(Jeremiah 2:1-37)
Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“I remember regarding you the devotion of your youth,Your love when you were a bride,
Your following after Me in the wilderness,
Through a land not sown.
3 Israel was holy to the Lord,
The first of His harvest.
All who ate of it became guilty;
Evil came upon them,” declares the Lord.’”
4 Hear the word of the Lord, house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 This is what the Lord says:
“What injustice did your fathers find in Me,
That they went far from Me,
And walked after emptiness and became empty?
6 They did not say, ‘Where is the Lord
Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
Who led us through the wilderness,
Through a land of deserts and of pits,
Through a land of drought and of deep darkness,
Through a land that no one crossed
And where no person lived?’
7 I brought you into the fruitful land
To eat its fruit and its good things.
But you came and defiled My land,
And you made My inheritance an abomination.
8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
And those who handle the Law did not know Me;
The rulers also revolted against Me,
And the prophets prophesied by Baal
And walked after things that were of no benefit.
9 “Therefore I will still contend with you,” declares the Lord,
“And I will contend with your sons’ sons.
10 For cross to the coastlands of Kittim and see,
And send to Kedar and observe closely,
And see if there has been anything like this!
11 Has a nation changed gods,
When they were not gods?
But My people have exchanged their glory
For that which is of no benefit.
12 Be appalled at this, you heavens,
And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the Lord.
13 “For My people have committed two evils:
They have abandoned Me,
The fountain of living waters,
To carve out for themselves cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That do not hold water.
14 “Is Israel a slave? Or is he a servant born in the home?
Why has he become plunder?
15 The young lions have roared at him,
They have roared loudly.
And they have made his land a waste;
His cities have been destroyed, without inhabitant.
16 Also the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes
Have shaved your head.
17 Have you not done this to yourself
By your abandoning the Lord your God
When He led you in the way?
18 But now what are you doing on the road to Egypt,
Except to drink the waters of the Nile?
Or what are you doing on the road to Assyria,
Except to drink the waters of the Euphrates River?
19 Your own wickedness will correct you,
And your apostasies will punish you;
Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter
For you to abandon the Lord your God,
And the fear of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord God of armies.
20 “For long ago I broke your yoke
And tore off your restraints;
But you said, ‘I will not serve!’
For on every high hill
And under every leafy tree
You have lain down as a prostitute.
21 Yet I planted you as a choice vine,
A completely faithful seed.
How then have you turned yourself before Me
Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?
22 Although you wash yourself with lye
And use much soap,
The stain of your guilt is before Me,” declares the Lord God.
23 “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled,
I have not gone after the Baals’?
Look at your way in the valley!
Know what you have done!
You are a swift young camel running about senselessly on her ways,
24 A wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness,
That sniffs the wind in her passion.
Who can turn her away in her mating season?
None who seek her will grow weary;
In her month they will find her.
25 Keep your feet from being bare,
And your throat from thirst;
But you said, ‘It is hopeless!
No! For I have loved strangers,
And I will walk after them.’
26 “Like the shame of a thief when he is discovered,
So the house of Israel is shamed;
They, their kings, their leaders,
Their priests, and their prophets,
27 Who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’
And to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’
For they have turned their backs to Me,
And not their faces;
But in the time of their trouble they will say,
‘Arise and save us!’
28 But where are your gods
Which you made for yourself?
Let them arise, if they can save you
In the time of your trouble!
For as many as the number of your cities
Are your gods, Judah.
29 “Why do you contend with Me?
You have all revolted against Me,” declares the Lord.
30 “In vain I have struck your sons;
They did not accept discipline.
Your sword has devoured your prophets
Like a destroying lion.
31 You generation, look to the word of the Lord.
Have I been a wilderness to Israel,
Or a land of thick darkness?
Why do My people say, ‘We are free to roam;
We will no longer come to You’?
32 Can a virgin forget her jewelry,
Or a bride her attire?
Yet My people have forgotten Me
For days without number.
33 How well you prepare your way
To seek love!
Therefore even to the wicked women
You have taught your ways.
34 Also on your skirts is found
The lifeblood of the innocent poor;
You did not find them breaking in.
But in spite of all these things,
35 You said, ‘I am innocent;
Surely His anger is turned away from me.’
Behold, I will enter into judgment with you
Because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’
36 Why do you go around so much
Changing your way?
Also, you will be put to shame by Egypt,
Just as you were put to shame by Assyria.
37 From this place as well you will go out
With your hands on your head;
For the Lord has rejected those in whom you trust,
And you will not prosper with them.”
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
How steadfast we are in our walk with the Lord, will indicate how faithful we will be in our friendships and in our marriage. If we are good friends with the Lord, we will be good friends with others. I can look back and see how this is true. These are some of the circumstances when I found myself seeking out the wrong friendships, as well as not being a good friend, to others, to my parents, to myself, or to the Lord:
- when I struggled with doubts in my relationship with the Lord, and chose to have an uncaring, rebellious attitude, instead of seeking out God's truth
- when I struggled with pride and took the Lord for granted, and chose to do things in my strength and wisdom, instead of seeking out God's strength and wisdom
- when I struggled with trusting the Lord in all things, and chose to isolate myself and have a big 'ol pity party, instead of reaching out for God's help
- when I struggled with being discontent, wondering what I might be missing out on, and chose to step off the path here and there, instead of focusing on all the blessings that comes with having a close relationship with the Lord.
Most definitely, the Lord kept me safe from myself. Interestingly enough, even when I was young, I thought to pray and ask the Lord to "please protect me from myself!" I had also decided, and was very determined NOT to date until I was an adult. Once I was an adult, and decided to go to college, I was determined not to date in order to stay focused on my studies! After that, I realized that it would not be wise to date anyone because I still needed to figure out what God wanted me to do with my life and where that would take me.
Once my direction was fairly clear, and I realized the joy in growing closer to the Lord in a personal relationship, it was then that I started becoming a better friend, and seeking out better friendships, and started asking God to send me a man who would make a good husband for me. There were absolutely a few tests along the way, though. It was important not to allow my feelings to drive my decisions. I kept in mind that I needed to make a decision using my head, even deciding to love someone using my will, and then... enjoying the relationship with my heart.
God answered my prayer in sending me just the right man - for me! He was equally determined to pursue and live in God's will and serve Him, only. And then real life happens. Like verse 2 implies, the newness of a relationship will wear off, and then what? And it's not that we need to figure out ways to refresh the newness, it is really all about being content and moving forward! Just like verses 5 and 11 imply, it is far too easy to start inventing and seeing "bad things" in something good, just to justify one's desires to pursue something bad. It's so important to focus on what is good and what is true.
Once we are married, we are one flesh, and we are teammates. It is not about what we can get out of a relationship, but we can put into a relationship to help build it up. Love is a verb, and it is a constant decision to apply this sacrificial, unconditional love, to selflessly serve one another.
In summary - the most important aspect of all relationships - is that we embrace, nurture and grow in our personal relationship with the Lord! When we ask the Lord to help us with everything, even the mundane tasks of life, we bring "the glory" into the mundane. So, when we are content in the Lord, we can realize how much He completes us, He is the one who fulfills us, and He is the one who brings real joy into our lives!
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