3 Promises for Tough Times Jeremiah 31:3-4 Devotional

What is the meaning of Jeremiah 31:3-4?

 

Tough times will surely come our way. But in this devotion, we’ll read Jeremiah 31:3-4 and find 3 Promises for Tough Times from our loving Heavenly Father to see us through them.

Let’s read this inspirational Bible verse about God’s unfailing kindness together…

Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;

Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.

Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt.

                                          Jeremiah 31:3-4 NKJV

I have loved you with an everlasting love meaning

In this scripture, we find Jeremiah in a pickle. God had given him the unenviable task of telling the people of Israel they had failed God and He was about to unleash His wrath upon them. Ouch!

Judah was in a covenant relationship with God. They were His chosen people, yet they chose to worship the pagan god Baal. The king of Judah had been defeated in battle and now the people were the subject of Egypt.

Soon, God would allow brutal Babylon to rule over them for seventy years.

Yes, tough times were on the horizon for the people of Judah. But instead of turning to God for help, they chose to continue worshiping their false gods and idols.

So, God sent Jeremiah to call Judah out on their wicked ways and tell them to turn back to Him before it was too late.

But they ignored Jeremiah’s warning of God’s coming judgment.

Faced with the people’s indifference to his message, Jeremiah had his own choice to make. He could go with the flow and follow the people’s lead, or he could remain faithful to God and His will.

In the face of adversity and growing defiance from the people, Jeremiah chose faith over popularity.

God’s Promise to Jeremiah

God remained faithful to Judah, in spite of their disobedience. He remembered His promise to restore His blessing. And because of His everlasting love, God showed His mercy on a faithless people and gave them a new covenant.

This story from Jeremiah isn’t just a piece of history from long ago. It is meant for us right here, right now! Just like Judah, sometimes we find ourselves facing tough times. And just like Jeremiah, we might be in a pickle.

When tragedy strikes us close to home, it can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The pain is too close and the struggle is too difficult. It’s almost impossible to see how anything in our lives can ever be right again. We’re at the crossroads and we have a choice to make. We can decide to turn our backs on God like the people of Judah. Or we can turn to God for help and rely on His promises during the tough times to come.

The Bible is filled with so many blessings and promises from God! Each one of them is meant to give us hope for a better tomorrow.

Within Jeremiah 31:3-4, there are three promises of God to help us in our time of need. Once we understand them, we can face any hardship with a new perspective and resolve.

Read More: 12 Uplifting Bible Verses for Faith in Hard Times

3 Promises of God

 

#1 An everlasting love

God loved us before the beginning of time. And He still loves us now in the midst of the storm we’re facing.

God’s love for us is an everlasting love. It has no beginning and it has no end.

 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions

                                                   Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV

 

God showed His mercy and demonstrated His great love for us by sending His Son to save us and give us everlasting life.

Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we have the ability to experience the unfailing kindness and unending love of God.

 

#2 I have drawn you

Because of God’s loving kindness, He stretches out His hand to us and draws us to Himself.

Even when trouble surrounds us and everything seems lost, God has not forgotten us. And He draws close to us in our need.

Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.

                                                      James 4:8 ESV

Read More: Jesus is Our Firm Foundation Matthew 7:24-27

#3 Again I will build you

Whatever hardship we’ve endured or tough times we’ve faced, whatever sin we have committed in the past, God has promised to rebuild our relationship with Him.

You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Christ Jesus. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

Behold, I lay in Zion

A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,

And he who believes on Him will by no

means be put to shame.

                                         1 Peter 2:5-6 NKJV

 

As Christians, we are the building project of God.

He is the contractor, building a spiritual house for us to dwell in. Jesus is the chief cornerstone of the building, keeping our spiritual house from crumbling and falling to pieces.

God has formed us into living stones to be set upon the cornerstone of Christ. Each stone is carefully and deliberately placed, making us the walls of the house firmly set on the foundation of our faith.

But our sin tears down the house God is building for us. So, He forgives our sins and builds the house back up again.

We are imperfect so, the building goes on and on. It is a continually building and rebuilding of our lives. And it will only be completed once we are in heaven with Him.

Reflection on Jeremiah 31

Jeremiah’s story is a testament to a faithful servant who endured many hardships yet followed God anyway. Today, his story stands as a reminder to us that tough times will come, but we have a loving Father who is always faithful to the end.

We may make bad choices or get knocked down, but when we make Jesus the cornerstone and focus of our lives, we will never fail.

God will honor His promises to us. He will show us everlasting love, draw us with loving kindness, and pick us up and build us again.

If you are facing tough times, I pray that you will turn to God and be encouraged by these 3 Promises for Tough Times.

God loves you, He will draw you to Himself, and He will build you again.

God bless!

Black and White Bible Verse Art from Master’s Hand Collection

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Bonnie Lyn Smith