God's Fatherly Love, Grace and Patient Restoration

God loves us with the kind of love that never fails (1 Corinthians 13:7 "Love never fails...") and never gives up. Its an EVERLASTING love just as the verse below says. I couldn't help but notice how the word "AGAIN" clearly emphasizes just how EVERLASTING His love is. There are times when WE move away from God, disobey Him, make a mess of things (our life) and destroy what He was building in and through us. Yet He chooses to deal with us patiently and kindly (1 Corinthians 13:4 " Love is patient. Love is kind...") and out of love for us calls us back. He relentlessly draws us back to Him and AGAIN rebuilds, restores and renews us.

(Jeremiah 31:3-5) "The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, “I HAVE LOVED YOU WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE; Therefore I HAVE DRAWN YOU WITH LOVINGKINDNESS. “AGAIN I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! AGAIN you will take up your tambourines, And go forth to the dances of the merrymakers. “AGAIN you will plant vineyards On the hills of Samaria; The planters will plant And will enjoy them."

The process of restoration and renewal although good is not always painless. Much like a caterpillar undergoing metamorphosis trying to BREAK FREE of the old and ugly cocoon that traps its beauty. This is often exactly what its like when we decide to repent and ask God to renew and restore us. It will involve destroying old and dearly loved destructive habits, veering away from cherished bad company and facing up to our own faults and helplessness to name a few. This is where the "weeping" is as we come back to the Lord. The encouragement is that although weeping, He is with us leading us and as we walk with Him on the path of restoration He provides (streams of water) all we will need to see it through and eventually walk without stumbling.

(Jeremiah 31:9) “With WEEPING THEY WILL COME, And by supplication I WILL LEAD THEM; I will MAKE THEM WALK BY STREAMS OF WATERS, ON A STRAIGHT PATH in which THEY WILL NOT STUMBLE; For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.”

I used to think that restoration was my responsibility. That I had to "fix" myself first before I could go back to God. Thinking that I would deal with my old sinful nature first on my own and then return to God. The TRUTH that I've come to realize is that I can't and don't have the strength to "fix" myself and deal with my old sinful nature. Restoration comes from God. Acknowledging we can't do it/fix it on our own and asking for Him to draw us back is the beginning of the process of restoration. God is just waiting patiently and YEARNING for us to accept this. In fact, in the verse below it says: "I certainly still remember Him..My heart YEARNS for him.

(Jeremiah 31:18-20) “I have surely heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained calf; BRING ME BACK THAT I MAY BE RESTORED FOR YOU ARE THE LORD MY GOD, ‘For after I turned back, I repented; And after I was instructed, I smote on my thigh; I was ashamed and also humiliated Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’ “Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? Indeed, AS OFTEN AS I HAVE SPOKEN AGAINST HIM, I certainly STILL REMEMBER HIM; Therefore MY HEART YEARNS FOR HIM; I WILL surely HAVE MERCY ON HIM,” declares the LORD."

If you are reading this now, perhaps God is calling you back to Him. He misses you like a father misses his own son that went away. He is waiting, yearning for you to come back. His mercy and grace are just waiting to be poured out on you to cover you just like the new robe covered the prodigal son when he returned home to his father. The ring which is a symbol of your "sonship" is waiting to be put back on your finger. The sandals waiting to be put back on your feet. A roasted calf and the best wine is waiting to be served in celebration for your return. The best part of it all is that you don't have to RUN ALL THE WAY BACK HOME ON YOUR OWN. All you need to do is decide to turn back and God Himself will run to you and meet you just as the father ran toward his son when the son decided to come back home.

(Luke 15:20) "So he got up and came to his father, BUT WHILE HE WAS STILL A LONG WAY OFF, HIS FATHER FELT COMPASSION FOR HIM, AND RAN AND EMBRACED HIM AND KISSED HIM."

So what are you waiting for? If you feel that God is calling you back, then return. Wherever you are right now, in the silence of your heart pray and ask God something like this : "Heavenly Father, I know I have sinned against You, that my sin separates me from You and there is nothing I can do on my own to be worthy of Your forgiveness. I am truly sorry. I now turn away from my sinful past and turn to You for forgiveness. Please forgive me. I believe that Your son Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for the penalty of my sins, that He was raised from the dead and is now at Your right hand with all authority. I invite Jesus into my heart to become my Lord and Savior, to rule and reign in my life from this day forward. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

The Sovereignty of God and of Earthly Authority

God is sovereign. He is enthroned in heaven and the earth is His footstool (Isaiah 66:1; Matthew 5:35; Acts 7:49). He made everyone and everything. Everything He has made was made by Him to accomplish His purpose and His plans. He is in control and we can rest assured that His plans are for the good of those who have chosen to walk in His ways and in a manner pleasing to Him.

(Jeremiah 27:5) “I have made the earth, the men and the beasts which are on the face of the earth by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight."

Its such an overwhelming comfort to know that God's plans for us are for our own welfare. What's even more amazing is that these "good" plans are so good that they will always go beyond our finite concept of "goodness"(Ephesians 3:20-21Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen). Even more comforting and amazing is the fact that because He is sovereign, we are assured that He can bring these plans to completion.

(Jeremiah 29:11) "For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."

The verse above is perhaps one of the most quoted verses in the Bible largely because of the assurance of God's plan and the promise of welfare. It is one of my favorites. Little did I know that the verses following it holds an even greater promise than welfare and prosperity. The promise that God will listen to us and that we will find Him when we seek Him with all our heart. Its a humbling thought to think that the sovereign God and creator of the universe makes Himself available to us--waiting for us to call upon Him in truth.

(Psalm 145:18 )"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth")

(Jeremiah 29:12) "Then YOU WILL CALL upon ME and come and PRAY TO ME, and I WILL LISTEN TO YOU. YOU WILL SEEK ME AND FIND ME WHEN YOU SEARCH FOR ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART."

One of the ways we can manifest our trust in the sovereignty of God and faith that He is in control is by submitting to authority. This is a huge area of improvement for me, especially when I feel that I know better or that I am right and they are wrong. When this happens I need to humble myself and be reminded that GOD IS SOVEREIGN and that these same authorities were established by God Himself.

(Romans 13:1)"Every person is to be in subjection to governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God."

(Colossians 1:16). "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him."

(Titus 3:1-2) "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men."