Welcome to Nick Stevens, long-time member at Hope Church as well as Chair of the Hope Church Leadership Team. He will share his reflections on the readings from Jeremiah 1-6.
SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 4:13-21
OBSERVATIONS:
(Ver 13) the imminent invasion of the land …….giving vent to God’s wrath upon a rebellious nation.
(ver 14-18) again a plea to still repent ….there are already warning signs within the nation of the impending affliction …..the afflictions are starting to show up like vultures surrounding Israel and just waiting to move in for the final assault. Again it is because of their wickedness which has become a part of who they are ….it is embedded in their hearts.
(ver 19-21) appears as if Jeremiah, the ‘proclaimater’ of the dire warnings, cannot contain his own anguish anymore over the impending events.
(ver 22) Jeremiah continues on with God’s message to Israel and about Israel ….ver 22b ‘they are smart enough to find evil, but too dumb to do the good’.
(ver 23-29) God proclaims his awesome power in his creation and the creativity he added to it. He thinks about maybe putting things back to before the creativity was added ….making the whole land desolate again.
(ver 30-31) if God indeed with drew Himself from the creation, from man himself, nothing we tried to do could amount to anything then because God is not a part of it and it would all be in vain.
APPLICATION:
Not quite sure about the application here but I do know one thing….. I am sure glad that our God is a merciful God and that he does appear to change his mind at times about how severely he will punish us. And yet I also know that he is a just God who does not turn a blind eye to the sin and evil in this world ….. and in my life.
PRAYER:
Lord, I pray for and cast myself upon your mercy each and every day. Without it I could never survive. Thank you Jesus.
As a father disciplines his children, so the Lord disciplines us in the Way we should go. As for our childern, their actions and words brought the discipline upon them , so too, our actions and words brings God’s discipline upon us. As we discipline our children, our hearts are heavy and hurt. When God disciplines His children, it also pierces His heart. All discipline is a result for not walking in His Light, in His Way, but in our own way. How foolish we are. How senseless. We do evil instead of good. As with all discipline, it is our hearts desire that our children do an about face from their wrongful actions and do good. When the Lord disciplines me ever so severely may I still find refuge in Him. He is my God and I will ever love Him.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.