God explained to Jeremiah that His judgment on Judah would grow still worse because they would not take to heart His warnings. They would not be able to rely on the land that flowed with milk and honey because they had made it “desolate,” so that the land itself mourned to God. National identity and self reliance would not save them from the storm. God was looking for heart change. I wonder. After the desolation in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, will there be any heart change in our land?
Live with godly wisdom toward those who are outside the faith. Let them see Christ in you. Remember that you were once an “outsider” too, but Christ has brought you near. Be alert for the opportune time to share your faith in Christ with them. There are two Greek words in the Bible for time. One is “chronos,” which refers to chronological or sequential time. The other, which is the word found in our verse today, is “kairos,” which refers to a right moment when things come to a head, an opportune or suitable time. So, live wisely with unbelievers, looking for the “kairos” moment to join God in His redemptive work.
Human wisdom, strength and riches are the criteria by which we judge success, they are the attributes we boast of and depend upon. Indeed, it is these three that shape societal pecking order. Yet, God warned that such fleshly boasts would not save Israel from the coming judgment. The three gods of human accomplishment would fail them. The most valuable boast (if one is to boast) is that we “understand and know” the Lord. This is the “boast” that saves. It is the currency that gives both entrance and status within the new and coming kingdom of heaven. For true and lasting wisdom, strength and riches are found in knowing God through Jesus Christ, His Son (Eph. 1:15-23). Let the one who boasts boast in Christ!
The Psalmist called his generation not to neglect telling the next generation of the “glorious deeds of the Lord.” Certainly, this call is in obedience to God’s Word, which commanded parents to teach their children of Him (Deut. 6:7). Yet, I am convinced that we must also tell them not only what God has done in the past, but also what He has done in our own lives in the present. Tell your children the whole of God’s Word and especially do not “hide” the part of how Jesus Christ saved a sinner like you.
Jeremiah’s prophecy of God’s coming judgment on Judah even included charges against those who should have joined him in warning their people. It’s a sad state of affairs when the prophets and priests who claim to represent God “deal falsely,” filling their congregant’s ears with lies of peace when war is at their gates. Better to hear bad news from one’s physician and be able to get help, than to hear lies and be left dying with a false prognosis. In the same way, it’s better to follow a pastor who preaches God’s Word without apology, than one who offers human platitudes to tickle the ears.
This was Paul’s prayer for the Colossians, that they might “walk worthy of the Lord” who had saved them. The Christian life is not a leap nor a sprint, but a “walk.” It is a daily spiritual discipline of denying oneself and following Jesus. With each step we learn to walk in the Spirit in order to bear the fruit of good works and we grow in our study of God’s Word, knowing Him better and better. Putting away the former things and putting on Christ, we walk with a desire to “fully please” the Lord in all things.
What God did for Jeremiah, I pray He does for me whenever I open my mouth to preach. Like Jeremiah, I do not feel worthy to be His messenger, yet I know it is His Word alone, not mine, that is worthy of being heard. It is not just in preaching that I pray for God’s Word to shape my speech, but in every word of counsel offered. For human wisdom has no power to save. Be careful of giving out advice without prayer. Ask God to “touch your mouth” before using it to guide others.
Like an olympic runner stretching for the finish line, the apostle Paul “strained forward” towards the future “goal” in Christ. He didn’t let his past predict his future, but focused on the goal of Christ. Some live in the past, living a life of regret or remembering past glories or failures. Others live as dreamers, always searching for the gold at the end of some distant rainbow. But Paul had a singular focus to follow and be with Christ. Have you yet made Jesus the object of your faith, the one you worship and follow, your all in all?
After describing a coming day of the Lord’s judgment, Isaiah prophesied of a “new heaven and a new earth” (Isa.65:17), a time when the predator and the prey will no longer be at enmity. With the new creation, there will be a new order where peace will reign. This prophecy is yet to be fulfilled.
The Scriptural basis for a favorite VBS song is found here: “Rise and shine, and give God the glory, glory…