PASSAGE: Jeremiah 1:1-3:5
KEY VERSES:
“My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
...
Have you not just called to me:
‘My Father, my friend from my youth,
will you always be angry?
Will your wrath continue forever?’
This is how you talk,
but you do all the evil you can.
REFLECTION:
I am reading the Word of the Lord against Israel as given to Jeremiah. As I read, I am looking for insight into WHO God is (His unchanging character) and looking for application to my own life.
As we read this passage, we may say to ourselves "I don't bow down to a wooden image as a god" how does this apply to me. Right here in this specific Word to Israel, God addresses that attitude, warning them that they deny their sin and are without shame. In our modern culture we have different "gods" different things that drive our passions and that we spend our resources and time on, turning our passions away from our God who has given so much. In our own culture we have turned our focus from looking to God as our provider for the essentials of life, and instead rely upon our own limited ways of provision.
In this scripture, the people of Israel had become so accustomed to their idolatrous way of living, that they lived in a numb state of shameless self denial. They cry out to God, getting mad at the Good Father and Provider, for their sufferings and for what seems like a slow response (or no response) from God. When the reality was that they were simply reaping what they have sowed. God replied essentially saying, "I will not bless your sin; you have run wild and turned your back on Me"(paraphrased) He said, "Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you."(v19). God judges saying "I bring charges against you"(v9) and "Have you not brought this on yourselves by forsaking the Lord your God when he led you in the way?"(v17) Now let's hold our horses before we go feeling put upon. God is just and righteous and when He says "I bring charges against you" it is to bring repentance for what they (we) have done, not because He is some mean bully in Heaven. God loves us and wants what is best for us. God lead us in the "way". God is not just randomly making our lives difficult and refusing to answer. God is answering. He is pointing out where we have turned from the way He was leading us in. His judgement is shining a light to dispel the numb denial of our own wrongdoing so that it can be dealt with. Although it is not here in this specific passage, I am reminded that it is God's love that initiates the action of drawing us to repentance, so that we can be redeemed and restored to righteousness (His not ours).
SUMMARY OF APPLICATION:
- Who God is -
God is the provider of the best of things. He blesses us.
God leads us.
God sees us, sees all, even the "hidden" things.
God is judge.
God will not reward sin.
God is doing something, even when our perspective is that He is not.
God is concerned with our well being, even when in our limited perspective we think He is angry and mean.
- Application for today -
I have asked God to let the light of His Word search me and reveal to me, my sins. Where have my wandering passions, created a perversion that has led to wickedness? What part of my difficulties are due to natural results of my own ungodly choices, and due to the choices from a divided "idolatrous" and "adulterous" heart.
The main take away for me:
Idols ... what things am I passionately pursuing that cause me to turn my passions from God and the way He is leading me in.
Lusts... what areas of my life am I driven by my own passionate "lusts" (the temporary pleasures that take priority over the eternal or righteous priorities).
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I invite you to have the Holy Spirit come and shine a light into my heart, my mind, and life.
- - -
I confess that there are many idols in my culture that I have run after all the while trying to serve both You and them. This is not okay. Forgive me. Redeem my heart. Lord I cannot harness myself and live rightly on my own, but I choose today (in this moment) to diligently seek You, and follow Jesus, and to abide in and keep in step with Your Spirit.
I also confess that I am like the wild she-camel spoken of in this passage, that runs wildly and chaotically after her own selfish short sighted passions. I look to You, my Good God. I look at all the ways you have abundantly loved me. I let that love fill my heart and draw my passions to a place of awe and wonder, a place where my lusts are cast down and are taken captive by Christ. I choose these things, and I choose to take action in accordance with my words. I know apart from You can NOT do it. So I seek you Jesus and I seek you Holy Spirit to abide in me, and I thank you Father because I know that it is You who wills it in me and empowers me.
My flesh and heart ... do fail me time and again
But YOU GOD hold me by your right hand of authority
You guide and lead in the way everlasting.
You are my strength
You are my portion (my provision).
I choose to be close to You.
I choose to make you my refuge
for you are a strong refuge.
Thank you Father for loving us prodigals who are so prone to wander. I humbly kiss your hand, and I am amazed by the embrace of Your love and wealth of Your Goodness.
I fix my focus on You and apply diligence to pay attention to the way of righteousness you are leading me in.
All praise goes to You Lord. You are Mighty! You are Just! You are my leader, my trail blazer, my Master. You are the lover of my soul. Your strength is my refuge. Thank you for salvation. Thank you for redemption today. Thank you for the light of Your Word. Thank you for being You. (AKA: You are Holy and there is no other.)
Keep me in Your Love.
Keep me in Your Way.
AMEN
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Note: Please forgive the poor grammar. I know the verb tenses are inconsistently varied and the voice switches back and forth from we to me. Perhaps I will find time to edit and rewrite this at a later time.
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