Today i feel very small. I know, really in comparison to the world out there I am. In comparison to my God, I am a speck of dust... if even that big. I have been reading through Jeremiah very slowly- because i'm a terribly slow reader, and I like to ponder what I'm reading instead of zipping through it (something about quality time... right Franny? :) ). I've had verses in Jeremiah prophesied over me before- Jer 1:9-10 and Jeremiah 9:1 but those were't the verses that stood out to me this time. There was one that I read over and over again, but i wasn't sure that it was really grabbing me. I thought at first it was kind of odd for it to catch my attention and then i realized what the Lord was saying to me. Jeremiah 3:1b says, "But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, says the Lord. Yet I am still calling you to come back to me." What I originally thought was, what was wrong with these Israelites that they couldn't see the hand of the Lord and follow Him with as much as He'd done for them, and quickly my thoughts turned to, how like me. How many times have I walked away and prostituted myself with my many lovers? How many times have I turned my back on him and given myself to another love? How many times have i disregarded the fact that He is God and He calls me to obedience to Him? How like my heart to prostitute itself. How like all of us. Really, why is it so difficult for us to walk away from the 5 year old mentality of I want what I want and I don't care what the consequences? What will it take for us to learn obedience no matter what the cost and no matter what the pain? Can't we realize that the pain will be greater if we are disobedient?
Yet how like God. Though I prostituted myself, how like the Lord to keep calling me to come back to Him. How like Him to woo me out of my Gomer identity. How like him to buy me back out of the slavery which i willingly allow to capture my heart. How like him to come in and rescue me from my captors, whether I realize I want to be rescued or not. What an amazing and awesome God we have who so willingly wipes my spit off of His face and looks lovingly into my eyes and whispers, please come back to me. Continually He calls my name, wooing me as His lover, wooing my heart to love Him and Him alone, wooing me to obedience to Him, not because He wants me to fall in line and take orders. But because He loves me and doesn't want to see me hurt. His love is my protection. He woos me with all the love and compassion that He has for me because he knows if I don't obey, I am going to go through a lot of pain and anguish. “My love, come back to me and leave your other lovers. PLEASE, and trust Me. You may not understand why I’m asking this of you, but just PLEASE trust Me. I have your best in mind and I want to protect you from the pain that’s going to come your way if you disobey. Please let me protect you. Please. I just want to wrap you in My arms and keep you from harm because I love you so much and I can’t bare to see you go through unnecessary pain. Please trust Me.”
What an awesome God. Isn't that the kind of love we can submit to? That's the kind of love that's offered to us everyday if only we'd surrender to it and allow our hearts to be open to His romance. He will romance us. He longs to romance us. Open your heart and allow Him to woo you.
Yet how like God. Though I prostituted myself, how like the Lord to keep calling me to come back to Him. How like Him to woo me out of my Gomer identity. How like him to buy me back out of the slavery which i willingly allow to capture my heart. How like him to come in and rescue me from my captors, whether I realize I want to be rescued or not. What an amazing and awesome God we have who so willingly wipes my spit off of His face and looks lovingly into my eyes and whispers, please come back to me. Continually He calls my name, wooing me as His lover, wooing my heart to love Him and Him alone, wooing me to obedience to Him, not because He wants me to fall in line and take orders. But because He loves me and doesn't want to see me hurt. His love is my protection. He woos me with all the love and compassion that He has for me because he knows if I don't obey, I am going to go through a lot of pain and anguish. “My love, come back to me and leave your other lovers. PLEASE, and trust Me. You may not understand why I’m asking this of you, but just PLEASE trust Me. I have your best in mind and I want to protect you from the pain that’s going to come your way if you disobey. Please let me protect you. Please. I just want to wrap you in My arms and keep you from harm because I love you so much and I can’t bare to see you go through unnecessary pain. Please trust Me.”
What an awesome God. Isn't that the kind of love we can submit to? That's the kind of love that's offered to us everyday if only we'd surrender to it and allow our hearts to be open to His romance. He will romance us. He longs to romance us. Open your heart and allow Him to woo you.
