Repent My Rebellious Heart and Be Healed
Scripture Passage: Jeremiah 3:19-25 (NASB)
19 “Then I said,
‘How I would set you among My sons
And give you a pleasant land,
The most beautiful inheritance of the nations!’
And I said, ‘You shall call Me, My Father,
And not turn away from following Me.’
20 However, as a woman treacherously leaves her lover,
So you have dealt treacherously with Me,
House of Israel,” declares the Lord.
21 A voice is heard on the bare heights,
The weeping, the pleading of the sons of Israel.
Because they have perverted their way,
They have forgotten the Lord their God.
22 “Return, you faithless sons,
I will heal your faithlessness.”
“Behold, we come to You;
For You are the Lord our God.
23 Certainly the hills are a deception,
Commotion on the mountains.
Certainly in the Lord our God
Is the salvation of Israel.
24 “But the shame has consumed the product of our fathers’ labor since our youth—their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. 25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our humiliation cover us; for we have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day. And we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.”
SUMMARY
Jeremiah compares the relationship between Israel and God to the relationship between parents and children and also to that of a married couple. God was the father to Israel and wanted to bequeath His inheritance of the nations to them. However, Israel betrayed God just as a wife cheated and left her husband. Even with such sins, Israel was reluctant to repent, yet God told Israel that even betrayers could be forgiven and healed if they return to God. Jeremiah calls the people of Israel to truly repent of their sins as they have not obeyed the voice of the Lord their God.
MEDITATION AND REFLECTION
We know that when we sin against God and follow other idols in life, it mourns the heart of God. Just as Jeremiah used the analogy of unfaithful wife cheating and betraying the husband, such sin of abandoning the relationship with God is treacherous and even perversion as the text describes. Israel took God’s provision and love for granted, and sought after the worshipping of foreign idols and having a reluctant and rebellious heart towards God. If I think about it in the context of my marriage, and to think that my spouse would turn unfaithful towards me is just unthinkably heartbreaking. When we know that such unfaithfulness would crush the marital relationship thus we do our best to keep the relationship healthy, then why are we not trying harder to be faithful to our father God? He is not just anyone that we say we love, but who created this universe and who will also come back to judge our sins.
I’m realizing that just as Israel sinned against God in Jeremiah’s times, our generation these days are sinning against God greatly. We’ve created idols in life, such as money, fame, self image, education, and so much more and basically came to believe that these false idols have more power to give us what we want, rather than God, thus abandoning the relationship with Him completely. Jeremiah 2:13 says “For My people have committed two evils: They have abandoned Me, the fountain of living waters, to carve out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that do not hold water.” Our generation has fallen into the lies of the enemy to seek after things that will never satisfy, turning away from the fountain of living waters.
APPLICATION
When I say this generation….I’m really talking about myself….how I’m cheating on the love and grace of God all the time trying to fill my void with things of the world. The phrase, “talk is cheap” really is describing the status of my faith. I say “I love you, Lord,” but I may be actually loving false idols more and serving them instead. I am so afraid and ashamed that I may be ignorant of His leadings and teachings in my life. Sometimes I am reluctant, just like the Israelites, to listen to Him and follow Him because my heart is so proud and rebellious. That’s why I am so relieved and comforted by the verse 22 that says “Return, you faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness.” Not myself, but God will mend a rebellious heart of mine and restore it. But this comes with the condition though…. I need to humbly come before God in shame, turning away from my sins and repenting wholeheartedly.
PRAYER
Father, I am sorry that I am constantly grieving and mourning your heart all the time. How I have cheapen the amazing grace of yours with mindless and ignorant sins in my life. I would not dare to have an affair, afraid to hurt my loving spouse, yet I am hurting you with my affairs with idols in my life. I realized I came to trust things like financial security, stability of job, great health, and good relationship with people would keep my life in peace rather than hanging on to your Word and leading. Lord, forgive me. I am trying so hard to hold onto “broken cisterns” that are empty. Help me to let go of useless idols I created in my life, but to fill myself with a fountain of living waters that truly satisfies my soul.
“But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spirit of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)
I wish I can boldly drink the cup that you give me Lord. Please heal my unfaithfulness and reluctant and rebellious heart. I am too weak to do it. Lord, I pray let your will be done in my life you prepared for me. In Jesus’ name I prayed.
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