Jeremiah – Page 16 – Be Still…

Jeremiah 9:3-16 – They Don’t Know God

black and white image of a man covering his eyes, set against black background

God is illustrating how far his precious children have fallen. The people he describes don’t sound like they would be folks I’d want to hang around with. Who wants to be slandered or taken advantage of? What’s their excuse? “‘They do not know me,’ says the LORD.”

There are plenty of people walking around this planet that don’t know God. There are even people attending church every Sunday who are clueless about God and his character, much less his desire for their life. It’s tragic. Is there something we can do? Our churches should be safe places where we can worship God, hear the Word, and share fellowship with other believers.

Jeremiah 8:18-9:2 – Jeremiah Weeps

Read Jeremiah 8:18-9:2

woman weeping with head down, grayed out but read rose buds on ground near her

What brings you to tears? A sappy movie, hearing about natural disasters and people suffering, a moving worship song, etc. Few, if any, of us have had a situation like Jeremiah where he pronounced doom on his friends and co-habitants of Judah only to watch the horrific destruction come to pass. In that situation, I would be weeping, too.

As it is, looking around at how some people today are following in Judah’s footsteps of idolatry and trusting false prophets, tears aren’t far from my eyes. There are plenty of examples in the Bible speaking to the strength of our sinful nature, I shouldn’t be surprised of the human frailty I see in me and those I love.

Jeremiah 8:4-17 – From the Least to the Greatest

Read Jeremiah 8:4-17

less is more written on a card on a table

While we know this text is speaking of the failures of Judah, I can’t help but see so many parallels to what is happening today. Many people are on a self-destructive path heading for who knows where. I’ve seen preachers twist the words of Scripture to make it say something it doesn’t just to appease the crowd.

Humanity seems to be in a continuous spiral away from God. Why is that? Do you see it, too? Many are caught in the “trap of their own foolishness,” and “from the least to the greatest, their lives are ruled by greed.” Good news–there are also seasons of revival!

Jeremiah 7:16-8:3 – Who is in Control?

Read Jeremiah 7:16-8:3

God chose Jeremiah to bring all these messages to the people in the temple where he knew they would be gathered. Yet God seems to doubt anything will change. “Tell them all this, but do not expect them to listen. Shout out your warnings, but do not expect them to respond.” Jeremiah was given fair warning about what sort of reception he’d receive.

From God’s lament here, it would appear the people “think” they are in control. After all, they can choose the way they live and pay attention to idols instead of God. We might fall into this same trap thinking we are “in control” of our lives. We, too, are able to make our own decisions in life. What happens when we make bad choices?

Jeremiah 7:1-15 – How Many Chances?

Read Jeremiah 7:1-15

Were you surprised by the second chance God offers here (or maybe the umpteenth chance) to repent. It’s almost as if God is in denial because he does the same thing over and over expecting different results. Hoping for different results. God doesn’t want to give up on the possibility that his people will repent and do the right thing.

That’s a beautiful thing when you think of it. But like any loving parent, God often overlooks behaviors because of the intensity of his love. Do you think God still looks the other way, or is he still hoping we’ll do the right thing.