I Have Loved You with an Everlasting Love

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I Have Loved You with an Everlasting Love

God’s children,  the Israelites,  were being punished  with captivity  in Babylon.     It was a time of deprivation,  humiliation and great distress.     They were paying dearly  for their years  of sin  and rebellion  against the LORD.     Hind sight is always better  than foresight.     Before,  they had arrogantly imagined  they could live  as they pleased  because it was their life,  and no one supposedly had a right  to boss them around — not even God.     They had refused  to listen  to God’s prophets,  who had warned them repeatedly  to stop their idol worship,  their following  of the heathen traditions around them,  their loose morals,  and their constant dishonesty,  lies,  and cheatings.

After years of refusing  to turn back  to God,  the Lord finally kept His promise  to punish them  for all their waywardness.     It is easier  for our sinful natures  to feel some remorse  for our sins  when we’re in the  middle  of  being punished for them.     It did take some time in captivity  for the Israelites  to more seriously want  to turn back  to the LORD,  because His ways really were good and righteous.

When Jeremiah prophesied  about the changes  that would take place  in their hearts,  he told them  about the proclamation  of love  that God had declared.     In Jeremiah 31:3,  God says,

I have loved you  with an  everlasting love;   
Therefore  I have drawn you  with lovingkindness.

That is the same love God has  for us — “an everlasting love“.     It is because of God’s  “everlasting love“ for us  that He keeps on drawing us  with His lovingkindness.     And that is exactly why  we should never,  ever despise God’s patience  and lovingkindness  towards us.     We aren’t getting away  with anything  when God is simply  being patient  with us.     Just because we experience God’s  “lovingkindness“ in our lives  does not mean  we have full rein  to live as we please,  in all sorts of wantoness and heathenistic ways.

To the contrary.     When we experience God’s lovingkindness  in all the blessings we have,  that is our Creator and Lord wanting  to draw our hearts  to Him  in praise and sincere fellowship.     After all,  God is the Creator  of all things — and we are only a very small speck  in all His creation.     We are not  in authority  over all things — the LORD God Almighty is.    

And so,  we really should listen  to His declaration of love  for us — and ask for His mercy  in keeping us  on the right track  of faith,  hope,  and love,  according to the love and salvation He has given us  in Jesus Christ.     After all — “We love,  because He first loved us.”     (1 John 4:19 )

Knowing we are loved  “with an everlasting love“, we step forward  as God’s children should,  and live for the One  who suffered and died  to pay  for all our sins — so that we might have  eternal life.     Standing strong  in truth and faith,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     My Lord,  Your everlasting love  in Jesus Christ  is our only salvation.     Let us always live  in Your love.”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

 

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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