Jeremiah is a challenging book to read if you are looking to know God more accurately. It is much easier to learn about Him from what he is rejecting in this book…that is what we see here, a list of all the ways His people have pursued other gods. You get the sense that they were doing the right things, but directing it at the wrong thing…God desires that we pursue Him. Lord, help me to seek You in every moment of every day!
Even though Jeremiah is sharing about how the people’s failure is bringing on destruction and punishment, it is so obvious that God is still chasing after His people. There are several reminders in this chapter that God continues to pursue us, even when we are rejecting Him or actively worshipping other things.
Lord, help me to remind others that You are still seeking us, and help me not to blindly worship anything but You!
Lord, You have given us the instructions for a life of flourishing in peace and joy! Yet, so often we choose our own way which brings the fruit of our actions…the real consequences are chaos, fear and destruction. Sometimes they show up physically, but many times it is emotional or mental anguish. Lord, help me to follow You so that I am not forced to endure the suffering of my own making.
To fear Him is to know Him…both His desire for us and direction for us. Lord help me to know Your way and be motivated to follow You!
No matter how far we stray from God, he is always ready to receive us back into relationship…but we must desire it.
How incredible that God is ready to welcome us back after we spend so much time and energy rejecting Him. Yet he simply requires that we humbly admit our inability to obey and surrender our lives to Him. Surrender sounds easier than it actually is because that means rejecting our own attempts to succeed and confidently following His direction.
Lord, help my life to reflect this to those around me…I am far from doing this well!
The people of Israel were so short sighted and blind that they forgot about all the ways that God had freed them…instead they ran to brokenness and destruction that lead them back to slavery.
Lord, help me to flee from all things that bring slavery and run full speed into your arms, Your embrace that is FREEDOM!!!
