18 I drown in grief. I'm heartsick. 19 Oh, listen! Please listen! It's the cry of my dear people reverberating through the country. Is God no longer in Zion? Has the King gone away? Can you tell me why they flaunt their plaything-gods, their silly, imported no-gods before me? 20 The crops are in, the summer is over, but for us nothing's changed. We're still waiting to be rescued. 21 For my dear broken people, I'm heartbroken. I weep, seized by grief. 22 Are there no healing ointments in Gilead? Isn't there a doctor in the house? So why can't something be done to heal and save my dear, dear people? 1 I wish my head were a well of water and my eyes fountains of tears So I could weep day and night for casualties among my dear, dear people. (Jeremiah 8:18-19:1 The Message Bible)
When we were little and something made us cry, my Mom would say, en español, "Quit crying, Jeremiah!" Apparently, someone often quoted or named Jeremiah as the weeping prophet and here is the passage where we encounter the prophet crying. As we read the passage we learn the prophet definitely has a heart for God, and for God's people. As should we. What the prophet has experienced in trying to shepherd Israel, is like a pastor who has tried to keep a couple from divorcing. Let me say that while divorce is painful, it is sometimes the only option for some couples. That does not make it any easier for the couple, nor for the children of that marriage. I remember very vividly a young man whose wife was divorcing him and he could not understand nor accept that this was even happening. All my sessions with him either in person or by phone, were sobbing sessions where he lamented the reality that was coming. He truly loved his wife unconditionally, and she had moved on. Thankfully, they did not have children so there were no children that would suffer a life with mom being one place, and dad in the other. I had another situation where the couple had already divorced, but the woman was adament that they were not divorced, because she did not believe in divorce. As hard as I tried to convince her that they were indeed divorced, she would get angry at me for holding such a belief. In many respects, a divorce is like a funeral where the body never gets buried. The reality is that the people of God chose other gods over the one true God. This made the prophet heartsick. He could hear the crying of those who loved God and were troubled by the actions of their countrypeople, who abandoned God. What made it worse for them, and for the prophet, that the people chose to abandon the living God for "plaything-gods," and "silly, imported no-gods." This made Jeremiah weep, and weep a lot. He asks if there is a remedy for such an action? Are there no doctors in the house who can come and make this right? Where would the people find healing and salvation?
He closes this passage with his declaration, "I wish my head were a well of water and my eyes fountains of tears so I could weep day and night for casualties among my dear, dear people." How are you coping with what we face on almost a daily basis that shows we are not where we need to be when it comes to our relationship with God. The time of this writing is Tuesday evening. Earlier this afternoon, our daughter Caitlin from Houston texted us to let us know that our grandson Liam was in lockdown because there was a report of an active shooter at the high school down the road from his middle school. You can imagine the panic in both mom and grandparents at this news. Thankfully, there was not an active shooter at the high school but it was a threat called in, which the FBI said they would investigate to apprehend those responsible. But, as we saw videos from parents at the high school, one parent said they were numb "because this thing happen every week." What are we doing, dear, dear people, to get us back to trusting, following, and serving God? Have we replaced God with plaything-gods, and have we imported no-gods in place of God?
The gospel lesson on Monday had Jesus telling us clearly that we cannot serve both God and money. And yesterday's lesson was on the importance of our praying for each other so that we not get sidetracked and lost. The combination of those two set the tone for the seriousness of our situation and the remedies that God has shared with us to save us. We have a task before us; let us fulfill God's call upon our lives to praise and serve Him.
PRAYER: Loving God, help us hear Your voice, especially when we are being lured away from Your ways. Help us pray seriously and committedly to save those we love; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Pray for those who need prayer (everyone!), pray for yourselves, and pray for the world.
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
