Jeremiah 31:3
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
From the beginning of the Bible until the end, one major message is clearly communicated: God loves us no matter who we are.
Israel learned about God’s love in a difficult way. In spite of rebellion and idolatry, God never gave up on his chosen people. Exile was a difficult time physically and theologically. The people had to rethink who God is.
There are a lot of people who live in exile today. Exile can take many forms, such as suicide, child or spouse abuse, broken marriages and families, lost jobs. Many things cause people to re-evaluate their lives and view God in a new way.
During moments of exile, we can look to God because his love is unfailing. It does not depend on us. God created us and knows our weaknesses and struggles. John 3:16: “When God loves He loves a world. When He gives, He gives his Son.”
We are the target of God’s love: “I have loved you.” We experience God’s love best when we are in relationship with Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:4-5: “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”
Zephenia 3:17: “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing” (KJV).
I like the Message: “Your God is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he’ll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs.”
1 John 3:1: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
A certain medieval monk announced he would be preaching next Sunday evening on “The Love of God.” As the shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the cathedral windows, the congregation gathered. In the darkness of the altar, the monk lighted a candle and carried it to the crucifix. First of all, he illumined the crown of thorns, next, the two wounded hands, then the marks of the spear wound. In the hush that fell, he blew out the candle and left the chancel. There was nothing else to say.
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