Lent 2016 – Day 41

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Luke 20:9-18

And He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time. At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, so that they would give him some of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he proceeded to send another slave; and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed. And he proceeded to send a third; and this one also they wounded and cast out. The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.’ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What, then, will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others.” When they heard it, they said, “May it never be!” But Jesus looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone’? “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”[1]

Anyone that knows Old Testament history will recognize this parable as a reference to the treatment God’s prophets received from the hands of the Israelites. They sinned so brazenly against God that they did not merely resist the voice of the prophets but dealt with them violently. The parable is also a prophetic allusion to the passion of Christ. More importantly, perhaps, is the reference to the possible retaliation of the owner of the vineyard, the owner being our Heavenly Father. Not much is said about God’s retributive justice in this passage. More attention is focused on the rejected stone that becomes the corner stone. But then there is this troubling verse, “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

A polite Church declines to emphasize the life and death nature of the imperative that we be ‘born again.’ Desiring to be ecumenical and sensitive to interfaith cooperative initiatives we unwittingly water down the gospel message. We have become so inclusive that we have almost lost sight of the fact that Jesus is the only way to salvation. The sad truth is that while there is a heaven for everyone that comes to Jesus, destruction waits for those who do not. Sometimes we miss this simple truth. It is Jesus who saves.

“Thank You Lord for saving our souls! Thank You Lord for making us whole. Thank You Lord for giving to us Your great salvation so full and free.” Enable us to remember all the great and wonderful things You have done for us. Never let us forget the price You paid for our salvation. Never let us so water down Your message of salvation that it is loses it meaning and rendered impotent. All of this we ask in the strong name of Jesus.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 20:9–18.

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Lent 2016 – Day 40

Posted on March 20, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Luke 19:36-44

As He was going, they were spreading their coats on the road. As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!” When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”[1]

In the shadow of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem of our Savior and King, there is an often overlooked, yet powerful occurrence. Looking out over the massiveness of the city Jesus begins to weep. His weeping indicates His humanity, but it also illustrates that the pseudo hope of the city of more recent times is not new. Jesus knew the struggles and successes of the city of Jerusalem and He wept. He knew the passion that was to come and the rejection He would experience and he wept. He was not weeping for Himself, but for the city and her inhabitants, because in their rejection they would miss what and who would bring them the peace they had come to the city to find. If Jesus is our example, we must be no less concerned for the city than He was and, I believe, is. Why? The city offers great promise, but also great temptation. The city provides safe harbor for the rich and the poor, all who are lost. The city is the seat of power, legal and illegal. Jesus is still the answer for the city.

We cannot afford to give up on the city. Sixty percent of people living in the city are completely unchurched.  Some are looking for a better life with greater opportunities while others are looking fun and excitement. Some believe that their deliverance from depression over unfulfilled dreams and aspirations will come from a better job, getting paid more money, or by living in a better neighborhood. Some believe that the road to happiness is to be found in bigger bank accounts that provide financial freedom. These things are desirable, but they are empty without hope for the future. What do we feel when we see those who are lost? Not just the poor and the homeless, they are often better off than those who work and live in opulence. Jesus wept over the city and so must we.

Dear Heavenly Father, we marvel at the depth of Your love for us. Your tears for us are only bested by Your sacrifice on the cross. As You loved the city, and her inhabitants, give us a love for the city as well. As You sacrificed to rescue all Your people enable us to sacrifice to rescue the lost among us. May we never be so callous as to give up on any that seem to be beyond hope of redemption, but may we ever be like Your Son who seeing us for what we could be died for us. It is in the name of Jesus the Christ we pray. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 19:36–44.

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Lent 2016 – Day 39

Posted on March 19, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Luke 18:1-8

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”[1]

At all times we should pray and not lose heart. The problem is, however, that we don’t really know how to pray and we don’t really pray. We spend so little time communicating with God and when we do pray our time is more of a monologue than a dialogue. We tell God and ask Him for the things we want and feel we need, but spend almost no time listening to see what He would say to us. We are guilty, too, of spending so little time in prayer and yet we still expect immediate results. We treat God like a fast food restaurant in which one places an order and then pulls through to pay for and pick it up. But to have such an expectation of answered prayer is to deny God’s sovereignty.

God really does know what is best for us, more than we do. He knows when to answer the prayers we pray and how to answer them. There is no question that God answers prayer, we have to learn how to persist, persevere in prayer. That is the point of the parable. If an unrighteous judge who did not fear God or any human being could bring about justice for those who call upon him, then certainly our Heavenly Father can and will do more than that. We are living in perilous times. If there was ever a time when the body of Christ should be praying, it is right now. It might appear that your prayers are not being answered but persevere, don’t lose heart. God is at work in your situation.

Lord, You have taught us that the prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective. Thank You for hearing and answering when we cry aloud to you. Well up within us a zeal and desire to spend more quality time with You. Forgive us for our preoccupations that cause us to have so little time to commune with You. Give us a desire to hear from You and courage to put into action what we hear. Thank You Lord for the privilege of prayer. Use it now for Your own glory and the sake of Your Church. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 18:1–8.

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Lent 2016 – Day 38

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Luke 11:1-13

It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.’” Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”[1

Does prayer work? Absolutely! These thirteen verses deal with Luke’s favorite topic: prayer. He begins with instruction on how to prayer and concludes with a parable that provides encouragement to pray. The parable highlights both our Heavenly Father’s willingness to answer prayer as well as what happens when one persists in prayer. In so doing, it demonstrates how worthwhile it is to persist in prayer even when it appears that our praying is in vain. Luke writes, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will Your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

These verses serve as an important reminder to those who are ambivalent toward prayer. We have a tendency to either doubt the efficacy of prayer or to place more confidence in what we can accomplish in our own strength and power than we do in God. We want to believe in the miraculous but wonder whether they still happen in our time. So the words of Jesus are strongly encouraging if we have faith to believe, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.” Does prayer work? Try it in faith and find out for yourself.

 Gracious Heavenly Father, thank You for hearing us when we pray. Thank You for being near to us to care for us. Now quicken us to our prayerlessness. Enliven us to tell of Your mighty deeds. Use us to tell a dying world about the One who cares and is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or think. Stimulate a deep desire to commune more fully and completely with You, and then hear our earnest cry and answer bye and bye. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 11:1–13.

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Lent 2016 – Day 37

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Lamentations 5:1-22

Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us; look, and see our reproach! Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to aliens. We have become orphans without a father, our mothers are like widows. We have to pay for our drinking water, our wood comes to us at a price. Our pursuers are at our necks; we are worn out, there is no rest for us. We have submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread. Our fathers sinned, and are no more; it is we who have borne their iniquities. Slaves rule over us; there is no one to deliver us from their hand. We get our bread at the risk of our lives because of the sword in the wilderness. Our skin has become as hot as an oven, because of the burning heat of famine. They ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah. Princes were hung by their hands; elders were not respected. Young men worked at the grinding mill, and youths stumbled under loads of wood. Elders are gone from the gate, young men from their music. The joy of our hearts has ceased; our dancing has been turned into mourning. The crown has fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned! Because of this our heart is faint, because of these things our eyes are dim; because of Mount Zion which lies desolate, foxes prowl in it. You, O Lord, rule forever; Your throne is from generation to generation. Why do You forget us forever? Why do You forsake us so long? Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old, unless You have utterly rejected us and are exceedingly angry with us.[1] 

“Why do You forget us forever? Why do You forsake us so long?” Such is the cry common to many believers as they have encountered prolonged trouble. Rather than accepting the responsibility for our suffering we transfer any sense of it to God. Instead of making confession for the wrong we have done, we blame God and openly wonder why He remains silent. Our conclusion is that He must surely have forgotten us, our condition and our circumstances. We surmise that our suffering has come as a result of having been forsaken. The truth of the matter is that God has neither forgotten nor forsaken His people even though there are times in our lives when it feels like He has.

The writer of Lamentations concludes this lament, and the book of Lamentations itself, by first acknowledging that Judah is in turmoil because of the sin of the people, and then by imploring the Lord to restore the people to Himself. Not much in human nature has changed even though the times have changed. Our society is sinking increasingly into a pit of degradation and we do little or nothing about it. Our alienation may appear to be the handiwork of God but it is really the consequence of our defection. God has not forgotten about us; we have forgotten about God. But all is not lost! Our cry today is as it should be, “Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old, unless You have utterly rejected us and are exceedingly angry with us.”

There are times, Lord, when we feel so inadequate in our prayer life. There is so much in that we would like to talk about with You, but other things have taken higher priority. We are suffering in so many ways and are frightened because we sense of greater darkness coming. It seems at times that You have forgotten about or that You no longer care and we have begun to lose hope. Help us, O Lord! Restore us to Yourself and renew our days as of old. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), La 5:1–22.

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Lent 2016 – Day 36

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Lamentations 3:39-51

Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins? Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to the Lord. We lift up our heart and hands toward God in heaven; we have transgressed and rebelled, You have not pardoned. You have covered Yourself with anger and pursued us; You have slain and have not spared. You have covered Yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through. You have made us mere offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. Panic and pitfall have befallen us, devastation and destruction; my eyes run down with streams of water because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.[1]

Most people know the difference between right and wrong, especially people who lay claim to being part of the blood bought, blood washed body of Christ. It seems inconceivable to Jeremiah that anyone would complain when on the receiving end of God’s retribution. Yet, just as in the day when Jeremiah wrote, people today still claim ignorance when it comes to how they have sinned against God. Instead of taking responsibility for the things we have done, or even have left undone, we blame external factors, even giving the enemy of our souls’ power that he does not have and does not belong to him. The truth of the matter is that we are more often than not our own worst enemy.

It is a sad state of affairs when the people of God make excuses for their sin rather than owning up to it. The body of Christ would be much better off if she would confess her sin and be reconciled to God. That is the plain no nonsense advise of Jeremiah here, “Let us examine our ways, and let us return to the Lord.” It would seem to be unquestionably the proper thing to do and yet repentance remains elusive, which makes Jeremiah, the weeping prophet shed copious tears of pain. One has to wonder how much is finally enough for people to turn back to the Lord in humble contrition. What is it going to take before the Church of the Living God decides enough is enough and turns from its wicked ways? Let us pray that the Church will awaken from its slumber before it is too late, and like in the days of Jeremiah the country lay in ruins.

Hear our humble cry, O Lord. We have sinned and done wrong against You. We have sought after our own good. We have run after idols, worshiping our wealth, our intellect, our innovation, even our distractions. We have not honored You as we should. We have not loved You or our neighbor as we should. We have been carried away by sin’s allure. We have ignored the signs of the times and behaved as if our status gave us license to do as we pleased. Have mercy on us, O Lord and incline our hearts to keep Your Law. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), La 3:39–51.

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Lent 2016 – Day 35

Posted on March 15, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Lamentations 3:1-24

I am the man who has seen affliction because of the rod of His wrath. He has driven me and made me walk in darkness and not in light. Surely against me He has turned His hand repeatedly all the day. He has caused my flesh and my skin to waste away, He has broken my bones. He has besieged and encompassed me with bitterness and hardship. In dark places He has made me dwell, like those who have long been dead. He has walled me in so that I cannot go out; He has made my chain heavy. Even when I cry out and call for help, He shuts out my prayer. He has blocked my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked. He is to me like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in secret places. He has turned aside my ways and torn me to pieces; He has made me desolate. He bent His bow and set me as a target for the arrow. He made the arrows of His quiver to enter into my inward parts. I have become a laughingstock to all my people, their mocking song all the day. He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drunk with wormwood. He has broken my teeth with gravel; He has made me cower in the dust. My soul has been rejected from peace; I have forgotten happiness. So I say, “My strength has perished, and so has my hope from the Lord. Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.”[1]

In this second lament Jeremiah recalls the destruction that has befallen Jerusalem. The city and its temple lay in ruins because of the sin and rebellion of the nation. Unlike in the first lament there is no confession of sin, nor is there any appeal for sympathy. Instead Jeremiah writes about how the hand of blessing was withdrawn, but the pain of punishment remained. The prophesies of false prophets lulled the people into a sense of false security making them believe that they were immune from the wrath of God because of their privileged position. But God’s wrath was released and his retribution so severe that all hope seemed to be gone, until he remembers the Lord’s loving kindness that is new every morning.

God is so faithful in His great and abiding love for His people that there is always hope even in the midst of the darkest storms. When we remember His compassions that never fail the cry out of the depths of our soul becomes, “The Lord is my portion, therefore, I have hope in Him.” As chaotic as things become around you today recall, as Jeremiah did, God’s faithfulness in extending His loving kindness to us and walk in hope.

Precious Lord, You are always so faithful in keeping covenant with us even when we are consistently unfaithful. Your love for us is so great that You discipline us with Your wrath, and sometimes we don’t even seek You or call upon Your name until our days are so dark that we feel as though all hope is gone. Thank You Lord for Your mercies, Your loving kindnesses that are new every morning and reminding us the darkness can not overcome us. Help us to hold on to our hope in You especially as we face the darkness around us and the darkness that is yet to come. This we ask in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), La 3:1–24.

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Lent 2016 – Day 34

Posted on March 14, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Lamentations 1:18-22

The Lord is righteous; for I have rebelled against His command; hear now, all peoples, and behold my pain; my virgins and my young men have gone into captivity. I called to my lovers, but they deceived me; my priests and my elders perished in the city while they sought food to restore their strength themselves. See, O Lord, for I am in distress; my spirit is greatly troubled; my heart is overturned within me, for I have been very rebellious. In the street the sword slays; in the house it is like death. They have heard that I groan; there is no one to comfort me; all my enemies have heard of my calamity; they are glad that You have done it. Oh, that You would bring the day which You have proclaimed, that they may become like me. Let all their wickedness come before You; and deal with them as You have dealt with me for all my transgressions; for my groans are many and my heart is faint.”[1]

It is far easier to blame everyone and everything else for the predicaments in which we find ourselves than to confess that we have rebelled. This is true for individuals and it is true for nations. It is also easy to run to scripture and find comfort in the prophetic utterances therein. While it is true that scripture tells us that certain events must take place in the last days, how many believers of the hundreds of years since those warnings were written have done the same thing? The difficult thing, the honest thing, the integrious thing is to admit that we are in the predicament because of our sin.

That is what Jerusalem did here. They acknowledged their sin and the righteousness of God. They confessed that they had knowingly rebelled against God’s righteous decrees and were now suffering the consequences of that rebellion. Their confession was right but invoking a curse on their enemies, though common practice in that day, was contrary to what Jesus would teach, “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44). Whatever horrific situation in which we may find ourselves may not be the result of an attack of the enemy. It may not from any external cause, but may be the result of nothing more than our arrogant rebellion. Let us not be like Jerusalem who thought they could escape God’s punishment for their rebellion. Let us own our sin, confess our sn, and be forgiven of it.

Dear Jesus, thank You for dying for us while we were still laboring in our sin. Convict us today of our sin and rebellion. Trouble us until we cease deflecting the guilt away from ourselves to others and take responsibility for it. Forgive us of our arrogance individually and collectively as a nation that causes us to think we are above Your law and beyond Your wrath. Call us to accountability that we may confess boldly before You and receive mercy. So humbly we bow before You and ask for Your forgiveness and restoration in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

 

 

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), La 1:18–22.

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Lent 2016 – Day 33

Posted on March 13, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Jeremiah 42:1-9

Then all the commanders of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people both small and great approached and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please let our petition come before you, and pray for us to the Lord your God, that is for all this remnant; because we are left but a few out of many, as your own eyes now see us, that the Lord your God may tell us the way in which we should walk and the thing that we should do.” Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I am going to pray to the Lord your God in accordance with your words; and I will tell you the whole message which the Lord will answer you. I will not keep back a word from you.” Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with the whole message with which the Lord your God will send you to us. Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the Lord our God.”[1]

It is always interesting to see and hear people who want someone to pray for them, but when the answer is not seen as favorable to them they turn away from the Lord. The people came to Jeremiah and asked Him to carry their petitions before the Lord and promised that whatever the answer, they would submit to it and obey it. Such a promise always sounds great when in trouble. We make grandiose promises, that perhaps we meant at the time we made it, but have little follow-through. If you read down through verse 22 you will note that all their promises were empty and false.

Sadly, these verses describe the manner in which many still approach the Lord. The fear they have over their circumstances, though very real, is not nearly as acute as the fear they have for losing their lifestyles. So prayer becomes little more than magical incantations muttered to ward off impending disaster, and somehow, some way God is still expected to answer. Jeremiah tells his readers that God has already answered. If they stay in the land God will relent of His anger toward them and cause them to prosper. But if they retreat to Egypt in hopes of finding safety when God has expressly told them to stay where they are then everything of which they are afraid will overtake them. We should not be surprised or confused. God has not stuttered when He has spoken, nor has He ever gone back on His Word. His Word is true and the consequences for walking in rebellion against Him are clear. Let us, therefore, heed and honor His Word by walking in obedience to it.

Gracious Heavenly Father, You are awesome in majesty, power and might. We cannot begin to number the ways in which You bless us and yet we continue to thank You with rebellion and disobedience. We are heartily sorry for the ways in which we have manipulated Your Word for our own personal benefit. Forgive us for our deceptive practices and our attempts to redeem our situations with false promises. Give us another chance to walk in integrity and obedience and we will forever bless Your name. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Je 42:1–6.

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Lent 2016 – Day 32

Posted on March 12, 2016 by Dr. Logan's Blog

Jeremiah 32:26-35

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?” Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am about to give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it. The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will enter and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses where people have offered incense to Baal on their roofs and poured out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger. Indeed the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been doing only evil in My sight from their youth; for the sons of Israel have been only provoking Me to anger by the work of their hands,” declares the Lord. Indeed this city has been to Me a provocation of My anger and My wrath from the day that they built it, even to this day, so that it should be removed from before My face, because of all the evil of the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah which they have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their leaders, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction. But they put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. They built the high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.[1]

It is hard to read these verses without inferring that the judgment pronounced on Israel and Judah over their sin is the same judgment pronounced over God’s people today. Israel and Judah did detestable things before the Lord and still expected God to continue to come through on their behalf. The same can be said of the people of God today. We continue to do detestable things, labor in open rebellion, are unruly and disobedience and still think there will be no consequences. In fact, if one suggests that the nation is under judgment they are quickly discredited citing the belief that God does not operate that way.

The Lord asks Jeremiah a very important question, “Is there anything too difficult for me?” It is often thought that the question was one of God’s ability, but in truth it was one of incredulity. It did not seem conceivable that God would allow His people to be given over to the hand of the Chaldeans. It was too extraordinary to imagine that God would ever do such a thing, let alone cause such a thing and yet He did. Our God is a jealous God who refuses to be the object of His people’s fickle devotion. Israel and Judah’s arrogant belief that their status as the chosen people insulated them was their downfall. Let it not be ours as well.

Dear Lord, we acknowledge our sin before You. We have lost our way and gone astray. We have flirted with strange fire and gotten burned. Forgive us of our arrogance. Forgive us for the detestable practices we have embraced. Forgive us for calling good that which You call wrong. We repent of our sin and ask You to relent from Your anger. Do not take Your presence away from us or allow our enemies to triumph over us. As we commit our ways to You, enable us by Your Spirit to overcome the desires of our flesh and walk faithfully with You. Amen.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Je 32:26–35.

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