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 2:1-19
OBSERVATIONS:
(Ver 1,2)The Lord has given Jeremiah more words to say in the hearing (city square?) of Jerusalem.
(Ver 3-4) God recalls for his people Israel, what they were like when they first became God’s chosen people, when they were young and full of zeal.
(Ver 5-8) God asks ….what has happened since then? In spite of all that God has done….. Israel has wandered away, has stopped looking for God, the leadership has faltered, even the visionaries had lost their focus.
(ver 9 -13) God declares what the consequences will be for Israel being this way ……matter of fact He says ‘some other nations haven’t even changed their gods the way Israel has. Verse 12 reminds me of something my Dad might have said at times when I, as a child had done something wrong ‘you better be scared (worried)’ of the consequences. God also points out in verse 13 is that not only has Israel neglected God but they have also started pursuing their own idols. (Being apathetic to God is bad enough …but then even going so far as to find something else to replace God…..)
(ver 14-19) Israel had been rescued by God, made special …… and was now throwing it all away again.
APPLICATION:
This is a reminder to me also to not take God for granted …..that it deeply hurts him when I wander from him and from what he has done for me, and that there are consequences to my life when I do wander.
PRAYER:
Lord, please forgive me when I have strayed from you. Thank you for pursuing me when I have wandered and thank you for never giving up on me.
Every day I must live in JOY. Jesus first. Others second and Yourself(Myself) last. Today God must be first. Israel had fallen from their first love and had become like their idols. They forgot God’s gracious acts, His faithfulness of past days and lived in the land of plenty unto themselves. Even the foreign nations who served idols did not change gods like the children of Israel. They were faithful unto their false gods. But the children of Israel followed the things of the world and lost their refuge, their God who had brought them to this land.
Lord, help me this day to see You in all that I do. Help me to Live for Jesus. Give me the singleness of heart that You are always my first love. Lead me and Guide me by Your Spirit so that I walk in Your way every day. Help me everyday to walk in Your Sonshine.
Lead me, guide me along the way,
For if you lead me I cannot stray.
Lord let me walk each day with Thee.
Lead me, oh Lord lead me.