Drawn By Lovingkindness

“Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt…” – Jeremiah 31:3-4

These words come from what scholars call the Book of Consolation—Jeremiah 30–33. Israel had been torn from their land and placed under Babylonian bondage, just as Jeremiah had warned. Now humbled, broken, and stripped of self‑reliance, their hearts were finally ready to listen. And in this moment of deep discipline, God calls them “virgin” again. Once He called them harlots for chasing other gods, but now He names them pure. Only God can take what has been stained and make it spotless again. Only He can rebuild what sin has shattered.

Restoration has always been God’s plan. Every one of us is born into sin (Romans 3:23; 5:12), and every one of us needs rebuilding. Levi—also known as Matthew—knew this well. He sat in his tax office, cheating his own people, applauded by the world but condemned by his conscience. He had built a life of wealth, status, and success, yet his soul was empty. Everything he trusted in collapsed under the weight of conviction. And right at that moment, Jesus walked into his office and into his life. With one sentence—“Follow Me”—Jesus restored what Levi could never fix on his own.

Maybe you feel like Israel in exile or Levi at his desk—successful on the outside but crumbling on the inside. Maybe you’ve wandered, drifted, or built a life that looks strong but feels hollow. The same God who drew Israel with lovingkindness and rebuilt them is calling you today. The same Jesus who restored Levi is inviting you home. He is saying, “It’s time to come back. It’s time to be rebuilt.”

Is your life in need of restoration? Are you applauded by the world but empty in your soul? Jesus is drawing you with lovingkindness. He is ready to rebuild what has been broken and restore what has been lost. Like Levi, all you need to do is rise, leave the old life behind, and follow Him. It is time to come home.

“The restoration of the Church is the work of God alone, for He alone can renew what sin has corrupted.” – John Calvin