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.

The Painful Lesson 8 - Pain Before Restoration

Are you enjoying our little Bride of Christ detour through Jeremiah? I had no idea God would turn this into so much study material. But He is wise, faithful and good, amen?

Today we look at Jeremiah 26-30. You can read it all now, or space it out as we go along.

This is the darkness before dawn. The pain before restoration.

In chapter 27 we see the way there is no escape from the consequences. The Lord will make your consequences follow you. You can be sure of it. See Numbers 32:23 & Jeremiah 25:35.

There is not place to escape Him, and He is the only way out. Funny how it works that way. He is all around us, and He is the Door, but we’d sooner try to dig away at the walls until our fingers bleed than just accept His way and simply walk through it.

So daughters, know that He knows. You’re not going to slide one by and get by with it.

But what about the people who do get away with it? That Christian who says biting words behind your back. Those believers who neglect their family, or put money and career above all else. What about those believers who have walked out on their family? Those unfaithful to their spouse. Those awful times when children are abused and women taken advantage of, with no punishment when punishment is due. What then? Where’s the sentence, or sure consequences then?

Yeah, there’s those too. Even here in our passage. Jeremiah 29:16-17 Those who did not physically reap the consequences of separation still got consequences. They were ruined like “bad figs (ch 24)”.

So, sisters, I ask- no pointing fingers here. No complaining. Let’s just look at ourselves, and our own deceitful heart for right now. Everyone’s gonna get theirs.

Now before you get the wrong idea, God does not thrive on punishment. See 27:17 and look for God’s heart in it. He really doesn’t just sit there waiting to catch you screwing up. But He does know when you do.

Don’t listen to anyone around you who is telling you that you are okay in your sin, or anyone justifying it for you (or with you). Yes, it may be what you’d rather hear, but ultimately it leads you to fall harder.

God’s voice is the only One you can trust.

Chapter 28 is a specific example of what happened to one man who spoke trying to comfort the Israelites in their sin; he contradicted God’s words in God’s name.

Now I’d like you to take a look at chapter 29. Here we fast forward the story into the captivity of Israel (Daniel 1) into Babylon. They were ripped from their homes, and taught to throw out all knowledge of God. Brainwashed. This is where we pick up. Read Jeremiah 29, and probably you’ll stop where I stopped, stunned. Read and I’ll wait.

Was it verse 11? I thought so. Have you ever read that in context before? I must not have. I was stunned.

Jeremiah 29:11-12 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen.” NLT

This verse means so much more to me now. Does it you?

Continue on to verses 13-14

Jeremiah 29:13-14 “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” NLT (emphasis mine)

He is not saying “Goodbye forever; you screwed up,” but rather He is saying, “Here is my number. When you are really truly ready to come back to Me, I will be here. I will gather you when your sentence is up.”

He is ever faithful.

Take heart in this, Dear one. He is coming for you. He will be back when the time is right. And His promise is one we can lean on when we’ve really messed up – when it feels like you’ve had about as much consequence as you can take. When you’re crying to Him, when He is Who you turn to, finally exhausted of trying to do it all on your own. He will be there.

Read chapter 30

Jeremiah 30:11b “…I will not completely destroy you.I will discipline you, but with justice;    I cannot let you go unpunished.” NLT

He is too holy to let us go unpunished, but He will not completely destroy us in that punishment. And He will restore. Jeremiah 27:22

 God brings the restoration. And God alone brings restoration.

Jeremiah 30:17a “I will… heal your wounds,” says the Lord…” NLT

The next session is the last in our detour through our Bride of Christ series, and it is a good one. Much happier, I promise.  The Groom calls back and gathers His Bride!

In the meantime, I ask you to determine what in your heart is holding back. Is there something?

It says in Jeremiah 29:13 we must seek Him with our whole heart.

Do.

Offer every broken hurt, torn, stained, ugly piece of your heart, and be ready to find healing.

Matthew 11:28 “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” NLT

The Painful Lesson 3 - For the Sake of the Covenant

Today is just a bit lighter. We are going to have a look at why in the world He cares so much. God does care for you, sister.

Begin at Jeremiah 11. God instructs Jeremiah to remind Israel about their covenant.

Sisters, we have a marriage covenant with Him as the Bride of Christ.

At my church, the weddings our pastor performs often include in the charge to the couple this reminder; that marriage is not a contract which can be broken. It is a covenant an unbreakable agreement where both sides exhibit a responsibility. A covenant is stronger than a pact, a handshake, or a promise.

God is Truth, and He made a covenant with us. This is a big reason why He works so hard at getting us, wandering hearts that we are, back. He longs to fulfill His side of the covenant, but it is two sided. See verses 4-5

I notice in 11:4 how well He remembers His promise. How many times have we tried to recall something but some of the details are a little fuzzy. I’m not talking about when you were trying to recall a dream, necessarily, but promises you have made, events or words from your childhood, or even stuff you learned in school. We really don’t have that great of memories when you get right down to it. But God does. He remembers every word. Every detail. Throughout our study you will see Him referencing His words again and again, and you can be sure He gets it right.

Jeremiah 11:4 “For I said …if you obey me …then you will be my people, and I will be your God.” NLT

He is crying here for His Bride to remember just one very important thing.

Remember the covenant we made.

Remember your wedding vows.

(Verses 2, 6, 7)

Some of us, Sisters, have willfully rejected Him. Maybe something harsh has happened in your life that you wish God hadn’t allowed. If God is good, why would He allow suffering?

Or maybe you have just casually rejected Him – your new life with Him is too mundane and you have looked elsewhere for excitement.

Or maybe you don’t even realize it but your busy schedule has crowded out any time to spend with him or worshipping Him, or serving Him.

If you feel your heart agreeing with any of the above, you are not alone. And I’m glad you’re here. And I’m glad you’re listening. It is very hard to recognize sometimes, when our heart isn’t right with God.

Verse 15 What right have we?

We have seen how faithful our Groom is. We have seen how good, and patient, and wise and forgiving.

WHAT RIGHT have we to take advantage? We are breaking His heart – because, Sisters, even if we don’t see it (or don’t care), God sees it, and most definitely cares. He is aware of our decline (vs 16). He knows the pruning we require, and he has the power to perform it, and He is right to do it.

Jeremiah 20:12 “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, You test those who are righteous, and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets.” NLT

Yes sometimes He allows suffering and sometimes He orders it. And always for our good, and always for the good of the covenant.

“If they obey”: If we aren’t obeying, He needs to give us that “Divine Spanking” so we will.

“They will be My people”: His people. We have taken His name, and therefore for His name’s sake we must be Holy. His character allows nothing less.

“And I will be their God.”: He alone is God.

Psalm 113:5 “Who can be compared with the Lord our God,    who is enthroned on high?” NLT

Psalm 35:10a “With every bone in my body I will praise him:    “Lord, who can compare with you?” NLT

Exodus 15:11“Who is like you among the gods, O Lord—    glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders?” NLT

Psalm 89:6a “For who in all of heaven can compare with the Lord?” NLT

Who can compare?

And why would we want to?

In your prayer time, spend some time praising Him for His most excellent covenant, and unmatched faithfulness to it, no matter what that brings us through in the meantime.

The Painful Lesson 1 - How Faithful is Faithful?

Sometimes the Bride can get spoiled. Yes? Anybody known (or been… gulp) a bride that the bridal party just wants to smack and say “just look at you! Listen to yourself. You are that Bridezilla.” Or a wife who is flirting with infidelity and you just want to scream at her “You don’t realize how good you’ve got it! Don’t throw this away! Don’t throw him away!”

She tries to have both. She doesn’t really think her behavior will hurt her marriage. It is just coffee. We’re just friends. My husband will understand- he loves me.

Read Jeremiah 7. (Start there. If you can’t stop, by all means go ahead and keep reading. We will be pulling from chapters 7-33 in the next several sessions. And, Dear One, read however much you want to. In preparation for today’s study, I couldn’t stop either.)

Lets hone in on verse 24.

24 “But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward.” NLT

There is no keeping one foot on both sides of the fence. It is either helping your relationship with God is it is harming it. He is your Groom. How faithful are you going to be?

So have you been flirting around?

Before you say a quick, defensive “no, of course not!” consider this.

Has your time in God’s Word given way to an extra push of the snooze button?

Has your conversation slowly morphed into that which would not be honoring to God?

Are you wholeheartedly praising Him with your words, actions and thoughts?

I think we all hold a measure of guilt in one or more ways.

So now that we've got that cleared up, and are through pointing fingers to someone else, let’s work on ourselves, fellow Brides.

The passages we will be looking at from Jeremiah are written to Israel before and during their exile to Babylon (see Daniel 1 if you are unfamiliar with the story.) What I want you to do is put yourself in Israel’s place throughout this entire session so you can apply the spirit of what is being said.

God offers a warning. Keeping up appearances isn't enough. God is not fooled, and it hurts Him deeply, as well as those who care about you.

Read Jeremiah 8:18-22. Jeremiah is speaking, and says

18 “My grief is beyond healing;    my heart is broken.” NLT

So if it hurts an onlooker that badly, imagine how deeply it hurts the One being cheated on. Yes, God.

21 “I hurt with the hurt of my people.    I mourn and am overcome with grief.”  NLT

But you want hear the part that gets me the most?

The Bride has no shame whatsoever. She doesn't even feel embarrassed. (Jeremiah 6:15 and 8:12)

I am going to close here today. What I would like for you to do is prayerfully consider where you are at today. What is the status of your relationship with your Prince?

Are you being faithful to your Groom? And how faithful?

Hebrews 10:22 “Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.” NLT

The Unfaithful Bride

Jeremiah 2:32

“A young woman can’t forget her jewelry or a bride her veils.

    Yet, my people have forgotten me for countless days.” NOG

Read Jeremiah 2

Remember how you used to be?

Anybody ever said those words, or something similar? Sometimes that can be the most painful thing about a tough relationship; looking back on days when it was better, easier. When there was more love.

(Why is it we all want love so badly anyway? Perhaps because our souls are pre-wired to be incomplete without God, and God is love (I Jn 4:8). Just a thought.)

Is this ringing familiar to anyone? It hits especially close to home for me.

Now let’s take a closer look at our text. Jeremiah 2. Who is speaking here? And who is being addressed? It is God speaking to His beloved people.

Read Jeremiah 2:1-2

Jeremiah 2:2b “I remember how eager you were to please me    as a young bride long ago,how you loved me and followed me    even through the barren wilderness.” NLT

Even through the barren wilderness. No matter what.

Then, as only God can, He asks a rhetorical question- see verse 5.

“What did you find wrong with me?”

Something caused them to stray, and God is asking them to identify what it is. So often we find ourselves in a place we don’t like, full of hurt or disappointment and we look and ask God “why?” and wonder why He let us down. Conciously or not, we often blame God when we feel separated from Him.

Are you feeling me?

“What did you find wrong with me?”

Let’s read this next segment replacing ‘they’ with ‘you’. See if it hits your heart a little deeper like it did mine.

Jeremiah 2:3-13

 You worshipped idols and thus made yourselves worthless.You did not recognize My Hand that delivered you.You trashed what good things I gave you.You ignored me even in your Bible study.

Is this breaking your heart? It is mine.

Because we’ve all done it.

The unfaithful bride has no excuse.

Romans 1:20-2520 “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.” NLT

Be appalled.

Read Jeremiah 2:23-25

God wants us to look square-on at what we’ve done: You’ve made yourself cheap.

God cries out to His beloved,

“When will you stop running?”

He has not given up on you. He IS still waiting, even when you have given up on yourself.

Do not fool yourself, sister. God IS hurt when we act this way.

Read 27-28

He recognizes the way we turn our back on Him until things get bad. Do you see it? The hurt in His Holy voice in verse 28?
“Why not call on these gods you have made?”

Because, dear sisters, in our heart of hearts, no matter now deeply we have given up on God, we know He is the only real answer.

When we have given up on God it is exactly that- (verse 29) we are the ones who are quitting. God never failed- we did.

Read verses 29-36

God says even an experienced prostitute could learn from this behavior.

This is serious.

And there are serious consequenses. (verse 37)

Always.

Because whether or not we realize it, God is faithful.

I think of no better way to close than with God’s own question:

“How long will you keep running?”

Gift to the Bridegroom

Isaiah 62:5 “Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.”

Read Isaiah 62:1-5

Imagine: You are engaged to be married! Every waking hour, you are daydreaming about your fiancé. Anybody? Can you relate?

The closer the wedding gets, the more you yearn to be with him. And he yearns to be with you.

Christ yearns for that day too – that day when He shall be united with His Bride and live forever. Happily ever after.

There will be no “till death do us part” and only “for as long as we both shall live”; for, sisters, that will be eternity, amen?

Being that He is Royalty, the Son of the Almighty, All-Sufficient God. What on earth are we to offer as a gift to our Groom?

He only wants one thing.

You.

Beautiful, precious, redeemed you.

Isaiah 62:1a “Because I love Zion,    I will not keep still.Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem,    I cannot remain silent.”

He can’t even hold still He wants you so badly. He loves you, Dear One.

2 “The nations will see your righteousness.    World leaders will be blinded by your glory.And you will be given a new name    by the Lord’s own mouth.3 The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—    a splendid crown in the hand of God.”

He yearns for you to take His name and wear His diamond ring of His glory, the one He fitted just for you so all the world will know we belong to Him and no one else.

4b “Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight”    and “The Bride of God,”for the Lord delights in you    and will claim you as his bride.”

Your new name will be the Bride of God. You bring Him such delight!

He claims you.

Bask in that sweet acceptance for a moment. It is wonderful!

Now, I do have an exhortation for you: Act like it. You are spoken for. You are wearing His ring. Be a faithful Bride.

Read Romans 7:1-4.

Now hone in on verse 4 where it says

"And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead."

We are bound to Him (and thank Goodness, for (Romans 6:21) without Him we could only be united with eternal doom), and so to let our allegiance stray, or to desire another is adultery. We are married to Christ for life. Eternal life.

Stay with me here. The gift He asks of us

is us.

He wants our heart, and doesn’t want us to give that heart to anything else – sin, greed, pride, selfishness.

Let’s bring it even closer to home: job, money, friendships, clothes, hobbies, family relationships… [fill in the blank]. He doesn’t forbid these things, but He does want our whole heart. As a faithful Bride, love Him with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.

Matthew 22:37 “Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’”

Luke 10:27 “The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Deuteronomy 6:5 “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”

You are His greatest gift.

Isaiah 62:11-12 “The Lord has sent this message to every land:    “Tell the people of Israel,[a]‘Look, your Savior is coming.    See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”12 They will be called “The Holy People”    and “The People Redeemed by the Lord.”And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place”    and “The City No Longer Forsaken.””

He is committed to you

Isaiah 62:5 “Your children will commit themselves to you, O Jerusalem,    just as a young man commits himself to his bride.Then God will rejoice over you    as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.”

Commit yourself to Him, that he may rejoice over His faithful Bride.