Jeremiah 3:20-25

Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, So have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,” says the LORD. A voice was heard on the desolate heights, Weeping and supplications of the children of Israel. For they have perverted their way; They have forgotten the LORD their God. “Return, you backsliding children, And I will heal your backslidings.”

"Indeed we do come to You, For You are the LORD our God. Truly, in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, And from the multitude of mountains; Truly, in the LORD our God Is the salvation of Israel. For shame has devoured The labor of our fathers from our youth— Their flocks and their herds, Their sons and their daughters. We lie down in our shame, And our reproach covers us. For we have sinned against the LORD our God, We and our fathers, From our youth even to this day, And have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”
Jeremiah 3:20-25 NKJV

Once again the unfaithfulness of Judah is compared to a wife being unfaithful to her husband. Of all human relationships the marriage relationship is designed to be the most intimate. The two shall become one, and the two people become one in purpose and goals and attitude. God desires His people to become one in character with Him, taking His purpose as their own. When someone in a marriage is unfaithful the pain can be devastating. A good marriage is a blessing to both as two people grow in love and respect for each other, but when one of the two deals treacherously, it hurts so much more because of what is lost. So here God's people are pictured alone, lost, weeping in agony and crying out for relief. It was their decision to forget all that God had done for them and forsake Him. The results of that decision would cause pain and sorrow for the nation of Judah just as it had caused sorrow in Israel. God, however, calls them back to Him. Return to Me, He says, and I will heal you. I will take away Your pain and restore You to the safety of My love. No matter how much I turn My back on God and how often I reject Him, He calls to me with an offer of healing and forgiveness.

The rest of chapter 3 are the words that God desired to hear from His people. Words, had they been spoken in sincerity, that would have lead to God's protection and the people being forgiven and restored. True repentance that would have allowed God to send away the armies coming from the north and have allowed Him to establish His people in peace and prosperity. In vain we can await salvation to come to us from any place other than the Lord. I can look to happiness in things or people. I can think that my spouse or a political figure or an athlete or movie star or a pastor or a musician or the wise janitor can teach me how to be the kind of person I want to be. I can think a special automobile or a fulfilling job or a secure home or the latest and greatest electronic gadget will make me the complete man I want to be. In truth, it is only God who can take my sinful heart and give me a new heart. It is only God who can take me away from my self assurance to see the reality of His truth and the needs I actually have. Judah looked to the hills and mountains where their idols were for their salvation. They reaped only heartache. Their shame devoured their labor and they lost everything that they held dear. Had they called out to the God of heaven instead of the gods of the high places, they would have been saved. Obedience to God was the answer to their supplications and their weepings. God was willing to heal them, and God is willing to heal me.

Lord,
Help me today to accept Your healing. Help me to trust in You and look to You for my salvation.