The Days Are Surely Coming
Improbable Possibilities
Jeremiah 3:19-25 The Message
19-20 “I planned what I’d say if you returned to me:
‘Good! I’ll bring you back into the family.
I’ll give you choice land,
land that the godless nations would die for.’
And I imagined that you would say, ‘Dear father!’
and would never again go off and leave me.
But no luck. Like a false-hearted woman walking out on her husband,
you, the whole family of Israel, have proven false to me.”
God’s Decree.
‘Good! I’ll bring you back into the family.
I’ll give you choice land,
land that the godless nations would die for.’
And I imagined that you would say, ‘Dear father!’
and would never again go off and leave me.
But no luck. Like a false-hearted woman walking out on her husband,
you, the whole family of Israel, have proven false to me.”
God’s Decree.
21-22 The sound of voices comes drifting out of the hills,
the unhappy sound of Israel’s crying,
Israel lamenting the wasted years,
never once giving her God a thought.
“Come back, wandering children!
I can heal your wanderlust!”
the unhappy sound of Israel’s crying,
Israel lamenting the wasted years,
never once giving her God a thought.
“Come back, wandering children!
I can heal your wanderlust!”
22-25 “We’re here! We’ve come back to you.
You’re our own true God!
All that popular religion was a cheap lie,
duped crowds buying up the latest in gods.
We’re back! Back to our true God,
the salvation of Israel.
The Fraud picked us clean, swindled us
of what our ancestors bequeathed us,
Gypped us out of our inheritance—
God-blessed flocks and God-given children.
We made our bed and now lie in it,
all tangled up in the dirty sheets of dishonor.
All because we sinned against our God,
we and our fathers and mothers.
From the time we took our first steps, said our first words,
we’ve been rebels, disobeying the voice of our God.”
You’re our own true God!
All that popular religion was a cheap lie,
duped crowds buying up the latest in gods.
We’re back! Back to our true God,
the salvation of Israel.
The Fraud picked us clean, swindled us
of what our ancestors bequeathed us,
Gypped us out of our inheritance—
God-blessed flocks and God-given children.
We made our bed and now lie in it,
all tangled up in the dirty sheets of dishonor.
All because we sinned against our God,
we and our fathers and mothers.
From the time we took our first steps, said our first words,
we’ve been rebels, disobeying the voice of our God.”
For Reflection
Over
and over Biblical references to punishments related to separating one's-self from God are couched in human acts of defiance rather than in
God's acts of retribution. Does a God who suffers with us, or who hopes
so deeply for our return to God's loving arms also strike out with
switches of war and pestilence?
Perhaps. But far more often human troubles are of our one devising; not God's. They are a result of our own un-Godly action. We are constantly duped by our own self-interest. We are seduced by commonplace easy answers. In times of plenty, we are lulled into believing that we have no need for God. In times of trouble we are quick to blame God or at least criticize God for not jumping in like Mighty Mouse to save the day.
Perhaps. But far more often human troubles are of our one devising; not God's. They are a result of our own un-Godly action. We are constantly duped by our own self-interest. We are seduced by commonplace easy answers. In times of plenty, we are lulled into believing that we have no need for God. In times of trouble we are quick to blame God or at least criticize God for not jumping in like Mighty Mouse to save the day.
Pray
for the courage to live a God-centered life.
God will provide opportunities to express the courage of your faith.
Pray for a just world. God will provide opportunities to seek and
practice justice. Pray for forgiveness. God has forgiven you and will
provide opportunities for you to forgive others.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please post comments here.