July 7

Jeremiah 31
What kind of love is this?:
Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. 4Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel!
An everlasting love, it is a love that called in conquerors to defeat the nation and city. It is a love that has caused famine and pestilence. It is a love that demands purity in its object. It is a love that will stop at nothing to refine its object. It is a love that never lets go. It is a love that desires its object to return the love by being satisfied with His goodness. It is a love that yearns for its object. It is a love that yearns for faithfulness in its object. It is a love that satisfies its object. It is a love that even required the death of His own Son in order to purify its object. It is a love that uses that death to write His law upon the heart of the one He loves. It is a love that forgives iniquity, and sin. It is a love that chooses to never bring to mind again the sin that its object committed against Him. What kind of love is this?
I have been receiving about 3 calls a day M-F from people wanting help with rent/utilities/food/ gasoline. What kind of love either permits or designs for those things to happen to those people? I usually ask a series of questions. One is, “Do you have a church home? “ If they do, I want their church home to help them. If they do not, I usually tell them, “We prefer to help people with whom we have relationships. We would like to get to know you by you coming to our worship service or one of our Bible Studies.” That weeds out some of those who are not willing to think about a love that would permit or design a hardship in order to draw them to Himself. When they come it gives us an opportunity to speak the word into their lives. It gives opportunity to reveal the love that Jesus really has for them. It is not the candy store variety of love. Yes, His love is sweet, but it is also as hard as nails. It molds; it disciplines; it demands perfection. But it also does what it takes to provide perfection. That love is passionate. This is that of which this chapter of Jeremiah speaks. Wow! What a glorious love! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john