From Jeremiah 2: 4 Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the Lord: What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves? 6 They did not say, "Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that no one passes through, where no one lives?" 7 I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things. But when you entered you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination. 8 The priests did not say, "Where is the Lord?" Those who handle the law did not know me; the rulers transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal, and went after things that do not profit. 9 Therefore once more I accuse you, says the Lord, and I accuse your children's children. 10 Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and look, send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has ever been such a thing.11 Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for something that does not profit. 12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this, be shocked, be utterly desolate, says the Lord, 13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water.
Last Friday I witnessed an awesome event. Thanks to my daughter Nellie's advice, before sunrise I was at Beach Access 3 on South Padre Island. I walked towards the beach and found that there were already about 80 people already there. We were all there to witness the release of newly hatched Kemp Ridley Sea Turtles. I had seen news reports and pictures of such an event, but never dreamed I would be there on the beach to witness this miraculous event of God's creation. Set to begin at 7 a.m., the crowd grew slowly larger and by 7:10 am we were anxious to see the turtles. It was at about that time that the styrofoam coolers filled with 39 hatchlings arrived. The volunteers and workers of the sea turtle rescue organization set up yellow Caution tape to keep us out of the path these babies would need to make their way to their home in the ocean. Knowing that all of us wanted to see these turtles, the interns held up one or two turtles so that we could see them up close before they made their way into the waters and out of our sight. The intern that came to where I stood said, "These babies are born with so much energy that we release them immediately to make their way to where they should go. If we don't do it soon, they lose their energy and will never survive." The sea turtles have to make their way to where God intended them to go or they die.
Jeremiah was told by God to share the message in today's passage. It is a message of love but it is a message of correction towards them. It is a parent asking a child why they have chosen to do the opposite of what they were told and taught. It begins with the word, "Hear." All people of God should be open every day to listening to God. And the results of those that don't listen are obvious, as the passage will develop. The next component of the message is the question asked about God, "What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthless things, and become worthless themselves?" (v. 4). If we seek the good of God the good in us will emerge. If we seek after worthless things, the worthless in us will emerge. Ouch! One of the turtles started in the opposite direction of the sea. One turtle wandered towards the crowd. Amazing how fast in sand these little ones can crawl. Thankfully, the gloved hands of the workers turned the reverse minded towards the water. Another one went into the crowd and brought the baby back to the sand and pointed it towards life. One by one, the 39 made their way into the sea. When the very last one entered the water the crowd cheered and clapped. The director of the organization came to begin picking up the coolers and other equipment and I noticed tears in his eyes. He spoke to someone near me and said this was always an awesome event for him. I imaged how God must feel when we choose to go in the opposite direction and we push away the loving hands of God and continue going the wrong way. I believe God feels the same for those who choose to go with the crowd instead of with those headed towards the fullness of life. But I also know that when one of use changes course and heads towards Him, there is great rejoicing in Heaven about what we have allowed God to do in our lives.
Look back on the times in your life where you saw the loving hand of God blessing and guiding you. Look at the times where you know you should have died and not survived something, yet you lived. Let us not be among those who choose to commit two evils as verse 13 says, by forsaking God, "the fountain of living water," and by digging out cisterns of our own making that are cracked and can hold no water. We were made by God to hold the living water so that others might drink from us that drink that will share life and life in abundance.
PRAYER: Loving God, my choice is to let You fill me with Your goodness. My choice is to listen to You and to reflect on how good You have been in my life. I seek to find You and I seek to be filled with living water so that my life will attract those who need a drink of life in their life. This I pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
Thought for Today: Be a Drink of Life for someone.
Prayer Request: The son of one of my pastors, The Rev. Harlene Sadler, was injured in a work injury. The doctors believe the triceps were torn away from the bone and he will undergo an MRI today in San Antonio and will have surgery on Friday. Please keep this young man in your prayers. Thank you!
