Hey Peeps!

Did you know that God is the God Of Desire?

What I mean by this is that God created them and experiences them. I talked about something similar to this concept in “What’s Wrong With Passion” and “It’s Good To Be Emotional” .

Today, as I read Jeremiah Chapter 3, God showed me more of himself. (Not that he doesn’t do this often. More so that I’m usually more focused on what I think I’m learning than what He is actively revealing.)

A few points stuck out to me:

• God is poignantly observant: He notices the consequences of sin and its affect on nature. He is environmentally conscious!

• God was hurt that Israel didn’t listen to him and worshipped other gods: This chapter reads like a heartbroken lover’s appeal.

• God was obsessed with Israel, not in a bad way: He keeps talking about them and thinking about them! He was not cold-hearted. He didn’t pretend that he didn’t care that they kept hurting him and he was sharing this vulnerably with Jeremiah.

• Most of all, God desired a connection with Israel: And that’s what I want to focus on today. 🙂

God

God spends the first portion of the chapter sharing about how Israel is like a cheating wife. He explains to them how their worship of other gods is like adultery and he doesn’t like it. He confronts them because he loves them. He brings their unfaithfulness (their cheating) to their attention to give them a chance to change. This shows his desire for them. If he was an unconcerned, uninvolved, unfeeling God he would let them continue in their waywardness without a second thought.

Yet, he thinks of them and thinks of them often. He says (and this just makes my heart melt!):

I thought, After she has done all this, she will return to me.

Jeremiah 3:7a

Doesn’t that sound like a loving partner waiting for their crazy beloved to get their act together? Doesn’t that sound like a loving parent waiting for their rebellious child to come back home? The vulnerability of God!

God then goes on to appeal to Israel to come back to him because he loves and desires to be with them. He desires to restore them, provide for them, guide them, and heal them. He continues to think about them and wonder about them…only to be met with the reality of their unfaithfulness. But he keeps trying.

He says:

• “…come home to me again, for I am merciful.“
• “Return home, you wayward children…for I am your master.”
• “…I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.” (that’s my favorite part)
• “I thought to myself, ‘I would love to treat you as my own children!’ I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land–the finest possession in the world. I looked forward to your calling me ‘Father,’ and I wanted you never to turn from me…”
• “My wayward children…come back to me, and I will heal your wayward hearts.”

Ugh <3 (These are portions of the text. To get the full context, please read the chapter in its entirety here)

When I read these words, I see a feeling God. A God who desires, deeply, a connection with his beloved creation. And that changes everything.

Glory

What’s the beauty/glory of all of this? The beauty of this truth is: If God desired wayward Israel, with such relentless passion (and honesty) then he desires me in the same way. In these scriptures, God reveals his mind and his heart. We all want to be desired, loved, and accepted regardless of how much we sin or how much we mess up. We have that in God…if we accept it. If we don’t abuse it. If we do our part too. (Simply because that’s how relationships work!) God is faithful in that he can be trusted to do his part and he loves us enough to put the onus on us, too. How wonderful and amazing it is that God also desires (doesn’t need) our acceptance and our love!

Growth

My takeaway from this glorious truth about God is varied. Knowing this truth leads me to allow the truth of his desire for me to inspire and encourage my heart. His desire for me inspires me to be more devoted to him because he will never stop being devoted to me. This devotion results in trust (inward) AND obedience (outward) .

This twofold devotion impacts how I interact with others. As I recognize how God is toward me, I am compelled to extend that same treatment AND sentiment to others.

Dear friend, I hope that as you understand more about how much God desires you, it will nudge you toward more glory and growth. If it does, I’d love to hear about it.

How do you see God in these scriptures?–let’s chat!

Love and Light,

Kourtney Naomi