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 2 – Playing Both Sides

I’m so glad you’re back. This journey is a little painful, but so worth it.

We pick up today in Jeremiah 9. This ungrateful, selfish, unfaithful Bride.

Today the Groom has had enough. He knows the next part of the lesson is going to be painful both for Him and His Bride, but He knows how necessary it is.

Jeremiah 9:7 God asks “What else can I do?”

(If any of you are parents, you can probably relate.)

This situation is dire. God knows what must be done. His Bride must learn an important lesson. She needs knocked off her high horse.

Sisters, the time has come for a wakeup call. There is no fooling around. Time is up.

“Me or him,” is essentially what we hear from our Holy Bridegroom.

And guess what, we didn’t choose our Groom. And there are consequences.

She looks at her Groom and says to herself, ‘I will just pretend to choose Him. I don’t think He will notice. I’ll go to church, I’ll participate in choir. I’ll even help with the youth. Surely if I do all these things my Groom wants me to do, He will see I do still love Him, and then I’ll just play around on the side. I can have both.’

Wrong.

We can’t just obey in body. Our heart must be in it. (Jer 9:25)

He will not be mocked, or taken advantage of! (Jer 12:17)

Go back to chapter 9 for a moment, verse 19 specifically. This Bride is made to be humiliated. But, sisters, is this the end? What a pitiful story it would be if it was. Well, not pitiful really, just sad. A little too much like real life if you ask me.

And while this is not a fairy tale, and is indeed real life, there is a way better ending. This Groom is not just selfishly declaring “enough is enough; away with you, woman!” It really isn’t in His nature.

Read verse 9:24. Read it again.

The LORD demonstrates unfailing love, and delights in justice and righteousness.

He really really wants the best for you!

He demonstrates His love by consequences.

An ugly Bride indeed would be the one who gave herself out here and there forever in always, no end in sight to her actions, and unpunished for her faithfulness.

She’d make you sick to look at.

But don’t we? Don’t we think, ‘I’ve got my Heaven-ticket. I’m good.’

God forbid.

Romans 6:1-2 “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” NLT

We are supposed to be free from this behavior. Released. Separated. Divorced. Dead. Why do we want to go back to it?

What does that hold for us?

Jer 10:5 says it can do us no good.

(If you just read all of verse 5, you may be looking at me and saying ‘but it also says it can do no harm either’. If so, then you have missed the point. What that verse means is that these false gods hold no power. They are empty, vain, useless.)

Girls. We do have the best groom ever. We do. I beg you not to look elsewhere for fulfillment.

Jeremiah 10:6 “Lord, there is no one like you!    For you are great, and your name is full of power.” NLT

What an awesome God we serve. He sees us in our disgusting unfaithfulness and figures out what it will take for us to be restored to a good relationship once again. As a Holy God, He cannot sit idly by, but as a Groom with unfailing love, He sets us on a path of healing. Helping us learn this painful lesson. He does not give up on us so easily. He loves us so much He wants us back. In spite of ourselves. And He will do what it takes to get us there.

See you in a couple days, and we’ll take a closer look at how.

In the meantime, spend some time identifying in your heart whether your service is a front, or if you are doing it out of the raw, wholehearted love & devotion for Him.

1 Chr 28:9 “…Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the Lord sees every heart and knows every plan and thought…” NLT

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