`I will frown on you no longer,
for I am merciful,' declares the LORD,
`I will not be angry forever.
3 Only acknowledge your guilt--
you have rebelled against the LORD your God,
you have scattered your favours to foreign gods
under every spreading tree,
and have not obeyed me,' "
declares the LORD. Jeremiah3:12-13
There is a word that is repeated again and again and again in Jeremiah. In Hebrew the word is "Shoev" - it means "return", "come back" and "do-the-prodigal-son-thing."
It is a visceral cry from the heart of the prophet and the heart of God. God longs for us to return to Him. He longs for us to come back from our wilderness wanderings. He is the Father who _runs_ toward the Prodigal Son even while he is still a long way off.
When we come to the place of knowing our need for Him and we have realised the futility of our sin, He will take us back no matter where we have been, no matter what we have done.
But let's not be fooled. Our confessions need to be honest and heart-felt. There is no sense of "cheap grace" here. The Father longs for us, but He longs for relationship that is real.
When we come to Him in sincere repentance we discover that He is merciful, that His righteous anger has been carried by Jesus on the cross and that there is no frown for we are adopted as His children.
"Shoev" - say it out loud (long "shoe" + heavy V sound)
Hear the longing and the passion!
It is repeated again and again in Jeremiah - it is the heartbeat and longing of God:
"Come back"
"Return"
"do-the-prodigal-son-thing."
Because He loves us with a love that is higher, deeper, wider and longer than we can even begin to grasp.
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
