Bride – this unfaithful, self-serving, ungrateful Bride – because of His Name. She has taken – we have taken – His name, and we don’t want His reputation to go down with us. We actually might care about that a little, or is it just something we were using as bait? Manipulation? But He knows. He doesn’t want His name to go down with us, either. See 16:21

Jeremiah 16:21 “The Lord says,“Now I will show them my power;    now I will show them my might.At last they will know and understand    that I am the Lord.” NLT

God is not a pushover. And while He is tender, He is not a softie. He does mean business  He does want His Bride back.

But this doesn’t apply to me.

Is that what you are thinking?

Are you sure about that? Listen, Sweet One. Do not close off your ears because it sounds ugly.

Romans 3:10 “As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—    not even one.” NLT 

What we are looking at is every part of the spectrum. Those willfully throwing away the covenant, or those throwing it out without realizing it. Let’s examine the latter to see if it fits: This Bride is claiming all the rights of a bride, but not wanting to hold up her side of the bargain. Not really really wanting to surrender all. All her way. Surrender what she wants to do and thinks will make her happy.

See in 17:4 “The wonderful possession I have reserved for you    will slip from your hands…” NLT

But watch her treasure slip away. Oh, the Groom has something special just for her, but, it was for His Bride, and she doesn’t want to truly commit to that role.

But I do. I am still not fitting in this picture.

Is that what I heard you say? That’s what I said. But read, now, in its context,

Jeremiah 17:9-10

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,

    and desperately wicked.

    Who really knows how bad it is?

10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts

    and examine secret motives.

I give all people their due rewards,

    according to what their actions deserve.” NLT

I didn’t ever know what context this was in. The heart is deceitful and wicked. God knows the heart!
Sisters, here is the point! The unfaithful bride still claims her status, still feels entitled to all the benefits of her position, but God, her Groom, sees her adultery for what it is. He knows separation is the only way for her wakeup call.

Be healed by seeing yourself broken. Be healed.

Jeremiah 17:14 “O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed;    if you save me, I will be truly saved…” NLT

Jer 17:7 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord    and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.” NLT

"But blessed..." See the beautiful contrast in those who are faithful, and those who seek elsewhere?

Trust Him when He says something to you. He’s calling you. Broken you. Lay down your pride and see your cracks. They may be hairline fractures, or there may be shattered pieces. Be healed, and trust His Word, and reach up to re-claim His hand. Be His Holy Bride.