Love Affirmed

I want to bring into focus a message from God to His people found in Jeremiah 31:3: “The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”

This was a word that came to Israel during a severe time of testing. They had been taken captive by Babylon. They had suffered disappointments and defeats. They were probably wondering and stressing out about what the future might hold for them. It is in that context that this powerful word of assurance came to God’s people. There is in this verse (1) a Reminder of Past Experiences with God (2) a Revelation of God’s Heart toward us (3) a Clarification of God’s Work in our Lives.

The text begins with a Reminder of Past Experiences: “The LORD has appeared of old to me saying….” The revelation that follows in verse 3 was not something new for Jeremiah. God had spoken this to him in the past. Yet he was human enough to need the reminder. God had called Jeremiah in his youth and had spoken to him many years earlier. Jeremiah had responded to the call. But life had not been easy for him. He is known as the “weeping prophet.” He was ridiculed, discredited, resisted, and rejected. He was thrown into prison by the king and almost died there. Yes, God had appeared to Jeremiah earlier in life and assured him of His love toward him—but Jeremiah needed a reminder. And I suspect there are people here that could also use a reminder.

“The LORD has appeared of old to me saying….” Notice how personal this is. God didn’t just send a note saying this. He didn’t send the word through a messenger. He himself appeared to Jeremiah. I want you to take a moment and recall times in the past when God met with you. Was there a time when God came to you and revealed His love toward you? I find strength in thinking back on the day He first called me to Himself. At the tender age of fourteen God tugged on my heart and drew me to Him. O happy when Jesus washed my sins away. O happy day when He let me know I was forgiven and loved. O happy day when His Spirit bore witness with my spiritviii that I was His forevermore. I’m so glad God can speak directly to our hearts. There is a communion in the Holy Spirit that is available to every child of God. All we have to do is open our hearts to Him and listen. He is speaking. He is a speaking God. But the exhortation in Scripture is “Let him who has an ear hear what the Spirit is saying….”ix

God has given us means for remembering. We have one another to encourage the remembrance of God’s love, as we worship together we remember, as we look into His word there are reminders for us, and the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is a concrete, visible reminder of the sacrificial love of God toward us.

For most of you, what I will share this morning is not entirely new. For the Lord has spoken it to you in the past. Today is a reminder of His unfailing love toward you. Today is a celebration of that fact. Today if you will hear His voice, God says again, “I have loved you with an everlasting love….”