7:5-7 - One of the most important aspects of worshipping God is often forgotten: we must live lives of worship all the time. You can't just show up to praise God at church after a week of living totally for yourself and expect to experience anything authentic. Jeremiah tells us that the most important part of worshipping God comes in the form of serving others, loving the unlovable, fighting injustice,helping those in need. We must remember that if our heart condition in everyday life is terrible, our praise of God will be meaningless.
7:11 - This is much like the quote Jesus makes in the temple courtyard when he starts driving out the merchants and money-changes who are charging exorbitant prices to Jewish pilgrims coming t worship. We make mockery of churches services and praise times when we enter into them with selfish motives. Are we only attending church for what "we get out of it"? Do we get upset when we don't sing the songs that are our favorites? We should be reveling in the fact that we get to gather together with fellow believers and cry out to our God as a community. It is not about us...it has always been a bout Him.
7:27 - Heartbreaking. Jeremiah is told by God that his ministry is going to be fruitless. Yet even in the face of such harsh truth, Jeremiah continues to serve God and teach boldly. He serves as an excellent example for me to keep pushing forward even when it doesn't seem like nothing ever changes in the lives of teenage Christians (It doesn't always feel that way, but some days...ugh). I have not been called to success, I have been called to honor God with my life and invite students to join me as I chase after Jesus.
7:31 - This may help to explain to you why God is so angry with His people! Sacrificing their children to fire!? I have to say, there are two options here from the commentaries I have read in the past: they may have simply passed their children quickly through fire or over fire in a pagan cleansing ritual, or they may have literally been putting their children on burning altars as sacrifices to false gods. Either way this is sinful and rebellious, but slaughtering your children (Themselves holy gifts from God and signs that He allows us to participate in creation with Him!) would explain alot about the punishment that God pours out on His people. He is just, and He cannot stand by and allow this to go on unchecked! We should feel the same way that God does about the atrocities going on in this world.
8:7 - This was pretty shocking and painful to me - animals instinctively know how to live as they were created to live. They know how to survive...they know how to function as God made them to function. The freedom that God offers us is beautiful...it is a sign that He loves us so much that He does not want to force us to love Him back - He makes it our choice. This is one of the many things that sets us apart from the animals. Yet the dangerous side of freedom of choice is that human beings can choose to deny their instinct to connect with their Creator God (That I believe exists in every one of us) to chase after other, meaningless, things.
8:21 - Jeremiah is grieving because f the broken relationship between the daughter of Zion (Israel) and the Lord. Have you ever seen a family torn apart by childhood rebellion? It is a painful thing to watch! When a child rejects their parents and makes destructive choices, they endanger their lives and wound their parents. When the parents out of their love for the child choose to punish them in hopes that they will get the message and change their ways - the child is wounded. This is what is going on with God and His people and it is hard for Jeremiah to watch. He knows that God must punish them, bu that doesn't change the hurt involved.
9:7 - Tough love - it is all that God has left at this point. He tried to calling His people to Him, He tried making a covenant with them, he tried to draw them to Him through blessings, land, worship, but they still rejected Him. Now He has to allow His children to go through punishment in the hope that they will return to Him.
9:23-24 - The only legitimate thing that any of us have to boast about in this world is the fact that God is unconditionally in love with us and that we have come to an understanding of that love and have given our lives to Him. Who cares how much money you make? How athletic you are? How beautiful or handsome you are? Who cares hoe successful your kids are at the things they try? All that is meaningless in comparison to finally coming to a knowledge of God that drives you to love like H loves and seek righteousness and justice in the world. Boast in the goodness of God, not the frailty of man!
9:24 - How on earth can God be describes as full of "Steadfast love" after reading the chapters we read today? Three full chapters of threats and promised destruction - that doesn't sound like love. But if you look closely you know it is spoken out of love...everything God is allowing to happen to His people is part of His plan to bring them back to Him. He never gives up on His people - NEVER! That is love.
9:25 - This is a really good reminder for us: physical works and religious practices mean nothing compared to the condition of your heart. You can't attend enough church services, small groups, retreats, service projects, etc. to make yourself right with God. What matters is the circumcision of the heart...humility before God...allowing ourselves to be transformed by His truth.
No comments:
Post a Comment