Through the Bible - Jeremiah 6-7, 1 Timothy 3
Good morning,
When things break down we need something to hold our life together, for Christians it is the power of Christ. Yesterday in Jeremiah 2:13, we saw that when people reject God, they turn to something else to hold things together. Unfortunately those things are broken cisterns or cracked pots that don't hold anything of value.
Turning once again to the letter from Dietrich Bonhoeffer from yesterday, he wrote, "The fact is that historical success creates a basis for the continuance of life, and it is still a moot point whether it is ethically more responsible to take the field like a Don Quixote against a new age, or to admit ones defeat, accept the new age and agree to serve it. In the last resort success makes history; and the ruler of history repeatedly brings good out of evil over the heads of the history makers...... We will not and must not be either outraged critics or opportunists, but must take our share of responsibility for the moulding of history in every situation and at every moment, whether we are the victors of the vanquished."
As Christians, we are to know and realize that God the Father is the Ruler of history.
For today's verse from Jeremiah 4 we'll see just how we are to "take our share of responsibility" in our own lives, in our society as in Jeremiah's day.
Jer 4:3-Here's another Message from God
to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:
"Plow your unplowed fields,
but then don't plant weeds in the soil!
Yes, circumcise your lives for God's sake.
Plow your unplowed hearts,
all you people of Judah and Jerusalem.
Prevent fire — the fire of my anger —
for once it starts it can't be put out.
Your wicked ways
are fuel for the fire. (from THE MESSAGE)
to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:
"Plow your unplowed fields,
but then don't plant weeds in the soil!
Yes, circumcise your lives for God's sake.
Plow your unplowed hearts,
all you people of Judah and Jerusalem.
Prevent fire — the fire of my anger —
for once it starts it can't be put out.
Your wicked ways
are fuel for the fire. (from THE MESSAGE)
Reading these verses bring several other scripture passages to mind. The parable of the sower for one, Jesus' teaching in Matthew 16 on what is required to "follow Him", and 1 Corinthians 13.
We are not going to break up the "hard ground" around us until our hearts are first softened by God's Word which can then be put into action. Read the following verses.
Matt 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. NLT
In Jesus' time, if you saw someone carrying a cross you would identify him as a walking dead man. In this verse Jesus paints the picture of a Christian as a walking dead man. Dead to their old ways, dead to self, but very much alive in Christ. The apostle Paul, Martin Luther, and Bonhoeffer were good examples of this. They took responsibility in the toughest situations.
The other point about the hard ground, in others it can be softened turned by the Word of God, but must be done in love.
1 Cor 13:1-7 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. NKJV
Without love it all amounts to nothing.
In Christ,
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Jer 4:1-5
Mike
mikevw@bellsouth.net
http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace NIV
Jer 4:1-5
4 1 "O Israel," says the Lord,
"if you wanted to return to me, you could.
You could throw away your detestable idols
and stray away no more.
2 Then when you swear by my name, saying,
'As surely as the Lord lives,'
you could do so
with truth, justice, and righteousness.
Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world,
and all people would come and praise my name."
"if you wanted to return to me, you could.
You could throw away your detestable idols
and stray away no more.
2 Then when you swear by my name, saying,
'As surely as the Lord lives,'
you could do so
with truth, justice, and righteousness.
Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world,
and all people would come and praise my name."
Coming Judgment against Judah
3 This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem:
"Plow up the hard ground of your hearts!
Do not waste your good seed among thorns.
4 O people of Judah and Jerusalem,
surrender your pride and power.
Change your hearts before the Lord,
or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire
because of all your sins. NLT
Do not waste your good seed among thorns.
4 O people of Judah and Jerusalem,
surrender your pride and power.
Change your hearts before the Lord,
or my anger will burn like an unquenchable fire
because of all your sins. NLT
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