R.S.V.P.

“‘Return, faithless Israel,
declares the Lord.
I will not look on you in anger,
    for I am merciful..;
I will not be angry forever.
Only acknowledge your guilt,
    that you rebelled against the Lord your God
and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree,
    and that you have not obeyed my voice,
declares the Lord.
Return, O faithless children,
declares the Lord;
    for I am your master;
I will take you, one from a city and two from a family,
    and I will bring you to Zion.

“If you return, O Israel,
declares the Lord,
    to me you should return.
If you remove your detestable things from my presence,
    and do not waver,
and if you swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’
    in truth, in justice, and in righteousness,
then nations shall bless themselves in him,
    and in him shall they glory.”

“Break up your fallow ground,
    and sow not among thorns.
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord;
    remove the foreskin of your hearts,
    O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem;
lest my wrath go forth like fire,
    and burn with none to quench it,
    because of the evil of your deeds…

“O Jerusalem, wash your heart from evil,
    that you may be saved.
How long shall your wicked thoughts
    lodge within you?” Jeremiah 3:12-14; 4:1-4,14

The merciful Lord extends invitation after invitation to His fickle, faithless people. Open-armed, clear, but never pushy, He offers, “Répondez, s’il vous plaît,” “respond if you please.” He holds anger and mercy, judgment and forgiveness, wrath and salvation. He has given Himself on our behalf so we can give ourselves to Him. O, He cries, return, wash, be saved!

But so often the rebel heart is not pleased to respond. We have scattered our favors, leaving nothing for pure devotion. We hold on to detestable things like prurient entertainment, greed, and resentments. We put off tending our fallow hearts because we’re too busy cultivating materialism, gossip, or self-interest. We neglect responding because we are not ready to give up the fleeting pleasures of sin, and foolishly think we’ll have time later. (Matthew 25:1-12; Hebrews 11:24-25)

Where have we given space for wicked thoughts to lodge? How often are we yielding space to shame, superiority, bitterness, pride? What causes divided attention and scattered affections? Do we make mild efforts to adjust our priorities and ‘improve’ behavior, but never acknowledge our guilt to God Himself? (Psalm 86:11)

When will we wake up and take seriously the condition of our spiritual lives, and return in full to the Lord? Do we need to filter our input, change habits, put away foreign gods? How will we respond to the Lord’s beckoning love? (Zechariah 1:3; Malachi 3:7)

Ah, what freedom we eschew when we fail to R.S.V.P to Him! What joys we miss when we ignore (and thus regret) His invitation to return! Faithless can become faithful, the wanderer settled, the guilty clean! The empty glories of this world can be replaced by the substantial glory of God! Why, O why, do we put Him off?

“‘Yet even now,’ declares the Lord,
    ‘return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, weeping, and mourning;
    rend your hearts and not your garments.’
Return to the Lord your God,
    for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” Joel 2:12-13

Lord, keep me willing to respond in full to Your every call.