Jeremiah 31:3-6
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. Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria and eat from your own gardens there. The day will come when watchmen will shout from the hill country of Ephraim, ‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord our God.’” Jeremiah 31:3-6 (NLT)
Jeremiah was a prophet who tried to get God’s people to repent of their sins and stop worshipping false gods. Jeremiah foretold the invasion of Jerusalem by the Babylonians but the people wouldn’t listen to him. They continued to worship other gods and not follow teachings of the true God.
Even though the people were unfaithful, God still loved them. Yes, the Babylonians did come and yes, the people were in captivity for a long time. But God promises everlasting love and that things will get better.
If you are a parent, you have probably had times when your children won’t obey you, won’t follow the rules, will say “I hate you”, or even not acknowledge your presence when they are with their friends. Yet, even in those times, you (the parent) still love your children.
God is like that, only more so! God continues to love us, even when we are at our worst. And the invitation to come back to God’s family is always there.
Questions for Reflection:
- Are there people who you think God can’t possibly love because of all the terrible things they have done?
- Have you ever felt that God couldn’t love you?
- Do you sometimes find it hard to remember that God loves everyone?
Prayer
Lord, thank you for loving me, even when I’m on my worst behavior. Help me to love others, even when they are at their worst. Amen.
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