The everlasting love of God

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Jeremiah  31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

It was a time when the children of Israel were in captivity that God spoke through prophet Jeremiah,  The prophesies of his book is mostly, but not all, a book about God’s judgment. The painful ‘rooting out, pulling down, destroying, and throwing down’ spoken of in Jeremiah’s commission was but a purging, to make room for later ‘building and planting’ (Jeremiah 1:10). When we undergo the chastening of the LORD, it is because ‘Whom He loves, He chastens’ (Proverbs 3:12; Hebrews 12:6).

But at a time when all other hope was lost,  the LORD reassure all the families of Israel that He will not cease to be their God, and they His people (Jeremiah 31:1). The New Testament gives us warrant to extend this to include all who are ‘chosen in Christ from the foundation of the world’ (Ephesians 1:4).

In Jeremiah 31:2, the LORD speaks of the people who were left of the sword “finding grace in the wilderness.” This no doubt carried echoes of Israel’s exodus out of Egypt, but also addressed the remnant of those who escaped the sword in Jeremiah’s own day. Perhaps, too, we have wilderness experiences in our own lives, and find that the Lord has not deserted us. 

After all, the LORD had embraced them (us) with “an everlasting love,” and continues to draw His people not because of their merits, but because of His grace and loving-kindness (Jeremiah 31:3). 

From God's spoken word in Jeremiah 31:3, we may observe the following:

1. There is an imminence about the statement that “The LORD has appeared to me”. Earlier the emphasis had been upon the LORD being far off as well as near (Jeremiah 23:23), but now the people needed the reassurance that ‘the LORD is near to all those who call upon Him’ (Psalm 145:18).

2. There is a certainty about the statement, “Yea, I have loved you”. This is the affirmation of God's word in John 3:16, which brings  about Christ' sacrificial death for everyone. 

3. And what does the LORD say, to Jeremiah; through Jeremiah to Israel; and to us? “I have loved you”. This is not a merited love. Israel was a nobody, nothing, nation when God called them out of Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). Yet the LORD ‘set His love upon them’ for no other reason than ‘because he loved them’.

4. This is personal: “I” have loved “you”. Personal to Jeremiah. Personal to Israel. Personal to you, Christian believer, and to me.

5. There is an “everlasting”-ness about this love. It did not begin with Adam, but before Adam, for ‘God is love’ (1 John 4:8). It has its existence in the Personhood of the Triune God. It is an endless, never-failing love.

6. The effect of this love in the lives of God’s people is that it has drawn us with the cords of His loving-kindness.  He drew us out of the mire of sin by the Cross of Jesus (Romans 4:25). And also  He drew us out of the grip of death by His resurrection (Romans 6:5).

There is an everlasting love of God for your life, a treasure that survive the test of time and will never end, if you accept His lordship, you will enjoy the benefits of all His love made available through Christ Jesus. 

The everlasting love of God is readily available for you, accept Christ as your Lord and personal saviour to be partaker of this love, live a life of righteousness and holiness pleasing to God to enjoy its blessings. 

God bless you. 

Prayer key:

1. Lord, thank you for the blessing of today in Jesus Christ name. 

2. Lord, I accept you as my love and personal saviour today, I surrender my will, and accept your will for my life in Jesus Christ name. 

3. Lord, help me to always do your will so I can continually enjoy the blessings of your everlasting love in my life in Jesus Christ name. 

4. Thank you Lord for answered prayers in Jesus Christ name. Amen.