Image from newlifenarrabi.wordpress.com
Hear the devotional here: https://bit.ly/3T5eheu
4 Hear God's Message, House of Jacob! Yes, you - House of Israel! 5 God's Message: "What did your ancestors find fault with in me that they drifted so far from me, Took up with Sir Windbag and turned into windbags themselves? 6 It never occurred to them to say, 'Where's God, the God who got us out of Egypt, Who took care of us through thick and thin, those rough-and-tumble wilderness years of parched deserts and death valleys, A land that no one who enters comes out of, a cruel, inhospitable land?' 7 "I brought you to a garden land where you could eat lush fruit. But you barged in and polluted my land, trashed and defiled my dear land. 8 The priests never thought to ask, 'Where's God?' The religion experts knew nothing of me. The rulers defied me. The prophets preached god Baal And chased empty god-dreams and silly god-schemes. 9 Because of all this, I'm bringing charges against you" - God's Decree - "charging you and your children and your grandchildren. 10 Look around. Have you ever seen anything quite like this? Sail to the western islands and look. Travel to the Kedar wilderness and look. Look closely. Has this ever happened before, 11 That a nation has traded in its gods for gods that aren't even close to gods? But my people have traded my Glory for empty god-dreams and silly god-schemes. 12 "Stand in shock, heavens, at what you see! Throw up your hands in disbelief - this can't be!" God's Decree. 13 "My people have committed a compound sin: they've walked out on me, the fountain Of fresh flowing waters, and then dug cisterns - cisterns that leak, cisterns that are no better than sieves. (Jeremiah 2:4-13 The Message Bible)
We in this area were reminded of how precious water is to our area. Since about June, most of us have not had a decent rain to speak of, and these last two days reminded us that God is still in command and can shower us with blessings, both of the rain-kind, and the kind that bless our hearts and spirits. Nellie and I traveled through some heavy rain this past weekend traveling to Houston for our grandson Eli's second birthday celebration and God saw us safely to and from there. And last night's rain made our trip to Duncanville seem like it might not be a good idea, but I braved the rain to go to my office in San Antonio for an annual test to be re-certified to sell Medicare Advantage Plans, and yes, thank You, Lord, I passed! Then we braved the long highway to here, getting only some drizzle on the way.
Some of the Old Testament station stops sound the same. It's God's lament about us and the way we so easily forget the good that God does for us and we are prone, as the astute hymn writer say, "to wander." The real name for the Old Testament should be Where Are We This Week, O People of God? It seems, like us, that they could not sit still or set their minds and hearts on God long enough to bless Him or themselves. I guess if we all behaved we wouldn't have half of the songs written throughout history, about somebody done somebody wrong, and in this case, it's Israel that did the wrong against God. It's the theme of a madly in love guy takes his best gal to the dance and she goes home with someone else! Great song to write, but not live, huh. In the case against God's people, they couldn't enjoy the garden long enough to stay in it for longer than a visit to the apple tree. They were free to eat "lush fruit," but they chose to eat the forbidden fruit instead and they were shown the door.
The prophet sums up God's words in the photo chosen for the written devotional. The people of God chose to walk away from the living waters God provides to dig cisterns, and these that leak and serve no purpose other than to leak water. The spiritual reality is that is exactly what happens when we leave the blessings of God to pursue our own passions and lusts. No wonder the prophet says, "Stand in shock, heavens, at what you see! Throw up your hands in disbelief - this can't be!" Indeed. God deserves better. And we can do better, too.
Why don't we?
PRAYER: Loving God, help us be better. You shown us the better way to live and we've shut our eyes in thinking we can see better than You, even with eyes shut. Forgive us and free us for joyful obedience; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Drink deep from the living and loving waters of God in ways that bless others!
Receive my blessings of peace and joy!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
