Jeremiah 5:23-25 - "But my people have stubborn and
rebellious hearts. They have turned against me and have chosen to practice
idolatry. They do not say from the heart, 'Let us live in awe of the LORD our
God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of plentiful
harvests.' Your wickedness has deprived
you of these wonderful blessings. Your sin has robbed you of all these good
things."
Jeremiah had the privilege of speaking the very heart of God
to his people. The words did not sugar
coat God feelings…they were meant to pierce the hard heart of those that had
forgotten all that God had done for them. These words were meant to melt the
coldness that had given them the idea in the first place that they could ever
exist without a relationship with their maker.
He might as well have been sitting at the anchor desk of ABC…NBC…or
Fox news when these words were recorded.
They pack truth and wisdom for anyone who has ever known God and lost their
way. They remind us of Romans 3:10-12, and 23…”As
the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no
one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does
good, not a single one.” ... For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of
God’s glorious standard.”
God’s standard is set high…and is only attainable through careful
examination of the sin in our lives that has held us back from experiencing his
wonderful love. We have to identify the sin…tell Jesus we are sorry we
committed it…and ask his forgiveness.
Then he allows us to lay it at the feet of the cross he died on to make
a way for all of us to know his heart…a heart of agape love that never runs dry
of sources.
It might be a bit painful….and you will probably cry tears. They will be a mixture of regret…guilt….and
awe of the God that sent his only son to die for all of us. The most wonderful
thing is that those tears will wash that sin right out of your lives and give
you a new strength…a new courage…a new passion to love others around us the way
God loves us. They sharpen all of your senses….not just your vision…and help
you see the splendor of God so much more clearly.
I was reminded of my many sins the last 3 three days on an amazing
journey to Emmaus with 44 women. There were more than 27 others that helped to
guide their trip through a refresher course in just how much God loves us all.
We all left what felt like a utopia…where God had placed a protective shell of love
around the camp that fed our minds and bodies and soul last night…and will wake
this morning inside the piece of the world where he placed each of us on Earth.
We will get to practice saying…. “ God…help me to always….always know that you
are with me…that you can strengthen me to show your love every minute of every
day” ….relying only on God…his son…and the Holy Spirit to shield us from ever
falling away from him again.
Father….I thank you for the honor of traveling with these wonderful
ladies this weekend as you helped them see you fresh and beautiful…full of love
and mercy and strength. I stand in a new
sense of complete awe of the splendor of your presence this morning. I ask your
covering over any attack of satan as long as you can provide it. Provide for all of us a daily time to retreat
into those memories and find your strength and your eyes…and your heart to work
through the mess we returned to today. Show us how to navigate the pathway out
with your love…and your mercy…so the light we shine as we exit the mess will
draw others out of their mess too. Amen.
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