God Speaks
The LORD uses Jeremiah to Call His People to Repent–or Else
Verse of the Day: “My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled at doing evil; they know not how to do good.” [Quotes in original.] (Jeremiah 4:22 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Jeremiah 4-6:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Jeremiah 4
1. God is calling the people He created, freed from slavery, and set up in their own land to return to Him and to live in the ways He has prescribed.
2. Most people have refused, choosing to behave however they wanted.
Jeremiah 5
1. God sees our hearts and knows if we really mean what we say when we worship Him.
2. People are often stubborn and hardhearted, refusing correction, bringing God’s just judgment on themselves.
Jeremiah 6
1. When necessary, God will use other people and cruel nations to discipline His wayward, rebellious children, unless they repent, search out the good way, and walk in it.
2. Frequently, people react to God’s discipline with loss of courage, irrational fear, and bitter lament instead of returning to Him in repentance and faith.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Jeremiah 4-6?
O LORD God, You are the One who is calling the people You created, freed from slavery (to sin, self, and Satan), and set up in their own land to return to You and to live in the ways You have prescribed. But we head-strong and rebellious people have refused. O LORD God, You are so patient with stubborn and rebellious people. We are deceived and confused about so many things. Our own actions have brought disaster upon us, both natural and manmade storms and crises. Bitter sorrows pierce our hearts. “Waves of destruction roll over the land, until it lies in complete desolation.” It is as You say, LORD, “My people are foolish and do not know Me. . . .They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!” It is hard to find a just and honest person who will intercede with You for the city. Your people refuse to be corrected and repent. The poor and common people are ignorant; they don’t understand Your laws. Their leaders appear to have thrown off Your yoke and broken Your chains. The children have not been taught the truth about You, the true and living God, and so swear by “gods” that aren’t gods at all. Young people rush to commit adultery and all kinds of sexual sins. They have “eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear.” They have no respect for You, LORD God. We don’t tremble in Your presence. We have stubborn and rebellious hearts. We have turned away from and abandoned the God who created us, sustained us, and saved us. We no longer live in awe of our God. Your people don’t heed Your continuous warnings and will suffer greatly for it. “From the least to the greatest, their lives are ruled by greed. Our prophets and priests are all frauds.” You have stated, “They offer superficial treatments for My people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace.” We are not ashamed of our disgusting actions–we “don’t even know how to blush!” The experts command, “Don’t go out to the fields! The [enemy] is everywhere and terrifies us at every turn…. They are the worst kind of rebel, full of slander. [Their hearts] are as hard as bronze and iron, and they lead others into corruption.” In disgust You have every right to declare, “I, the LORD, am discarding them.” But You, O LORD and compassionate God, desire for us to return to You, swear by Your name alone, and practice truth, justice, and righteousness. We must surrender our pride and power to Your sovereign, loving authority. You tell us to, “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls…. ‘Listen for the sound of the alarm.’” If we do not, You will announce, “Listen, all the earth! I will bring disaster on My people. It is the fruit of their own schemes, because they refuse to listen to Me. They have rejected my word.” Superficial religious ceremonies don’t please You, LORD. LORD, it’s easy to see You are using the message You gave Jeremiah to test Your people. If we do not pass the test, there will be judgment in the form of terrible destruction and devastation of the land. You, LORD, will ask, “Should I not punish them for this? Should I not avenge myself against such a nation?” You previously promised to cause a distant and cruel nation to rise up against Your rebellious children. And they have the nerve to ask, “Why did the LORD our God do all this to us?” If we do not repent, but continue on our current course, You will destroy the beautiful, delicate city of Jerusalem. O merciful Father, do whatever You must to keep that from happening, not for our sake, but for Your glory, LORD. AMEN
Action (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Jeremiah 4-6? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will develop and carry out a plan for eliminating the “thorns” in my life–the things that are hindering me from feeling, thinking, or doing my best.
- I will ask the Holy Spirit to help me to be a just and honest person who will intercede with God on behalf of the people of my city, county, state, and nation.
- I will study the scriptures to discover what it means to live in awe of God.
- Like Abraham, Moses, Nehemiah, and Daniel, I will plead with God to give us another chance to repent and turn back to the LORD.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.