引言：
家居改进计划（HIP）
一、因为神是我的父亲（v1-9）
今天经文一开始就提到虽然百姓悖逆，伤透神的心。但神始终如一，并宣告祂还是认定这百姓属于自己，并坚持要做他们的神。
不但如此，神更是主动的告诉祂的百姓，祂不只是以色列百姓的神，祂真正的身份是他们的父亲，与他们有永恒的约。因此祂以永远的爱来爱他们。不仅是在灾难和苦难中祂会看顾祂的儿女，更是把他们领向平安、医治和喜乐的源泉。
弟兄姐妹，神是你的父吗？
做父亲的绝不会要自己的孩子灭亡。因此，当我们因为被管教而在痛苦中、迷失或忧伤时，要相信只要我们愿意，神作为我们的父亲，因为祂以永远的爱来爱我们，所以必会亲自引导我们走向得赦免与得安慰的道路。所以我们要紧紧的抓住爱我们的父亲。
二、生命归正得父应许（v10-20）
1. 蒙神救赎脱离仇敌（v10-11）
神呼召列国听祂的话，并且去到世界各地宣告祂会重新召聚被赶散的以色列百姓回来，并保护他们像牧人看守羊群一样。这说明神不管属神的人是因为被管教，分散到列国，还是自己贪爱世界走迷了路，神都没有忘记他。神用尽所有的办法都会把他们找回来，从仇敌的手救出来。
如果我们身边有信仰倒退，离开神的基督徒，我们也要有信心，那些迷失的羊，神一定会把他们找回来。所以要继续祷告交托，有机会就邀请他们回教会。
2. 得神恩惠知足喜乐（v12-14）
神说祂的百姓要回到神所赐的应许地。男女老少都会因为神的恩惠满心欢喜，心灵像被滋润的园子一般。神不仅供应物质上的需求，还使他们的愁烦转为快乐。不但如此，v14提到以色列会恢复圣殿的敬拜。很多百姓到神面前献上感恩祭、献上敬拜。神与人关系的恢复。
在繁忙的生活中，许多人追求物质的富足，却时常感到空虚，有些甚至是神的儿女。作为神儿女，如果我们相信神是以永远的爱来爱我们，我们也会看重与神的关系，相信神的看顾并知足，常常以感恩的心来数算神的恩典。
不知足的人容易掉入贪婪而负债累累。所以弟兄姐妹，我们的满足在于神。让神成为我们的平安和满足的喜乐。
3. 不再流离归回应许（v15-17）
在以色列膝下无子的人，被认为是遭神咒诅的。因此，神在这里向拉结保证，末后必有指望，因为被掳的儿女不再流离，必要归回。他们将脱离咒诅，进入神应许的蒙福生命。
4.经历神爱回转受教（v18-26）
以色列在经历神爱的管教后，后悔拍腿叹息。并愿意谦卑受教。甚至求神使他听到神要他回转时，他能够马上顺服神。因为认定：“你是耶和华─我的神”。
我们透过耶稣基督领受了神满满的恩典。我们有认定神是我们的神吗？当我们听到圣灵微小声音的提醒，我们会马上回转吗？还是我们要等到经历了惨痛的管教后，才拍腿叹息？
v21神要百姓回头去找找看，到底他们是怎样来到这被掳的国家。并要他们在经过的路上设立指路碑和引路柱。这样他们不但能知道自己的问题所在，在回去的路上，也能体会神是如何带领他们走过这些路。
很常当人犯错后，若过没有回头反思和反省错在哪里，也没让真理作为指路碑和引路柱的话，那就算后悔认罪了，也没有用。因为不知道要从哪里改起？
以色列百姓除了愿意回转受教，V22 先知预言以色列百姓将来要像“女子护卫男子”那样，无保留地回到神的身旁，用不变的爱和体贴来拥抱和敬爱神。今天我们是否像“女子护卫男子”那样的来爱耶稣？
5. 各自承担向神交账（v27-30）
V28爱百姓的神说：我先前怎样留意将他们拔出、拆毁、毁坏、倾覆、苦害，也必照样留意将他们建立、栽植。神真正要除去的不是犯罪的以色列百姓，而是他们当中的罪和不良的影响。神要使他们得着完全的更新。
今天我们的生命中是否还有让神更新的地方？并且，v29提醒我们，神是公义公平的，我们各人都要在神面前要向神交账。所以我们要对自己的行事为人负责任。
三、重新与父重立新约（v31-40）
神跟以色列百姓的关系是以西乃山之约为基础。在这旧约中，神虽作他们的丈夫，百姓却常常背了神的约，与偶像行邪淫。但被掳归回后，神在这里应许要与以色列百姓立新约。神要将自己爱的十诫刻在人的心版。并且每个人信靠神的人都蒙神主动的赦罪，永远不再记念百姓的罪恶。
对当时的以色利百姓来说，应该无法明白这所说的新约。但我们知道这新约，透过主耶稣的救恩，应验在我们身上了。
在几千年前，耶利米书所记录的新约，就是指着现在正在读圣经的我们。因此，当我们看到天上的太阳、星月、大海，我们要想到：创造它们的天父告诉我们，祂与我们立了永恒不变的约。祂以永远的爱爱我们！
总结：回应神的爱
神以永远的爱爱我们，你会怎样来回应神的爱呢？
Jeremiah 31: God loves me with an everlasting love!
GK611 Morning Devotion
10/10/2024
The Morning Devotion Speaker: Ps. Deborah
Introduction: Home Improvement Plan (HIP)
I. Because God is my Father (v1-9)
The passage begins by stating that although the people were rebellious and broke God’s heart, God remained faithful and declared that He still recognized them as His people and persisted in being their God.
Moreover, God took the initiative to tell His people that He wasn’t just the God of Israel but their Father and that He had an everlasting covenant with them. Therefore, He loves them with an everlasting love. Not only will He care for His children during times of disaster and suffering, but He will also lead them to peace, healing, and joy.
Brothers and sisters, is God your Father?
A father would never desire for his children to perish. Therefore, when we are suffering, lost, or grieving because of God’s discipline, we must trust that if we are willing, God, as our Father, who loves us with an everlasting love, will guide us on the path to forgiveness and comfort. Let us cling tightly to our loving Father.
II. Life corrected and receiving the Father’s promise (v10-20)
1. Redeemed by God and delivered from enemies (v10-11)
God calls the nations to hear His words and to proclaim throughout the world that He will gather the scattered people of Israel again and protect them as a shepherd does his flock. This shows that whether God’s people are scattered due to discipline or lost because of worldly desires, God has not forgotten them. God will use all means to bring them back and deliver them from their enemies.
If there are backsliding Christians around us who have strayed from God, we should also have faith that God will bring back these lost sheep. So, continue to pray, entrust them to God, and take every opportunity to invite them back to church.
2. Blessed by God with contentment and joy (v12-14)
God says His people will return to the promised land He gave them. Men, women, young, and old will all rejoice in God’s grace, their hearts refreshed like a well-watered garden. Not only will God meet their material needs, but He will also turn their sorrows into joy. Moreover, in verse 14, Israel’s temple worship is restored, and the people come before God to offer thanksgiving and worship. This is a restoration of the relationship between God and His people.
In our busy lives, many people seek material wealth but often feel empty, including some who are children of God. As God’s children, if we believe that God loves us with an everlasting love, we will also value our relationship with Him, trust in His care, and often count our blessings with a thankful heart.
Those who are discontent can easily fall into greed and debt. So, brothers and sisters, let our satisfaction be found in God. Let God be our peace and our source of joy.
3. No longer wandering, returning to the promise (v15-17)
In Israel, childlessness was considered a curse from God. Here, God assures Rachel that there is hope in the end because the exiled children will no longer be wandering but will return. They will break free from the curse and enter the blessed life promised by God.
4. Turning back and receiving God’s instruction after experiencing His love (v18-26)
After experiencing God’s loving discipline, Israel regrets and laments. They humbly ask to be taught, even pleading with God to help them return to Him, for they recognize, “You are the Lord God.”
Through Jesus Christ, we have received God’s abundant grace. Do we acknowledge God as our Lord? When we hear the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit reminding us, do we immediately turn back to God? Or do we wait until we experience painful discipline before we regret and lament?
In verse 21, God asks the people to reflect on how they ended up in captivity and to set up signposts and landmarks along the road they traveled. This would help them recognize their mistakes and understand how God led them through these paths.
Often, when people make mistakes, if they don’t reflect on where they went wrong and don’t let God’s truth guide them, then even if they regret it, it will be of little use because they won’t know where to start correcting themselves.
In addition to being willing to turn back and be taught, in verse 22, the prophet predicts that Israel will one day return to God with devotion and unchanging love, like a woman encompassing a man. Today, do we love Jesus with such devotion and affection?
5. Everyone will be accountable to God (v27-30)
In verse 28, God, who loves His people, says: “Just as I have watched over them to uproot and tear down, to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant.” God’s aim was not to destroy the sinful Israelites, but to eliminate their sins and negative influences. God wanted them to receive complete renewal.
Are there still areas in our lives that need to be renewed by God? Moreover, verse 29 reminds us that God is just and fair, and each of us will be held accountable to Him for our actions. Therefore, we must take responsibility for our conduct.
III. Renewing the covenant with the Father (v31-40)
The relationship between God and the Israelites was based on the covenant made at Mount Sinai. In this old covenant, although God was like a husband to them, the people constantly broke the covenant and committed spiritual adultery by worshipping idols. However, after the exile, God promises to make a new covenant with the Israelites. He will write His commandments on their hearts, and everyone who trusts in Him will be forgiven, with their sins remembered no more.
At the time, the Israelites may not have fully understood what this new covenant (new testament) meant. But we now know that this new testament was fulfilled through the salvation of Jesus Christ.
The new testament mentioned in Jeremiah thousands of years ago refers to us today, who are reading the Bible. Therefore, when we look at the sun, moon, stars, and seas, we should remember that the Creator of these things is our Heavenly Father, who has made an eternal, unchanging covenant with us. He loves us with an everlasting love!
Conclusion: Responding to God’s Love
God loves us with an everlasting love. How will you respond to His love?
