“There’s no place like home.” Dorothy’s famous line at the end of The Wizard of Oz resonates with all of us. Home is a special and unique place, unmatched by any other location. Bing Crosby’s song, I’ll Be Home For Christmas, was written to honor soldiers overseas who longed to be home at the holidays. But sometimes the obstacles to coming home are more complicated than the basic challenges of distance, transportation, or military deployment. In Jeremiah 3, people are far from home because of a broken relationship. Their own sin has caused the separation, yet three times God graciously invites them to come back home. “Return, faithless Israel… Return, O faithless children… Return, O faithless sons” (v 12, 14, 22). Even if you have been unfaithful to God, like a cheating wife or a prodigal son, God loves you and wants you to come back home. That’s the message of this chapter. But first we may need to realize just how far away from home we really are. Continuing the analogy from last chapter, God’s people have broken their marriage vows, looking for love in all the wrong places. Protecting the dignity of women and the sanctity of marriage, Scripture does not allow a man to dismiss his wife and then simply have her back again when the next man is finished with her (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). So how can God move back in with His people when they have been living as a prostitute with many lovers? (v 1). Even after the people of God divided into two kingdoms—Israel in the north and Judah in the south— they were still sisters. So when Israel was carried off by the Assyrians because of their unfaithfulness to God (an event God refers to as giving Israel “her certificate of divorce” and sending her away), Judah should have learned from her sister’s mistakes. But sadly, apostasy ran in the family. She too shamelessly continued in her spiritual adultery (v 2-11). Still, in His sovereign grace, God was ready to welcome them home. He urges them to take the road of repentance, confessing their sins and returning to Him with undivided hearts. And He promises to guide their way through the teaching ministry of faithful pastors who are devoted to His Word (v 12-15). When we wander from home, God not only feels like a rejected husband but also a disappointed father. Sin makes our lives bitter, and He grieves. So how will we respond to His invitation? The best answer is to say, “Behold, we come to You, for You are the LORD our God.” We don’t have to click our heels three times, and we don’t have to wait for Christmas. Right now, we can turn to our God in genuine repentance. We have left Him, but He loves us still (v 16-25). For further meditation: