Truth
This could have been avoided:
Lamentations 2:10 The elders of the daughter of Zion Sit on the ground and keep silence; They throw dust on their heads And gird themselves with sackcloth. The virgins of Jerusalem Bow their heads to the ground.
The Book of Lamentations is hard to take in. The thought that Jeremiah, the prophet who warned these same deaf ears of his people over and over, wrote this poem of lament is heart-breaking.
Over and over, day in and day out, Jeremiah carried the same message "agree with God before it is too late." Yet the people, from the king, to the prophets, to the religious leaders, resisted Jeremiah's message, preferring instead to believe that military might, political maneuvering, financial strength could be trusted. They clung to a misguided idea that God would somehow overlook their causal approach to Him and their self-centered desires, and would prevent anything bad from ever touching them.
Jeremiah said over and over "Babylon is coming, and when it does, you will see the foolishness of not agreeing with God while there was time." Even after Babylon came and destroyed Jerusalem, the leaders of the people still would not listen to Jeremiah. God's message through Jeremiah never changed: repent (agree with God about His plan), seek God with your whole heart so He can turn away the destruction. But the people of God dug in, unwilling to turn from their comfort even in the face of every word of Jeremiah's coming to pass. God pleaded with them through this man time and time again, yet they would find another prophet who told them what they wanted to hear.
Jeremiah 5:11-12 The people of Israel and Judah are full of treachery against me,” says the Lord . “They have lied about the Lord and said, ‘He won’t bother us! No disasters will come upon us. There will be no war or famine.
God has set His feet in truth. His people cannot have it both ways. It is not possible to desire the world and live in wholehearted love for God, but wholehearted love is the only worthy response to the God who gave it all and loves only wholeheartedly.
God clearly told His people that they would not escape the consequences of claiming His presence yet casting off His leadership, but they choose to believe God was different than His word clearly stated. God gave them what they wanted and told them no matter where they ran or hid, He would chase them down for the sake of His own name...for the sake of truth.
After the destruction of Jerusalem, God told His people...the very people He chose to attach His name to...one last time to trust Him and stay in the city, but they refused to listen, even though they went to Jeremiah for direction, and this was what the Lord said:
Jeremiah 42:15-22 then hear the Lord ’s message to the remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and live there, the very war and famine you fear will catch up to you, and you will die there. That is the fate awaiting every one of you who insists on going to live in Egypt. Yes, you will die from war, famine, and disease. None of you will escape the disaster I will bring upon you there.’ “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Just as my anger and fury have been poured out on the people of Jerusalem, so they will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. You will be an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery. And you will never see your homeland again.’ “Listen, you remnant of Judah. The Lord has told you: ‘Do not go to Egypt!’ Don’t forget this warning I have given you today. For you were not being honest when you sent me to pray to the Lord your God for you. You said, ‘Just tell us what the Lord our God says, and we will do it!’ And today I have told you exactly what he said, but you will not obey the Lord your God any better now than you have in the past. So you can be sure that you will die from war, famine, and disease in Egypt, where you insist on going.”
The Books of Jeremiah and Lamentations chronicle an unchanging truth. You can either agree with God now, and reap a huge blessing of victory and power, or wait in self-focused delusion, telling yourself "nothing bad will happen" or "there is nothing to be done about it, God will work it all out" and end up agreeing with God later, in dust and ashes. You can bow your heart in advance, and seek God with all of your time and money now, or lose all the value of all your time and money and agree with Him by force later. Either way, the truth is God is the light of mankind, and just like a tree cannot survive without the light of the sun, mankind cannot survive without agreeing with God and living in His light.
We live in a generation that has not yet seen a true lack of comfort. BUT, there is coming a day where the only safe place to stand will be the rock of this truth: that God is the pursuit worth pursuing because He is the very source of life. The other sources of strength and comfort the world has come to trust in: government, money, status, entertainment...these are fraying and actually starting to come apart at the seams. The Bible is clear that once the seams start tearing, the comfort in the world that many take for granted today will be gone. There is only one safe place: agreeing with God.
Jeremiah, one of the only ones who agreed with God watched this all unfold, but was protected through it all. Even the enemy who destroyed Jerusalem was moved by God to protect the Lord's messenger:
Jeremiah 39:11-12 King Nebuchadnezzar had told Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, to find Jeremiah. “See that he isn’t hurt,” he said. “Look after him well, and give him anything he wants.”
God desires to bless anyone who will agree with Him about what is going to happen soon. God has a very specific plan, detailed in Amos 9/Joel 2/Isaiah/Daniel/the Gospels/Revelation, and many more places, that we can agree with right now, while there is time. In its simplest explanation, it is wholehearted trust in Him expressed in night and day prayer and worship (the rebuilding of David's Tabernacle) which results in night and day acts of righteousness, which transforms geographic areas that will be protected from the same type of judgment poured out on Jerusalem in Jeremiah's day. God's people can either agree with it now and experience this promise of shining like stars...like Jeremiah:
Daniel 12:1-3 “At that time Michael, the archangel who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued. Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace. Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.
Or, God's people can keep going about their business. This will result in the most intense dynamic God's people have ever seen on earth. It is called the "great falling away" and the "great harvest." Many who name the name of Jesus, but desire the world, will be offended by what Jesus allows to touch His people who refuse to agree with Him about His plans now. Many worldly Christians will quit being Christians when the intensity heats up. However, the Bible says at the same time others, outside the Body right now, will agree with God as the intensity heats up:
Luke 14:16-28 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’ “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’” A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?
Now is the time to agree with God and build the tent of refuge with wholehearted commitment.
Lamentations 2:10 The elders of the daughter of Zion Sit on the ground and keep silence; They throw dust on their heads And gird themselves with sackcloth. The virgins of Jerusalem Bow their heads to the ground.
The Book of Lamentations is hard to take in. The thought that Jeremiah, the prophet who warned these same deaf ears of his people over and over, wrote this poem of lament is heart-breaking.
Over and over, day in and day out, Jeremiah carried the same message "agree with God before it is too late." Yet the people, from the king, to the prophets, to the religious leaders, resisted Jeremiah's message, preferring instead to believe that military might, political maneuvering, financial strength could be trusted. They clung to a misguided idea that God would somehow overlook their causal approach to Him and their self-centered desires, and would prevent anything bad from ever touching them.
Jeremiah said over and over "Babylon is coming, and when it does, you will see the foolishness of not agreeing with God while there was time." Even after Babylon came and destroyed Jerusalem, the leaders of the people still would not listen to Jeremiah. God's message through Jeremiah never changed: repent (agree with God about His plan), seek God with your whole heart so He can turn away the destruction. But the people of God dug in, unwilling to turn from their comfort even in the face of every word of Jeremiah's coming to pass. God pleaded with them through this man time and time again, yet they would find another prophet who told them what they wanted to hear.
Jeremiah 5:11-12 The people of Israel and Judah are full of treachery against me,” says the Lord . “They have lied about the Lord and said, ‘He won’t bother us! No disasters will come upon us. There will be no war or famine.
God has set His feet in truth. His people cannot have it both ways. It is not possible to desire the world and live in wholehearted love for God, but wholehearted love is the only worthy response to the God who gave it all and loves only wholeheartedly.
God clearly told His people that they would not escape the consequences of claiming His presence yet casting off His leadership, but they choose to believe God was different than His word clearly stated. God gave them what they wanted and told them no matter where they ran or hid, He would chase them down for the sake of His own name...for the sake of truth.
After the destruction of Jerusalem, God told His people...the very people He chose to attach His name to...one last time to trust Him and stay in the city, but they refused to listen, even though they went to Jeremiah for direction, and this was what the Lord said:
Jeremiah 42:15-22 then hear the Lord ’s message to the remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and live there, the very war and famine you fear will catch up to you, and you will die there. That is the fate awaiting every one of you who insists on going to live in Egypt. Yes, you will die from war, famine, and disease. None of you will escape the disaster I will bring upon you there.’ “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Just as my anger and fury have been poured out on the people of Jerusalem, so they will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. You will be an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery. And you will never see your homeland again.’ “Listen, you remnant of Judah. The Lord has told you: ‘Do not go to Egypt!’ Don’t forget this warning I have given you today. For you were not being honest when you sent me to pray to the Lord your God for you. You said, ‘Just tell us what the Lord our God says, and we will do it!’ And today I have told you exactly what he said, but you will not obey the Lord your God any better now than you have in the past. So you can be sure that you will die from war, famine, and disease in Egypt, where you insist on going.”
The Books of Jeremiah and Lamentations chronicle an unchanging truth. You can either agree with God now, and reap a huge blessing of victory and power, or wait in self-focused delusion, telling yourself "nothing bad will happen" or "there is nothing to be done about it, God will work it all out" and end up agreeing with God later, in dust and ashes. You can bow your heart in advance, and seek God with all of your time and money now, or lose all the value of all your time and money and agree with Him by force later. Either way, the truth is God is the light of mankind, and just like a tree cannot survive without the light of the sun, mankind cannot survive without agreeing with God and living in His light.
We live in a generation that has not yet seen a true lack of comfort. BUT, there is coming a day where the only safe place to stand will be the rock of this truth: that God is the pursuit worth pursuing because He is the very source of life. The other sources of strength and comfort the world has come to trust in: government, money, status, entertainment...these are fraying and actually starting to come apart at the seams. The Bible is clear that once the seams start tearing, the comfort in the world that many take for granted today will be gone. There is only one safe place: agreeing with God.
Jeremiah, one of the only ones who agreed with God watched this all unfold, but was protected through it all. Even the enemy who destroyed Jerusalem was moved by God to protect the Lord's messenger:
Jeremiah 39:11-12 King Nebuchadnezzar had told Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, to find Jeremiah. “See that he isn’t hurt,” he said. “Look after him well, and give him anything he wants.”
God desires to bless anyone who will agree with Him about what is going to happen soon. God has a very specific plan, detailed in Amos 9/Joel 2/Isaiah/Daniel/the Gospels/Revelation, and many more places, that we can agree with right now, while there is time. In its simplest explanation, it is wholehearted trust in Him expressed in night and day prayer and worship (the rebuilding of David's Tabernacle) which results in night and day acts of righteousness, which transforms geographic areas that will be protected from the same type of judgment poured out on Jerusalem in Jeremiah's day. God's people can either agree with it now and experience this promise of shining like stars...like Jeremiah:
Daniel 12:1-3 “At that time Michael, the archangel who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued. Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace. Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.
Or, God's people can keep going about their business. This will result in the most intense dynamic God's people have ever seen on earth. It is called the "great falling away" and the "great harvest." Many who name the name of Jesus, but desire the world, will be offended by what Jesus allows to touch His people who refuse to agree with Him about His plans now. Many worldly Christians will quit being Christians when the intensity heats up. However, the Bible says at the same time others, outside the Body right now, will agree with God as the intensity heats up:
Luke 14:16-28 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’ “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’” A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?
Now is the time to agree with God and build the tent of refuge with wholehearted commitment.
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