The Whole Message

Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with the whole message with which the LORD your God will send you to us. "Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the LORD our God." Jeremiah 42:5,6 (New American Standard Bible)

What pastor would not thrill to hear his congregation proclaim the words the Jews had spoken to Jeremiah. In essence they were saying, “Tell us what the Lord says and we will obey…no matter what!” In reality, they had already made up their minds to do what they wanted to do. If God’s message to them was not what they wanted it to be, they really had no intention on walking in obedience. Jeremiah 43 reveals they did exactly what God warned them NOT to do….they headed to Egypt! They decided since the message was not what they wanted it to be then, in their minds, it wasn’t from God.

I am astounded! The message was crystal clear. “Stay in Babylon and you will be abundantly blessed and protected. Go to Egypt and you will die!” As clear as that was, they rejected the wisdom and warning of God’s message through Jeremiah.

Does that sort of thing still happen today? Absolutely! The Bible is clear about Heaven and Hell. It is clear about salvation coming through faith in Christ alone. And yet people don’t want to accept that as God’s message. They have their own idea of how life and the after life works and that has become “truth” to them. When the Jewish people chose to reject God’s message it did not change the message. When people today choose to reject what the Bible clearly says, it does not change the message. Unfortunately, many will come to realize that when it is eternally too late.

But it is not just the world that picks their way through God’s Word with a smorgasbord mentality. Christians are often guilty of the same mindsets. Hence, we get a prosperity gospel, all law, all grace, God’s love, God’s judgment. God is a God of balance and His Word is just as balanced. Yes, there is grace but there are also warnings for disobedience. There are boundaries and limits God has established and when we live within them we are within the parameters of blessing and favor.

I have known what it is like to live outside of God’s intended will for my life. It is a place of frustration, loneliness, heartache, and profound sadness. Those are the very things God has used to draw me back into submission and obedience to Himself. I came to the place where my way was too uncomfortable. May I speak the words found in today’s verse with a ready and willing heart to yield to whatever God says.

Father, my ears and heart are open to what You have to say to me. May I walk in obedience even when what You say isn’t what I hoped it would be. Amen.

We Bow Down - Twila Paris
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1rjmBNKk-4w&feature=related

I welcome your questions and comments to any devotional thoughts. I am honored and delighted to share my journey with you and privileged to hear of yours.