A few nights ago we were watching Captain America. The setting is World War 2 and before Captain America was allowed to engage the enemy and save the world, he was given a P.R. assignment. He traveled from city to city performing on stage to promote the war effort. No doubt you have seen the posters of uncle Sam pointing and saying, “I want you.” The uncle Sam poster began as a military recruiting campaign as far back as World War 1. During World War 2, there was much pride in the nation’s military. Many young men answered the call of uncle Sam and laid down their lives for our country. That famous statement of: “I want you” reminds me of God’s call to us. Think about it. God wants you. He wants to have a relationship with you. He wants you to be a part of His family. He wants you to be a part of His Kingdom purposes. He wants you!

                In Jeremiah 3:19-25, we really see the heart of God. After all the sin committed by the people of Judah and of Israel; you think God would not want to have anything to do with them again. He describes Judah as committing adultery as they chased after false gods and idol worship. Yet, God was willing and ready to forgive them. He would put them aside for a season because of their sin; but He would not completely do away with them. He loved them. He called them His own. He would not give up on them. Like the nation of Judah, we too have often sinned against God. Yet, He still loves us. No matter how far you fall. No matter how bad you mess up. God will not abandon you. God wants you!

                The longing of God. In the passage at hand, we see the longing of God for His people. He wants them to call Him their Father. Here we see the heart of God as a loving Father. He longs for His children. I must confess that as a father, it is easy to identify with the longing of God. Our family is at an interesting stage of life. Our two oldest children are in college and we have one in High School. I must confess that as the house is getting a little quieter, there are times when I miss the days when the kids were younger. Sometimes there is a sense of longing to return to those days as I find myself reminiscing often. There is a longing in the heart of a father for his children. A desire to be with them, to spend time with them. That longing goes deeper than just wanting to be with them. It is a longing for them. A desire to see them succeed. A desire to realize the best for them. This is how God longs for us. He wants us to be with Him; and He also wants the best for us. He wants to see us succeed and to accomplish great things for His Kingdom. God wants to give us good things. He wants to bless us. However, because of our sin nature, we often fail to experience God’s best for us. Oh, that we would learn to obey Him and live according to His Word so we may experience His best for us. I wonder though; do we long for God the same way He longs for us? Are we as the Psalmist who said, “As the deer pants for the water brook; so my soul pants for you, O God”? Here is the thing: God is chasing after us, but are we chasing after Him? Imagine the goodness of God we would enjoy if we longed for Him the way He longs for us.  

                The pain of God. It is clear that God was more than disappointed with Israel and Judah. He was hurt by their continual rebellion. It pained Him to see their worship of idols and their refusal to repent. There is no greater pain than the pain of a parent’s heart due to a prodigal child. I wonder, though I am completely forgiven, does it bring God pain every time I sin? As the song says, “Does He still feel the nails every time I fail? Does He hear the crowd cry crucify again? Am I causing Him pain when I know I’ve got to change? I just can’t bear the thought of hurting Him?” As a parent is hurt and disappointed when their children go astray; so our Heavenly Father is no doubt pained by our sinful behavior.

                The faithfulness of God. Though His people fell so very far from Him; God stayed faithful to them. Though they committed spiritual adultery by worshipping idols; God was always there ready to receive them. He truly is a faithful God. I cannot even count the number of times I have been unfaithful to God; yet He has been so faithful to me. God’s faithfulness to me is the one sure thing in my life. I can sin. I can turn my back on God. I can be abandoned by those I love. I can be betrayed and stabbed in the back. Everyone may let me down. I may be deeply disappointed. But God will never leave me! He will never betray me. He will never let me down. God is always there. He is so faithful. It is so good to know that whatever I may face in my life, I can always turn to Him. Great is His faithfulness!

                The hope of God. It is recorded in verses 22-25 that the people are admitting their sin and wanting to return to the Lord. However, are their words sincere? The New American Commentary says, “The Israelites seemed to be admitting everything God wanted to hear—that their idol worship had been a deception and that salvation was found only in the Lord (3:23). From their “youth” (when the covenant was established at Sinai) they had wasted their resources of cattle, grain, and even their children as useless sacrifices to their “shameful gods.” The people appeared to be taking full responsibility for their folly and disobedience. “Let us lie down in our shame” suggests they were overwhelmed by guilt. If these words had been an expression of sincere repentance and return to God, the rest of Jeremiah’s ministry would have been unnecessary. True repentance requires admission of sin but more than that. There must be sorrow for the sin (Ps 51:17) and genuine turning away from it (Jas 2:4).”^[1] It seems as if a part of them does want to repent; however, they are so depraved it is as if they could not repent even if they tried. The only hope they have to be saved from themselves is in God alone. You and I are in the same boat. We are totally and utterly depraved. Our sin is too great. We cannot turn to the Lord in our own efforts. Therefore, we are in desperate need of God’s grace. Only He can save us. Only He can rescue us. He is our only hope. Because of God’s great love for us and His desire for us to have a relationship with Him there is hope in Him.

                God’s unrelenting pursuit of His people and His overwhelming desire that they would turn to Him solidifies the truth that God wants you. He desires to have a relationship with you. He wants you come to Him. He is crying out to you, calling you to repentance. God wants you. Do you want Him?

^[1] Huey, F. B. (1993). Jeremiah, Lamentations (Vol. 16, pp. 78–79). Broadman & Holman Publishers.