God Loves Us

“Is not Israel still my son, my darling child?” says the LORD. “I often have to punish him, but I still love him. That’s why I long for him and surely will have mercy on him. [Jeremiah 31.20]

In the midst of the chaos and turmoil of Israel's captivity to Babylon (God's punishment upon them), Jeremiah's prophecy from God tells all regarding His love for Israel. If we can see it, these words give us hope in our own sufferings. God loves us.

Every curse written in the Bible is the result of sin. Every sickness, disease, and hardship known to man is the result of Adam's disobedience. As Adam lives in every human being, man's default condition is suffering as well. In God's words above, "but I still love him" gives hope to all. Regardless of man's fallen condition, God remains committed to be in fellowship with him. Jesus said it like this:

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [John 3.16]

Punishment is the way of fallen man, but God provided the Way in Jesus for man to be redeemed from the curse secured by Adam. Why? Because God loves mankind.

What we need to see here is God's attitude about suffering in the world. God hates it. Why? Because God hates sin that is the cause of all suffering! As much as mankind and as much as we as individuals deserve the most intense suffering possible, God's desire through it all is that we come to repentance and faith in Christ for full redemption and deliverance from sin and its prescribed suffering and death. This is God's will as it is in heaven.

Every person needs a personal revelation of God's love for them. Without it, they will only grovel in the fallen condition of the world. Jesus is that revelation from God. In Christ lies the potential for whatever level of redemption man will believe for. God has done all He is going to do (in fact, He has provided "everything" in Christ). The burden then lies entirely upon man to believe or not to believe.

For the record, and in continuity with what is said here, punishment proves God's love. However, punishment is not the end goal - redemption is! Just as burning pain says "don't touch the hot stove!" so the suffering of man steers him away from sin to the redemption of God in Christ Who loves him.

When we suffer, there is only one solution: repent and believe in Jesus our Redeemer.

Father, forgive me for conscious and unconscious sin in my life. Thank You for the suffering that indicates that sin is there so that I might repent and be redeemed by faith in Jesus.