Just Because!

Happy Sunday to all! Waine and I are in Thomaston enjoying each other, enjoying the football games and celebrating that God continues to bless us and our family! Aleron is now a licensed physician! He passed his part III of the qualifying exams with distinction! Waine and I have finally launched our last little duckling! Hallelujah and praise God from whom all blessings flow. I can't stop thanking God for His Grace and Mercy; He clearly will workout the best plan for each of us even when we mess things up!

I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 18 verses 19-23, "Listen to me, LORD; hear what my accusers are saying! Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember that I stood before you

and spoke in their behalf to turn your wrath away from them. So give their children over to famine; hand them over to the power of the sword. Let their wives be made childless and widows; let their men be put to death, their young men slain by the sword in battle. Let a cry be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring invaders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hid and den snares for my feet. But you, LORD, know all their plots to kill me. Do not forgive their crimes or blot out their sins from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger." May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.

Clearly Jeremiah is UPSET! Jeremiah is basically asking God to get rid of all these folk who he has been intervening for who now are plotting against him. Jeremiah wants calamity to befall these cut throat Israelites. It would appear that Jeremiah has been patting himself on the back; he has probably deluded himself into thinking that he is the reason God has not brought His wrath on the people of Israel. I think Jeremiah has forgotten, that all have sinned. There is no one whose hands are clean. God rains on both the just and unjust not that either group is deserving. God provides blessings to all JUST BECAUSE!

I can actually identify with Jeremiah's frustration. I have done good to and for a lot of people and have been repaid by viciousness. At those times I have to ask myself why did I help. Was it for self aggrandisement or was I obeying God. On the other hand, I ahve also been the recipient of much good will from strangers and friends. Was I deserving? Maybe not. I certainly have learned over time that I get more blessings from helping others than I get the negative results. As Christians we are to love one another just as Christ has loved us--unconditionally. When you put conditions on your love then you are no better than the folk that only do things when they are compensated. Our love for God; our true understanding of the sacrifice He made when He died for us will DRIVE US to love unconditionally. If this is not evident in your life, then ask God to reveal the junk in your trunk. You'll be happier.

Now  may the LORD bless you and keep you; may the LORD make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace.

Stephanie