We are reading in Jeremiah today. Let’s read Jeremiah 2:23-37, Jeremiah 3, 4, and Jeremiah 5:1-19. God is so kind, and I’m reminded of that over and over again, every day.
In chapter 2, what stood out to me was that God said FIRST: “I remember you” before recounting their history. He was saying, “I know who you really are, even though your behavior reflects differently – I remember YOU.”
“I remember you,
The kindness of your youth,
The love of your betrothal,
When you went after Me in the wilderness,
In a land not sown.
Israel was holiness to the Lord” (Jeremiah 2:2, 3 NKJV)
Further on down, 2:19 God tells them that their own wickedness and backsliding corrected them.
” ‘Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your backslidings will rebuke you.
Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitterthing
That you have forsaken the Lord your God,
And the fear of Me is not in you,’
Says the Lord God of hosts” (Jeremiah 2:19 NKJV)
Wouldn’t it be better to be corrected by the Lord than by our consequences? Israel chose to rebel and reject relationship with God, bypassing the benefits of correction and teaching from Him. God is not harsh – people CHOOSE to learn from consequences rather than relationship.
Let’s choose relationship with our Heavenly Father!
Mrs Jennifer mentioned earlier that people look at the GOD of the old testiment as harsh even though it’s the same GOD of today. That’s because when our Lord says it’s time to come clean and come to me and we do not he grabs our attention, wakes us up. That’s when we label him as harsh. In Jeremiah 4:30 he asks what are you doing putting on nice clothes and makeup. Good question since he just said he released a lion ( I imagine metaphorically) to come and visit you. My take-a-way, don’t put on a mask when destruction is upon you. Come to our Lord for mercy.
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