๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ:
“๐ฟ๐๐ก ๐ข๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ค๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ก ๐กโ๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐.”
- Lamentations 3:40 (NIV)
- Lamentations 3:40 (NIV)
๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป:
This verse is written by the Prophet Jeremiah during the siege and destruction
of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. Jeremiah had spent most of his life attempting
to turn the hearts of the Israelites back to God and had been beaten, mocked,
abused in all sorts of manners and kicked out of the temple as well. Yet such
is his heart for his people and for the Lord that he willingly endured all of
that and continued to cry out to the Lord to bring them back to Him. This is
why he was known as the weeping prophet. If ever there was a great example of
prayer for God to change the hearts of people, the book of Jeremiah and
Lamentations are it. However, they are also a great example of how the Lord
works, or is hindered to work, in our lives because of the rules He places upon
Himself. Have you ever wondered why He doesn’t just stop everything and change
everyone’s hearts and minds to do what He wants so that this world would truly
be on earth as it is in heaven? The answer to that question is because love
without free will isn’t love, it is control. God has always allowed free will,
even with the angels when one third of heaven chose to follow Lucifer (Satan)
instead of Him. Adam and Eve only had one rule in the garden; “But you must not
eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it
you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17). Today and ever since the Garden, we
have had the ability to choose who we will follow, God or the world. That is
what makes today’s verse so interesting. Jeremiah is crying out to the
Israelites to examine their ways and test them against what the Lord says so
they can remove those things from their lives that are hurting them and their
relationship with the Lord. When they are willing to do so, it is then that
they will be able to return to the Lord. If that sounds familiar to you, it
should. Today we call that the Sinner’s Prayer. The truth is that our
relationship with the Lord has never been about control, He could have had that
any time He wanted to. No, instead it is about trusting Him to help us to not
hurt ourselves and each other and understanding that His love is the greatest
thing we could ever have. He still wants us to examine our ways and test them
today, weeding out those things that will keep us from Him. What will you find?
๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป:
It seems like such a simple thing and yet is so hard to do on our own. This is
why Jesus told us that no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws them.
(John 6:44) Not that God is picking and choosing, but rather it is because we
can’t do it on our own, so He helps us. Unfortunately, not all of us will.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ:
Father, I ask You to draw me to You in all areas of my life and help me to
shine Your light in the darkness of this world so that others may see Your
grace and love. In Jesus’ Holy and Mighty Name, Amen.
- Chuck Glover
Provided by "All About God"
