Give glory to the Lord of your God before He brings darkness and before your feet stumble on the dusky mountains, and while you are hoping for light He makes it into deep darkness, and it turns into gloom.
Jeremiah 13: 16
Jeremiah 13: 16
Usually, I have something specific I read during my morning quite time, but for the past several weeks I have just held my bible and said, “Ok God, open this to where you want me to read.” And every day it opened to or near Jeremiah 13.
Sadly, this was my reply to God’s answer: “Umm….I don’t feel like reading this.” And I proceeded to flip somewhere else, most times reading a short psalm, saying my usual prayer, and then leaving for work.
You know what I found out? My mood is almost completely dependent on how close I am to God.
After about two weeks of continuing in this routine, I was in a BAD mood. Grumpy and unhappy. By the end of the two weeks it was like I was thirsting to death. I was starving for God and His word. I needed to dwell in it, read it, and soak up God’s love and mercy.
So, I sat down and opened the bible. I ended up somewhere in Matthew. I felt so much better!
Finally, I decided to read Jeremiah 13. I mean, I had been opening to that spot for a while now. So, I read it.
“Well, you must have really needed those verses,” you say.
My response: “????....”
Next day, guess what it opens to? Jeremiah 14!
“Wow! God really wants to tell you something. You must have gotten something out of it….,” you say.
This time, my response is slightly more vocal: “What and why”?
In case you didn’t notice in the verse above, this is REALLY gloomy.
I should provide a backdrop. Before these verses, evidently Judah and Jerusalem had disobeyed God.
“I destroy the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This wicked people, who refuse to listen to My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts…let them be just like this waistband which is totally worthless.” Jeremiah 13: 9-10.
But these verses do remind me that it can be easy to forget how angry God gets about sin.
A lot of times as Christians we get wrapped up in the happy, flowery God that saves us and helps us with any problems we have.
And that’s true and amazing! But God hates sin, too. We tend to ignore or forget that God will not let sin go unpunished.
These verses have reminded me to be as aware my sin as I can and figure out what that sin is. Whether it’s pride, greed or jealousy, or the myriad of other sins it can possibly be.
These verses have reminded me that no matter what happens to give God the glory because He can take it all away in a snap.
Just because you don’t see God’s wrath or punishment, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. In one way or another, if we continue to dwell in our sin, God WILL punish us.
I am glad God had me read these verses. Truth be told, I have wanted to read Jeremiah for a long time, but for some reason or another I haven’t. I’m glad I did.
I have seen your abominations. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?
Jeremiah 13: 27
Sadly, this was my reply to God’s answer: “Umm….I don’t feel like reading this.” And I proceeded to flip somewhere else, most times reading a short psalm, saying my usual prayer, and then leaving for work.
You know what I found out? My mood is almost completely dependent on how close I am to God.
After about two weeks of continuing in this routine, I was in a BAD mood. Grumpy and unhappy. By the end of the two weeks it was like I was thirsting to death. I was starving for God and His word. I needed to dwell in it, read it, and soak up God’s love and mercy.
So, I sat down and opened the bible. I ended up somewhere in Matthew. I felt so much better!
Finally, I decided to read Jeremiah 13. I mean, I had been opening to that spot for a while now. So, I read it.
“Well, you must have really needed those verses,” you say.
My response: “????....”
Next day, guess what it opens to? Jeremiah 14!
“Wow! God really wants to tell you something. You must have gotten something out of it….,” you say.
This time, my response is slightly more vocal: “What and why”?
In case you didn’t notice in the verse above, this is REALLY gloomy.
I should provide a backdrop. Before these verses, evidently Judah and Jerusalem had disobeyed God.
“I destroy the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. This wicked people, who refuse to listen to My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts…let them be just like this waistband which is totally worthless.” Jeremiah 13: 9-10.
But these verses do remind me that it can be easy to forget how angry God gets about sin.
A lot of times as Christians we get wrapped up in the happy, flowery God that saves us and helps us with any problems we have.
And that’s true and amazing! But God hates sin, too. We tend to ignore or forget that God will not let sin go unpunished.
These verses have reminded me to be as aware my sin as I can and figure out what that sin is. Whether it’s pride, greed or jealousy, or the myriad of other sins it can possibly be.
These verses have reminded me that no matter what happens to give God the glory because He can take it all away in a snap.
Just because you don’t see God’s wrath or punishment, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. In one way or another, if we continue to dwell in our sin, God WILL punish us.
I am glad God had me read these verses. Truth be told, I have wanted to read Jeremiah for a long time, but for some reason or another I haven’t. I’m glad I did.
I have seen your abominations. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?
Jeremiah 13: 27
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