I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God. Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 31:18-20) 1/ The cause of Ephraim bemoaning himself - Only chastisement but no more than that. 2/ Ephraim's prayer arising from his concern - turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God. 3/ Prayer answered and the effect felt by Ephraim. (v19) 4/ The LORD's word concerning turned Ephraim. (v20) **Sermon summary:** The sermon centers on Jeremiah 31:18 –20, The passage unfolds a divine progression: from the painful awareness of rebellion under God's discipline, to a humble plea for divine turning, to the transformative effects of repentance, shame, and instruction, culminating in the sovereign promise of mercy. The preacher teaches that God's chastening, though grievous, is never arbitrary but rooted in covenant love, and that the ultimate assurance is not in human merit, but in God's unchanging mercy—revealed most fully in Christ, who bears the cost of sin and grants repentance and salvation. God's mercy is sure, not earned, but freely given to those who, like Ephraim, are brought to the end of themselves.