469 -- Hey, This Isn't Joyful!
May 23 (5/23) in Godsfield -- Jeremiah 5:23
(For Better or Verse: Each day in 2025 I will begin this Godsfield e-mail with a Bible verse that corresponds with the month (chapter 1-12) and day (verse 1-31) it is sent. This month features a lot of fifth chapters! Those with eyes and ears, let them see and hear.)
Jeremiah 5:23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away.
This isn't a joyful verse! I'm not going to put a cross stitch version of this on my kitchen wall! Why in the world would May 23 by sullied by this statement?
Jeremiah lived a miserable life, and God even told him it would be that way, that he would speak the word of the Lord and the people would hate him for it, ignore him, push back, walk away, even threaten to kill him and come close to doing it.
If Jeremiah thought it was an honor to be chosen by God, he had many second thoughts. He had to say what the Lord told him to say; that was the deal from the beginning.
Jeremiah's only comeback was "Thus says the Lord. These are the Lord's words. I didn't make them up. Take it up with Yahweh!"
They were a rebellious people; they were stubborn. Their backs were to God and they were turning aside.
And so are we; it's part of that "all have sinned and fallen short" thing.
Jeremiah's life was in telling the people that God was about to tear down and pluck up what they thought was their inherent right, rather than God's gracious gift. They thought they were something special because of who they are, rather than a witness to the world of how special God is.
So plucked up they were, torn down they became, hauled away they went.
And only then could they hear the rest of the story -- God's message through Jeremiah, which was: I will build up and plant.
And the gardener did so by himself becoming the root of Jesse and the plant of restoration.
Our hearts on their own are still rebellious and stubborn, but now they are invaded by the Spirit of truth and the Overcomer of rebellion.
That's Jesus, just to be clear!
Love ya,
Paul