relationships (Jeremiah 17:1-27) Thriving in Love

(Jeremiah 17:1-27) 

1   The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus;
     With a diamond point it is engraved on the tablet of their hearts 
     And on the horns of their altars,
2   As they remember their children,
     So they remember their altars and their Asherim 
     By green trees on the high hills.
3   Mountain of Mine in the countryside,
     I will turn over your wealth and all your treasures as plunder,
     Your high places for sin throughout your borders.
4   And you will, even of yourself, let go of your inheritance
     That I gave you;
     And I will make you serve your enemies 
     In the land which you do not know;
     For you have kindled a fire in My anger 
     Which will burn forever.

5   This is what the Lord says:
     “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind 
     And makes flesh his strength,
     And whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6   For he will be like a bush in the desert,
     And will not see when prosperity comes,
     But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,
     A land of salt that is not inhabited.
7   Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
     And whose trust is the Lord.
8   For he will be like a tree planted by the water 
     That extends its roots by a stream,
     And does not fear when the heat comes;
     But its leaves will be green,
     And it will not be anxious in a year of drought,
     Nor cease to yield fruit.

9   “The heart is more deceitful than all else 
     And is desperately sick;
     Who can understand it?
10 I, the Lord, search the heart,
     I test the mind,
     To give to each person according to his ways,
     According to the results of his deeds.
11 As a partridge that hatches eggs which it has not laid,
     So is a person who makes a fortune, but unjustly;
     In the middle of his days it will abandon him,
     And in the end he will be a fool.”

12 A glorious throne on high from the beginning
     Is the place of our sanctuary.
13 Lord, the hope of Israel,
     All who abandon You will be put to shame.
     Those who turn away on earth will be written down,
     Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, that is the Lord.
14 Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;
     Save me and I will be saved,
     For You are my praise.
15 Look, they keep saying to me,
     “Where is the word of the Lord?
     Let it come now!”
16 But as for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd following after You,
     Nor have I longed for the disastrous day;
     You Yourself know that the utterance of my lips 
     Was in Your presence.
17 Do not be a terror to me;
     You are my refuge in a day of disaster.
18 Let those who persecute me be put to shame, but as for me, let me not be put to shame;
     Let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed.
     Bring on them a day of disaster,
     And crush them with double destruction!

19 This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand at the public gate, through which the kings of Judah come in and go out, as well as at all the gates of Jerusalem; 20 and say to them, ‘Listen to the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all inhabitants of Jerusalem who come in through these gates. 21 This is what the Lord says: “Take care for yourselves, and do not carry any load on the Sabbath day or bring anything in through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 You shall not bring a load out of your houses on the Sabbath day nor do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, just as I commanded your forefathers. 23 Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks so as not to listen or accept discipline.

24 “But it will come about, if you give your attention to Me,” declares the Lord, “to bring no load in through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but to keep the Sabbath day holy by doing no work on it, 25 then there will come in through the gates of this city kings and officials sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever. 26 They will come in from the cities of Judah and from the areas surrounding Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the lowland, from the hill country, and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings, sacrifices, grain offerings, and frankincense, and bringing sacrifices of thanksgiving to the house of the Lord. 27 But if you do not listen to Me, to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying a load and coming in through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will set fire to its gates, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem and not go out.”’”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

It is all about the condition of our hearts!  Therefore, it's all about "who we know" and who (or what) we put our trust in!  As we are all born with a sinful nature, our hearts are deceptive.  We might not be going around trying to deceive others, but we most certainly deceive ourselves.  The biggest deception is telling ourselves that we do not need God in our lives!  But, only the Lord is able to look into our hearts and judge our hearts.  Only the Lord is able to forgive and heal our hearts, and change us from the inside out.  And it is only the Lord who can "complete us", fill us, satisfy us, in a close, personal relationship that is eternally faithful!

To help us in our walk with Him, God has given us His word (the Bible), to clearly show us His way.  There are actually not that many "rules" to follow, and all of His instructions will lead us into the best and most fulfilling life possible.  But following the rules in our strength is not enough.  That is why the Lord also gives us His indwelling Holy Spirit of promise, to seal our hearts for eternity, and to help us and guide us, and convict our hearts in the way that that is best for us.  Because it is a relationship, He doesn't ever force us to obey.  But just like with a best friend or a loving spouse, we should desire to do the things that please the Lord.

Very simply put, to place God first in our lives will protect us from being deceived into going down the wrong paths.  God's way is right, while all others are wrong.  We are to keep the Sabbath holy... which is to set aside one day a week where we focus on the Lord without distractions, and just enjoy, refocus, and be re-energized!  As for tithing!!!  Well, God wants to bless us when we trust Him with everything, and that includes our finances.

Verse 11 talks about the person who protects whatever riches they acquire here on earth as if they are his own... only to lose it all, eventually.  But before we deceive ourselves into thinking that this isn't fair, we need to consider what is the truth.  For one thing, the Lord has created all things!  Therefore, all things are His!  Interesting, yes?  Now let's look at the truth another way...

The Lord has given us everything, and only asks for ten percent back (at the very least).  Our choice.  But it is when we actually trust Him, and give Him our tithes, and offerings (which are over and above the tithing), that He does bless us.  One of my friends told me that before they started tithing, they were always short on money, but afterwards, they had more than enough, even though their income never changed.  How does THAT work???  Well, God is amazing, as well as faithful!!!

Consider how a man proposes to a woman.  He asks her to marry him, to trust him that he will be devoted to her his entire life, and gives her a ring... He gives her a ring before she has even married him, because he is trusting that she will return that same love and devotion.  Just so, in giving to the Lord our love, devotion, time, energy and finances... we are demonstrating our trust in Him that He will continue to return His love and devotion.  Of course, THE LORD will!!!  Even when we falter.

Now consider how the Lord came to earth in flesh, to suffer and die for all sins, in order to provide a way for us to have a relationship with Him!!!  And He holds out His hand to all people, inviting them to enjoy this most precious relationship.  He did this and does this - whether people accept Him or reject Him.  And for those who accept Him into their lives, He is faithful, and causes us to flourish, because, after all, He is the fountain of living water, and He wants to bless and reward us for things done in His strength and to His glory.  It is only in a personal relationship with Him that we will truly thrive!!!

So, while God loves all people, those who reject Him will still die, but those who go to Him for salvation and a true relationship will live and thrive.

relationships (Jeremiah 16:1-21) Strength & Peace vs Stubbornness & Selfishness

(Jeremiah 16:1-21) 

The word of the Lord also came to me, saying, 2 “You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place.” 3 For this is what the Lord says concerning the sons and daughters born in this place, and concerning their mothers who give birth to them, and their fathers who father them in this land: 4 “They will die of deadly diseases, they will not be mourned or buried; they will be like dung on the surface of the ground. And they will perish by sword and famine, and their dead bodies will become food for the birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth.”

5 For this is what the Lord says: “Do not enter a house of mourning, or go to mourn or to console them; for I have withdrawn My peace from this people,” declares the Lord, “and My favor and compassion. 6 Both great people and small will die in this land; they will not be buried, people will not mourn for them, nor will anyone make cuts on himself or have his head shaved for them. 7 People will not break bread in mourning for them, to comfort anyone for the dead, nor give them a cup of consolation to drink for anyone’s father or mother. 8 Moreover, you shall not go into a house of feasting to sit with them to eat and drink.” 9 For this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: “Behold, I am going to eliminate from this place, before your eyes and in your time, the voice of rejoicing and the voice of joy, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride.

10 “Now it will happen that, when you tell this people all these words, they will say to you, ‘For what reason has the Lord declared all this great disaster against us? And what is our wrongdoing, or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’ 11 Then you are to say to them, ‘It is because your forefathers have abandoned Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and have followed other gods, and served and worshiped them; but they have abandoned Me and have not kept My Law. 12 You too have done evil, even more than your forefathers; for behold, each one of you is following the stubbornness of his own evil heart, without listening to Me. 13 So I will hurl you off this land to the land which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers; and there you will serve other gods day and night, because I will show you no compassion.’

14 “Therefore behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ 15 but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.

16 “Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will fish for them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks. 17 For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their wrongdoing concealed from My eyes. 18 I will first repay them double for their wrongdoing and their sin, because they have defiled My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and their abominations.”

19 Lord, my strength and my stronghold,
     And my refuge in the day of distress,
     To You the nations will come 
     From the ends of the earth and say,
     “Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood,
     Futility, and things of no benefit.”
20 Can a person make gods for himself?
     But they are not gods!

21 “Therefore behold, I am going to make them know—
     This time I will make them know 
     My power and My might;
     And they will know that My name is the Lord.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

When a person doesn't get their way, a typical response can be, "What have I ever done to deserve this?"  Or when a parent has passed away and there's the reading of the will, a typical response can be, "That's it?  That's all I get?"  Or when someone makes a bad investment and loses money, a typical response in attempts to recover can be to invest in more of the same.  And through it all, most people will somehow blame God for the consequences of their own actions!

The questions we need to ask ourselves is:  Am I going in the right direction?  Am I wanting the right things?  Am I investing wisely (whether that be with money, time, energy or relationships)?  Am I aligning myself with the right people?  Have I done anything wrong that needs to be changed and/or resolved?  

These questions can also be asked regarding who we are dating and marrying.  Jeremiah was told not to marry anyone from that land, because they were all unbelievers.  God has told us that if we are believers, we should marry another believer, so that in this union, both are going in the same direction, and both are seeking the joy of the Lord.  Otherwise, it is better to be single and happy, than married and unhappy.  Yet people tend to fall into the same traps, over and over again, and wonder why.  

Often, we mistaken stubbornness for strength, because we are holding firm to what we want, whether it is right or wrong.  In the same way, we mistaken selfishness for peace, because we feel temporary satisfaction whenever we get our way, whether it is right or wrong.  Well, in God's equation, when we are seeking His way, we can be completely confident in knowing that His way is the right way.  And in His way, He wants to help us do that.  That involves asking and accepting Him to do it FOR us.  In that, He strengthens us!  God's strength is more powerful than all strengths put together.  Also, as we do it God's way, we receive His peace, which is true inner peace, because we know that God's got this, and He will work it out for good.

Meanwhile...

God's perfect answers are:  search our hearts and confess any sin that might be there, because sin not only brings consequences to our lives, but sin also impedes our prayers, AND disrupts our own relationship with the Lord.  We should continue to put our hope and complete trust in the Lord and in Him alone, because only He is eternal, almighty, and all-knowing.  He will be our strength, stronghold and refuge.  

When we invest in the building up of the Lord's kingdom, we will lay up treasures in heaven.  And while here on earth, we can know that only God's truth will direct us in the right way we should go, to have a fulfilling purpose and the best life possible.  And we will know that only the Lord can fulfill, satisfy and make us complete, to bring true peace, joy and contentment to our lives!

relationships (Jeremiah 15:1-21) Companionship vs Alienation

(Jeremiah 15:1-21) 

Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before Me, My heart would not be with this people. Send them away from My presence and have them go! 2 And it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:

     “Those destined for death, to death;
     And those destined for the sword, to the sword;
     And those destined for famine, to famine;
     And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’

3 And I will appoint over them four kinds of doom,” declares the Lord: “the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, and the birds of the sky and the animals of the earth to devour and destroy. 4 I will make them an object of terror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

5   “Indeed, who will have pity on you, Jerusalem,
     Or who will mourn for you,
     Or who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?
6   You who have forsaken Me,” declares the Lord,
     “You keep going backward.
     So I will stretch out My hand against you and destroy you;
     I am tired of relenting!
7   I will winnow them with a winnowing fork 
     At the gates of the land;
     I will bereave them of children, I will destroy My people;
     They did not repent of their ways.
8   Their widows will be more numerous before Me
     Than the sand of the seas;
     I will bring against them, against the mother of a young man,
     A destroyer at noon;
     I will suddenly bring down on her 
     Shock and horror.
9   She who gave birth to seven sons withers away;
     Her breathing is labored.
     Her sun has set while it was still day;
     She has been shamed and humiliated.
     So I will turn over their survivors to the sword 
     Before their enemies,” declares the Lord.

10 Woe to me, my mother, that you have given birth to me 
     As a man of strife and a man of contention to all the land!
     I have not lent, nor have people lent money to me,
     Yet everyone curses me.
11 The Lord said, “I will certainly set you free for purposes of good;
     I will certainly make the enemy plead with you
     In a time of disaster and a time of distress.

12 “Can anyone smash iron,
     Iron from the north, or bronze?
13 I will give your wealth and your treasures 
     As plunder without cost,
     For all your sins 
     And within all your borders.
14 Then I will make your enemies bring your possessions 
     Into a land that you do not know;
     For a fire has been kindled in My anger,
     And it will burn upon you.”

15 You know, Lord;
     Remember me, take notice of me,
     And take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
     Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away;
     Know that for Your sake I endure reproach.
16 Your words were found and I ate them,
     And Your words became a joy to me and the delight of my heart;
     For I have been called by Your name,
     Lord God of armies.
17 I did not sit in a circle of revelers and celebrate.
     Because of Your hand upon me I sat alone,
     For You filled me with indignation.
18 Why has my pain been endless 
     And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
     Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream 
     With water that is unreliable?

19 Therefore, this is what the Lord says:
     “If you return, then I will restore you—
     You will stand before Me;
     And if you extract the precious from the worthless,
     You will become My spokesman.
     They, for their part, may turn to you,
     But as for you, you are not to turn to them.
20 Then I will make you to this people 
     A fortified wall of bronze;
     And though they fight against you,
     They will not prevail over you;
     For I am with you to save you 
     And rescue you,” declares the Lord.
21 “So I will rescue you from the hand of the wicked,
     And I will redeem you from the grasp of the violent.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

As Christians, Jesus has set us free from sin and calls us for purposes of good.  But while serving and doing God's will, it should come as no surprise that we will be persecuted from time to time.  While Jeremiah's indignation is understandable, it was still wrong.  While no one can lose their salvation, we can lose our way, and alienate ourselves from the Lord's companionship.  Just remember that He is the one who patiently waits for us to come back, always longing to continue on in a relationship of blessing!

We cannot serve God if we are living to please the sinful desires of the world.  We cannot speak for God if we are not speaking His words of truth.  And we are not valuable in service when we turn away from the Lord to align ourselves to others.  We are only valuable in service when we stand firm, in God's strength and wisdom, and as the Lord does, wait for others to come alongside us.

So, even while doing God's work, when we do stumble, we need to continually return to the Lord with confession.  He is the one who is faithful to rescue us.  And even while we are experiencing a time of peace, as we go to Him in prayer and study His word consistently, He is the one who equips us with strength and guidance, in preparation for whatever might come our way.  And this is not to say that we are to be prepared to fight, but we are to be prepared to stand firm, while we allow the Lord to fight for us.  And in pursuing a closer and more personal relationship with the Lord, we will always experience His healing, comfort and joy.

relationships (Jeremiah 14:1-22) Don't Be a Stranger

(Jeremiah 14:1-22) 

1   That which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah regarding the drought:

2   “Judah mourns 
     And her gates languish;
     Her people sit on the ground in mourning garments,
     And the cry of Jerusalem has ascended.
3   Their nobles have sent their servants for water;
     They have come to the cisterns and found no water.
     They have returned with their containers empty;
     They have been put to shame and humiliated,
     And they cover their heads,
4   Because the ground is cracked,
     For there has been no rain on the land.
     The farmers have been put to shame,
     They have covered their heads.
5   For even the doe in the field has given birth only to abandon her young,
     Because there is no grass.
6   The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights;
     They pant for air like jackals,
     Their eyes fail
     Because there is no vegetation.
7   Though our wrongdoings testify against us,
     Lord, act for the sake of Your name!
     Our apostasies have indeed been many,
     We have sinned against You.
8   Hope of Israel,
     Its Savior in time of distress,
     Why are You like a stranger in the land,
     Or like a traveler who has pitched his tent for the night?
9   Why are You like a confused person,
     Like a warrior who cannot save?
     Yet You are in our midst, Lord,
     And we are called by Your name;
     Do not leave us!”

10 This is what the Lord says to this people: “So much they have loved to wander; they have not restrained their feet. Therefore the Lord does not accept them; now He will remember their wrongdoing and call their sins to account.” 11 So the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for a good outcome on behalf of this people. 12 When they fast, I am not going to listen to their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I am not going to accept them. Rather, I am going to put an end to them by the sword, famine, and plague.”

13 But I said, “Oh, Lord God! Behold, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see a sword, nor will you have famine; on the contrary, I will give you lasting peace in this place.’” 14 Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them, nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility, and the deception of their own minds. 15 Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning the prophets who are prophesying in My name, although it was not I who sent them—yet they keep saying: ‘There will be no sword or famine in this land’—by sword and famine those prophets shall meet their end! 16 And the people to whom they are prophesying will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and there will be no one to bury them—neither them, nor their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters. For I will pour out their own wickedness upon them.

17 You will say this word to them,
     ‘Let my eyes stream down tears night and day,
     And let them not cease;
     For the virgin daughter of my people has been crushed with a mighty blow,
     With a sorely infected wound.
18 If I go out to the country,
     There are those killed by the sword!
     Or if I enter the city,
     There are diseases from famine!
     For both prophet and priest
     Have wandered around in the land that they do not know.’”

19 Have You completely rejected Judah?
     Or have You loathed Zion?
     Why have You stricken us so that we are beyond healing?
     We waited for peace, but nothing good came;
     And for a time of healing, but behold, terror!
20 We know our wickedness, Lord,
     The wrongdoing of our fathers, for we have sinned against You.
21 Do not despise us, for the sake of Your own name;
     Do not disgrace the throne of Your glory.
     Remember and do not annul Your covenant with us.
22 Are there any among the idols of the nations who give rain?
     Or can the heavens grant showers?
     Is it not You, Lord our God?
     Therefore we wait for You,
     For You are the one who has done all these things.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

The people in all their sinful ways found themselves in trouble, even though their false prophets were giving them fake news that nothing bad was going to happen, and saying that these words came from God when they did not.  So, the people continued on in their sinful ways, which kept on producing their very troubles.  Meanwhile, they wondered why God wasn't helping them according to the twisted lies that they believed in, and wondered why was He being such a stranger.

We probably have heard that phrase, "Don't be a stranger!"  This tells a person that they are more than welcome to come back, and that it is up to them to receive the invitation... an invitation to continue to build on the relationship that is already there, or the relationship that is in the beginning stages.  So, like this, but so much more than this, God desires that we all have a personal relationship with Him, and He has given us this invitation.  

It is up to us to accept the invitation, to pursue the Lord, in order to build on and/or continue to build on that relationship.  In order to do so, we must, not only realize our sins, but humbly repent and turn from our sins, then seek after the Lord, to know Him... very personally!  The Lord is already here, always present, everywhere.  So, the Lord will not be a stranger if we are going to Him, to pray, to worship, and read and study His words in order to know and understand Him, as well as lean on and depend on Him.  And when we are obedient to His instructions, this helps us get through difficult times in the best way possible.  But in realizing that our faith in God should be an actual relationship with Him, because He really, deeply cares about us, this is when we will fully experience His peace, joy, confidence and strength.

Simply following the laws and rules only helps a person learn behaviors which will help them get along with others, which benefits all of society.  Laws and rules are there to protect people.  And as a loving parent, it is our job to teach our children right from wrong.  Part of that includes disciplining them when they defiantly disobey, otherwise they will not learn the gravity or importance of following rules.  This is for the safety of others, as well as themselves.  But most importantly, we should be teaching and encouraging them to develop a relationship with the Lord.

As a parent, it is our natural instinct to protect our children from harm.  We are to do this, and we should be praying for their safety.  At the same time, as I ask God to make Himself real in our children's lives, I realize that this means they will have to go through some struggles.  It is in our struggles that we realize our own limitations, we realize there are consequences to actions, and we realize our need for the Lord!

Even once we are Christians, God allows us to struggle.  Sometimes He allows consequences in our lives in order to discipline us, get our attention, and get us back to a safe place.  Sometimes He allows tests and trials so that we realize our constant need for Him!  Not just to keep us safe, but for us to learn and grow in our faith and strength in Him.  We can be so very thankful that we will not be punished for what we actually deserve.  We can be so very grateful that He gives us the grace and eternal life that we have not earned.  And we can rejoice in His guidance, truth, help, hope, provisions and blessings that He gives so very generously!

relationships (Jeremiah 13:1-27) Who Do We Cling To?

(Jeremiah 13:1-27) 

This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy yourself a linen undergarment and put it around your waist, but do not put it in water.” 2 So I bought the undergarment in accordance with the word of the Lord, and put it around my waist. 3 Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, 4 “Take the undergarment that you bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a crevice of the rock.” 5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord had commanded me. 6 After many days the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates and take from there the undergarment which I commanded you to hide there.” 7 Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and I took the undergarment from the place where I had hidden it; and behold, the undergarment was ruined, it was completely useless.

8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “This is what the Lord says: ‘To the same extent I will destroy the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This wicked people, who refuse to listen to My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and have followed other gods to serve them and to bow down to them, let them be just like this undergarment which is completely useless. 11 For as the undergarment clings to the waist of a man, so I made the entire household of Israel and the entire household of Judah cling to Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘so that they might be My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they did not listen.’

12 “Therefore you are to speak this word to them. ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: “Every jug is to be filled with wine.”’ And when they say to you, ‘Do we not very well know that every jug is to be filled with wine?’ 13 then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am going to fill all the inhabitants of this land—the kings who sit for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem—with drunkenness! 14 Then I will smash them against each other, both the fathers and the sons together,” declares the Lord. “I will not have compassion nor be troubled nor take pity so as to keep from destroying them.”’”

15 Listen and pay attention, do not be haughty;
     For the Lord has spoken.
16 Give glory to the Lord your God 
     Before He brings darkness 
     And before your feet stumble 
     On the mountains in the dark,
     And while you are hoping for light 
     He makes it into gloom,
     And turns it into thick darkness.
17 But if you do not listen to it,
     My soul will weep in secret for such pride;
     And my eyes will shed 
     And stream down tears,
     Because the flock of the Lord has been taken captive.
18 Say to the king and the queen mother,
     “Take a lowly seat,
     For your beautiful crown 
     Has come down from your head.”
19 The cities of the Negev have been locked up,
     And there is no one to open them;
     All Judah has been taken into exile,
     Wholly taken into exile.

20 “Raise your eyes and see 
     Those coming from the north.
     Where is the flock that was given you,
     Your beautiful sheep?
21 What will you say when He appoints over you—
     And you yourself had taught them—
     Former companions to be head over you?
     Will sharp pains not take hold of you 
     Like a woman in childbirth?
22 If you say in your heart,
     ‘Why have these things happened to me?’
     Because of the magnitude of your wrongdoing 
     Your skirts have been removed 
     And your heels have suffered violence.
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin,
     Or the leopard his spots?
     Then you as well can do good 
     Who are accustomed to doing evil.
24 Therefore I will scatter them like drifting straw 
     To the desert wind.
25 This is your lot, the portion measured to you 
     From Me,” declares the Lord,
     “Because you have forgotten Me 
     And trusted in falsehood.
26 So I Myself have stripped your skirts off over your face,
     So that your shame will be seen.
27 As for your adulteries and your lustful neighings,
     The outrageous sin of your prostitution 
     On the hills in the field,
     I have seen your abominations.
     Woe to you, Jerusalem!
     How long will you remain unclean?”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

If we put our faith and trust in other people and in falsehood, then we are allowing those to be the controllers of our lives.  Should we then be surprised when things don't go well.  But if we put our faith and trust in the almighty, all-knowing Lord, as we allow Him to have control in our lives, we are included in His purpose.  He is also faithful, good and generous to work things out for us.  

The closer we draw to Him, the more we will become like Him.  And the more we allow Him to work in our lives, the more fruitful we will be, in His strength and guidance.  His purpose for Israel, as well as for any believer, is to cling to Him.  Stopping to think about the word "cling" for a moment... this is the action of complete adoration.  

As well, to cling to the Lord is the action of complete trust, especially when we realize the dangers and sorrows around us, and our need to be saved.  Except, clinging to our Savior is more than just clinging to a pylon in the middle of a raging, stormy sea, a pylon which may or may not move, but does nothing else... it is about clinging to the Lord God who created us and deeply cares for us!  And when we cling to Him, the sovereign Lord wraps His loving and protective arms around us!

This is not to say that we won't experience dangers and sorrows.  We will, because we are not in heaven yet.  We are still living in a fallen, broken world.  But when we do go through tests and trials - while clinging to the Lord - He gives us comfort, healing, peace, joy, strength, wisdom, and guidance... all to His praise, and all for His renown and glory.

The other illustration was with the jars of wine.  (Wow, there could be an entire book written on just this!  I hope I can plainly say everything I'm thinking!  Remember that Jesus' first miracle was turning the water to wine!  And it was very good!  Okay...)  So also remember that God tells us not to be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.  We, the jars of clay, were all created to be filled with God's Holy Spirit.  For those who reject the Lord and His salvation, they remain empty.  And because they feel that void, they will try to fill it with other things, to no avail.  

The only way to be satisfied and complete, is to become a believer.  Then, as believers, if we choose to take God for granted, and drift away, doing our own thing and being disobedient, we will not lose the Holy Spirit, but we will quench Him, and His positive influence and help.  But as we continue to make the step-by-step, daily decision to cling to the Lord, in each and every circumstance, we will be more and more in tune with the Holy Spirit, and we will be recharged and empowered by Him.

To chase after having a relationship with the world leads to emptiness, death and destruction.  To cling to the Lord in a personal relationship with Him leads to fulfillment, eternal life and blessings.  In this, instead of going through life's circumstances, in vain, and in hopelessness, we will be going through life with God, according to His purpose, which leads to victory and blessings!