Focus 40 Sunday Devotional Week 2

Focus 40 – Extreme Love

February 24, 2013

Jeremiah 31:3

I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.

Everlasting and unfailing love.  God is faithful.  His love is steadfast.  This is the God that rescues people.  He rescued the Israelites from slavery.  He protected them from armies.  He provided food, water, and care for them in the wilderness.  He gave them an identity at Mount Sinai with the covenant.  He brought them into the Promised Land and gave them victory.  Even when the people continually broke the covenant and turned their backs on God, He was faithful to them.  This will not change.  God cannot help but be compassionate and loving to His people.  His desire is for them to live well and He will bring help, protection, provision, and even discipline to fulfill this desire.

There is an important Hebrew word here.  Hesed is a strong and often used word to describe God’s relationship with His people.  It is often translated as mercy, faithfulness, goodness, kindness, and loyalty.  It fits with the New Testament idea of grace.  It is an undeserved gift from God.  In this case, it is God’s unfailing love.  Love that remains no matter what.  Love that is dependable.  Love that cannot be changed.  Love that lasts. 

Hesed is at the center of God’s covenant and commandments.  It is the part of His character that is driven to work for the good of His people.   No matter what we do, think, or say…God will not give up on us.  God will continue to work for good in our lives.  God’s love is inescapable.

Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet.  He spent his life calling for people to return to God and describing what would happen if they did not.  He called for God’s people to return the Hesed that God has for them.  They did not.  They continually ignored the prophet and the worst happened.  The people were overthrown and forced into exile.  Refusing the love of God never brings good things into our lives.  God continually calls to us in love, mercy, and forgiveness.  Ignoring that call leads us away from God and His goodness.  Yet no matter how far away the people got, God’s love remained.  No matter how far away each of us might get, God loves us and will forgive.  How have we said yes to the love of God?  What would keep us from it?