Jeremiah 21:1-2- The
LORD spoke through Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and
Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, to speak with him. They begged Jeremiah,
"Please ask the LORD to help us.
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has begun his attack on Judah.
Perhaps the LORD will be gracious and do a mighty miracle as he has done in the
past. Perhaps he will force Nebuchadnezzar to withdraw his armies."
King Zedekiah realized he did not have enough forces to
withstand an attack from King Nebuchadnezzar’s army…. so he sent his priests to ask Jeremiah to intercede
for them to God. He somehow expected God
to be gracious…and perform some miracle to protest and save them from
destruction.
Jeremiah was quick to relay God’s words of finality to them…that
because they had not decided to follow God’s ways…and turn back to him…God
would not help them this time. God was going
to let them make a choice….stay in the city and die from the effects of the war….or
give themselves up to the Chaldeans and live in captivity for a time.
It is a reminder to me to keep my relationship with God
growing ….to ask him for his help all the time…and not wait till I am in a mess
to call out his name. To never go back
to the time in my life that I left God behind….and went my own direction. I loved him….I knew who he was….but my visits
with him were surface at best….and many days apart. I waited….like the king….till
things were so bad I had to call out his name for help.
Here’s the thing that is so cool about God. He did help me….he took me back with open
arms as soon as I confessed that I had messed up…and promised to try harder to
keep him first in my life. All the consequences
of my self-made problem did not disappear…but God is helping me to work through
all of them and turn them into new strengths in my character.
God gives each of us a choice every day. To live the way the Bible guides us….to come
and meet with him in prayer and study more than once a day. To call on him for every choice we have to
make and stay in his will…..OR risk stepping out on our own and making another
mess of things.
Father…thank you for the reminder that I need you all the
time…not just when things get really bad. Forgive me for all the times that I
have left you out of my life…and gone my own selfish way. Help me to find new ways to talk with you
throughout my day…and keep your thoughts in the front of my brain…so I will
make more of the right choices that will keep me in your will. Show me how to
strengthen my relationship to you so that you become a part of everything that
I do. Amen.
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