The Painful Lesson 9 - Restored at Last

How are you, sister? I’m so glad you’ve stayed with me on this journey. It’s an important one.

We pick up today again in Jeremiah chapter 30. I’d like you to read it again. Again these are words written to Israel, but we, the Bride of Christ have plenty we can apply here. Because God is unchanging, bless Him, and His heart is the same heart that beat for Israel that is beating today for us.

Are you ready?

In Jeremiah 30:14 it says all your lovers – all those things you ran into the arms of instead of your Groom, your loving God – they have left. You are beginning to recognize what is faithfulness and what is not. They most definitely were not. And your Groom most definitely is. He is so faithful.

No one else still cares for you (30:17) but God still cares, and He will bring you honor.

Honor? Really? I’d be okay with just being accepted again after cheating on Him. But honored? By God Himself?

I feel so unworthy.

Claimed. Covenant repeated.

Jeremiah 30:22 “You will be My people and I will be your God.” NLT

His planned punishment is fulfilled and His anger appeased.

Blessings even in a barren land.

Is that just wonderful or what? Feeling in a dry place a lot of the time, there are blessing we can count on even then.

Believer, why? Why all this? Here's why:

Jeremiah 31:3-4 “Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
    With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.
    You will again be happy
    and dance merrily with your tambourines.” NLT

I. My. Circle those. Or draw a heart around them. It’s okay if you haven’t drawn hearts since your high school crush. Or first love. Do it – because we are that first love, and He is ours. And He’s drawing us close.

You will again be happy.

Read through 31:1-14 Do you feel the joy? The celebration?

This is it. This is what it’s all about. Our Holy Bridegroom wants to rejoice over us, but he needs to be holy and able to. This Bride has emerged from a dark punishment to a beautiful, radian, joyful bride. Tears of joy. All sorrow gone.

This is the great exchange. Sorrow for rejoicing. True repentance brings this kind of joy and restoration.

Jeremiah 31:18 “I have heard Israel saying,
‘You disciplined me severely,
    like a calf that needs training for the yoke.
Turn me again to you and restore me,
    for you alone are the Lord my God.” NLT

No longer groaning, “Why, God?”, but acknowledging it.

Jeremiah 31:20 ““Is not Israel still my son,
    my darling child?” says the Lord.
“I often have to punish him,
    but I still love him.
That’s why I long for him
    and surely will have mercy on him.” NLT

Punishment because of love.

And, the call to learn your lesson. Let’s camp here for a minute.

Jeremiah 31:21a “Set up road signs;
    put up guideposts.
Mark well the path
    by which you came…” NLT

Set up roadsigns. Learn from your mistakes. Put up big warning “Do Not Enter” signs – I don’t know about you but I always (yes, always. I may be a bit overimaginative at times) shudder when I see those “Do Not Enter” signs while driving. I imagine the worst possible scenario, often ending in death, should I space off and drive there anyway.

But shouldn’t we? It does end in death. These things we are to set up waymarks and roadsigns for.

Romans 8:13 “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” NIV

You have been there – you want to mark the way so it was worth the pain, and you don’t return there again. Learn your lesson.

I find it interesting that when the people returned to Israel, they re-learned the language. They renounced the language of the world at the time, and so even their words set them apart as God’s people. source

Just as deliberately as God destroyed them, He built them up again.

Jeremiah 32:42 “This is what the Lord says: Just as I have brought all these calamities on them, so I will do all the good I have promised them.” NLT

We are not too far gone! (Jer 32:17) He is not going to reject us because we are too bad. He would no sooner reject us completely tan He would drop the earth out of orbit. (31:36-44) He is faithful. We have broken the covenant and He has loved us anyway. (31:32) He is faithful. And He writes the covenant deep. Deeper. Deep on our hearts.

I will be their God.

They will be my people. (32:38)

We are not too far gone!

Jeremiah 32:17 “O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!” NLT emphasis mine

Not only has He promised to bring us back, but He also gives us peace and safety. We are His people. He is our God. No Matter What!

And for our own good, He also gives us purpose. One purpose. And that is to worship Him. Forever. For this is an everlasting covenant. He will never stop doing good to us. It brings Him such joy.

Jeremiah 32:38-41 “They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. 41 I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.”

They will never leave (40) – we will never leave – because of what He has put in our hearts.

Finish up by reading Jeremiah 33.

Notice verses 6-9, and notice all the uses of “I will”.

Let us tremble with awe at all He has done for us.

Once more there will be he sounds of joy and laughter – this is God’s restoration – the joy from brides and bridegrooms (and of His Bride, yes?) along with the praise of our Lord.

Jeremiah 33:11 “the sounds of joy and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Lord. They will sing,
‘Give thanks to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    for the Lord is good.
    His faithful love endures forever!’
For I will restore the prosperity of this land to what it was in the past, says the Lord.” NLT

It wasn’t really rejection in the sense we think of it – our view of relationship is so finite. God is the only Faithful One with Whom rejection is not forever. When someone on earth rejects us, we move on, don’t we? Eventually. Not so with God.

So faithful. Are you noticing a theme here? I am. In the study of the Bride of Christ I don’t know what I expected to find, but this I know for certain – we have a faithful Groom.

God is faithful.

What are you giving thanks for today? The Lord is good. Let us tremble with awe.

His faithfulness endures forever.

                                         and ever

                                                 and happily ever after.