“Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us, for all this remnant—because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us— that the Lord your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do....Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the Lord your God sends you to us. Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.” - Jeremiah 42:2-3,5-6
What the people wanted was for God to bless their choices - even if the devotion of their hearts was actually divided between the Lord and the world. They were not sincere when they told Jeremiah that whether they liked what the Lord said or not, they would obey His word. That was not true.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. - Proverbs 3:5-8
Those verses I quote a lot. The reason is that they are woven into the fabric of every book and verse in the Bible. Trust God and not yourself. No matter what. Our new life in Christ is a life of faith which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. As is Matthew 22:37-40
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
The entire bible "hangs" or is hinged on those verses. The problem? We don't love God with all our heart, soul and mind. Often times our devotion is a function of whether the Lord does what we want Him to do. Rather than us serving Him - we expect Him to serve us. Paul wrote that ....
men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. - 2 Timothy 3:2-5
Since they have a form of godliness, when confronted with the Truth, they will deny they do not love God. Yet their lives will prove out the truth. Just like the Jews Jeremiah was dealing with.
So how is it with you and the Lord? Where is your trust? In Him or in yourself? I don't want you to tell me - I hope you will sort it out with the Lord.
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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