Good morning to all on this 1st Sunday in December. Waine and I were in Orlando last week and when we are with "Pete" and Re-Pete" they are the center of our world from sun up to sun down. We hardly have time to fall into bed, exhausted but happy when the next day's dawn is ushered in with greetings of "Poppop" and "Ganma" and we start all over again. Our grandchildren are really a blessing to us and each of the six (6) of them are unique in their own way. We only lament that we can't spend enough time with them so we can be enriched more and they in turn can learn "life's lessons, much like Asdrodon wrote about in her Thanksgiving posting. Family is a concept that should be promoted--if you are lucky and blessed as we are, your family, your tribe is what has shaped your response to this world and I am thankful that Astrodon reminded us to reflect on all the unique experiences your family will bring to you.
I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 42 verses 1- 22 "Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, Please hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do. I have heard you, replied Jeremiah the prophet. I will certainly pray to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.
Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.
Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest. He said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says: ‘If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you. Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land. However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and so disobey the Lord your God, and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the trumpet or be hungry for bread,’ then hear the Word of the Lord, you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die. Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague; not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.’ This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem, so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse and an object of horror, a curse and an object of reproach; you will never see this place again.’
Remnant of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Be sure of this: I warn you today that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything He says and we will do it.’ I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all He sent me to tell you. So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle. Amen. May the Lord add a blessing to the reading and hearing of His Word.
Wow!!! Why in the world would these folk ask God for His help and then disobey Him? I don't get it? You are asking for God's favor and help and then you decide when the favor comes that its ok to return to disobedience. Is it that we think God takes a vacation from us; that He is not serious about obedience? I don't get it. The Judeans have been admonished, warned, pleaded with for 40 chapters and then are captured by the Babylonians just like Jeremiah told them they would be because of their disobedience. A remnant is left and they are supplicant and then become arrogant again. This struggle that humans have with being obedient to God is a real thing. I was reflecting on my own life and trying to mature to the point that I am always humble and trusting in God's will for me when I perceive that times are good and times are bad (whatever that means). God always shows me my weaknesses during the "bad" times, when I am feeling overwhelmed and hopeless. I shore myself up and get into His Word where there is consistency and hope and then falter again during the good times. The one constant is God who when I turn to Him is always there to remind me of His CONSTANT Love, Grace and Mercy. I need only be obedient and trusting of His Will. He does not make mistakes and does not need any help being God. He is quite comfortable being God all by Himself and is always true to His Word. His Word is really His bond.
The deceiver (Satan) will always confront you with fear. If you are feeling fear just know that there is no fear in LOVE and God is LOVE. If you feel fear then turn your face to God and leave the fear at the feet of Christ. Go about your business as if every thing is well with your soul because in reality it is. When you turn your fears over to God and have the PATIENCE to wait on His outcome for you then He will pave the way and fix what is necessary for your continued success. The lesson is TRUST and OBEDIENCE so that you can experience the LOVE, GRACE and MERCY that is always there. Remove the cloud of doubt from your life and TRUST and OBEY which is what these Judeans should have done.
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
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