Hello Sweet friends,
Today’s Reading … Jeremiah 32-40, Psalm 74,79, 2 Kings 24-45 and 2 Chronicles 36
We established, while reading Job, that all suffering does not come due to the consequences of sin. We live in a broken world, full of broken people and that can lead to times of pain and grief.
We also must accept that there are times when our suffering is caused by our sinful choices and the consequences that they bring into our lives. God has been calling to the Israelites, “Stop running and return to me!” He has sent judges and prophets to speak His truth to His people. In their sinful nature and with stubborn hearts, they have ignored these pleas to be faithful to God. So, today as we read of their grief and helplessness, we must accept that they are dealing with the consequences of their sinful behavior.
“The Lord sent against him bands of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken through His servants the prophets” (2 Kings 24:2). The Israelites were not blindsided by God. Much like the flood in the days of Noah, God had been patient and sent warnings. His children, however refused to heed His call.
“O God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?” (Psalm 74:1). The Israelites call out to God in their desperation. I am struck by the way in which they approach God. It seems that they are asking Him why this has happened. It is as though they are blaming God for not rescuing them in their time of need. And yet, it is all of their wanderings, their worshiping of idols and their deafness to the warnings of the Lord that have actually lead them to this crisis. Their hearts have still not accepted His call to faithfulness, they only want to be rescued from the consequences. It is an easy hole to land in, we have all been there. The warning signs are all there; the Holy Spirit nudges us through a friend, an unsettled feeling, conviction and an unrest in our hearts-and yet, we turn a deaf ear. We would rather hold onto our idols and wander in our own chosen direction then respond to the call of the Lord, “Stop Running and Return to Me.” Inevitably, the consequences come. The pain, the grief, the suffering. It is then that we cry out to the Lord. But, not to repent, not to return to Him. We cry out and plead with Him to remove the consequences. How this must break His heart.
Once again, we find ourselves enveloped in a quality of God that we are unable to comprehend. “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia-in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah-the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus the king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing saying, ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build a house in Jerusalem, which is Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up!”” (2 Chronicles 36:22-23). Amazing grace! Perfect providence! God never gives up on his people. They have suffered consequences for their turning from God. Yet, in His infinite mercy, He has still made a way for them to return to the Promised Land, the Temple, and to Himself.
He does the same for us. No matter how far you have wandered, how hardened your heart has become or how many idols your soul has bowed to; He always makes a way for you to return to Him. When we call out to God, not for the removal of our consequences, but for the redemption of our hearts, He will answer. He will faithfully rescue our souls from our sin and bring us back to perfect union with Him. Stop running my friend, return to God. He is waiting for you.
Love you all,
Kinsee
“so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return empty, but accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it”(Isaiah 55:11)
