God Speaks
The LORD God Lays Out His People’s Sins and His Response
Verse of the Day: This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Jeremiah 7-9:
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 7
1. God abhors mere lip service in worship. He demands honesty and exclusivity from those who worship Him.
2. People tend to fool themselves into thinking they can get by with bad behavior if they attend church, synagogue, or the Temple.
Jeremiah 8
1. God is in the process of drawing people back to Himself. Jesus dying on the cross was what made this possible.
2. Why do people stay on self-destructive paths? Why do God’s people refuse to turn back to Him?
Jeremiah 9
1. God demonstrates unfailing love and brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and He delights in people who do these things.
2. People who turn away from God, doing their own thing, will suffer greatly and be disgraced even in death.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Jeremiah 7-9?
O LORD God, I learn from Your Word that You abhor mere lip service from those who worship You. Father in Heaven, I want always to worship You in Spirit and in Truth. Don’t let me (or anyone I know) fool myself into thinking that I can get away with bad behavior just because I call myself a Christian, have been baptized, or attend Bible studies or church services. Why do people stay on self-destructive paths? Why do God’s people refuse to turn back to Him? Only You, LORD God, know their inner thoughts and motivations. Thank You that You, Holy Spirit, are continually working in people’s minds and hearts (whether they are believers or not yet) to draw us closer to the Father and the Son. Please continue. It has been said, “Judgment begins with the house of God.” You often use negative circumstances to cleanse Your people and purify our hearts. Don’t give up on us or discard us. Thank You that Jesus’ sinless life and sacrificial death on the cross made it possible for You, LORD, to forgive us and for us to live free of sin both now and for eternity. LORD God, You demonstrate unfailing love and bring justice and righteousness to the earth. You delight in people who do these things as well. However, if people insist on turning away and rejecting You and Your commands, doing their own thing, they will suffer greatly and be disgraced even in death. May all those who truly worship You boast about You, LORD, and what You are doing to anyone who will listen. That’s how we can bring You 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 7-9? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will pray for the people of my local congregation to recognize their sin, to confess it wherever needed, and to turn back to right living empowered by the Holy Spirit of God.
- I will examine my life and strive to do things that please God rather than insulting Him.
- I will take to heart how God has disciplined His people in the past and change my ways.
- I will boast about the LORD and what He is doing to anyone who will listen.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.