"You of this generation, consider the
word of the Lord:
“Have I been a desert to Israel
or a land of great
darkness?
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam;
we will come to
you no more’?
Does a young woman forget her jewelry,
a bride her
wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number.
How skilled you are at pursuing love!
Even the worst of
women can learn from your ways.
On your clothes is found
the lifeblood of the innocent poor,
though you did not catch them breaking in.
Yet in spite of all this you say, ‘I am innocent;
he is not angry with me.’
But I will pass judgment on you
because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’"
Jeremiah 2:31-35 NIV
Stand your ground! I read in the local
news last night about a man who is appealing his conviction of murder by using
the "stand your ground" defense. He claims the man he was arguing
with, who was standing on his own property on the other side of a fence, was
threatening him. Indeed, they were arguing. But, the man that was shot and
killed did not have a weapon. The man who claimed it is was not murder but
self-defense was carrying a weapon. After arguing with his neighbor, he had
gone into the house purposely to get the gun to threaten his neighbor. He came
out and continued to argue with his neighbor with the end result being that he
shot his neighbor five times, killed his neighbor, and then claimed
self-defense. He had been found guilty. Yet, he still claims that he did no
wrong. He did not sin.
Just because we think our stories will
justify us does not make it so. We do a lot of justifying of our sins. We would
really like our sins to not be considered sins. It would be nice if everyone
(including God) smiled upon our sins and let us keep on keeping on as we were.
It would be nice to be able to do whatever we want; whenever we want; to whomever
we want without consequences. But, it does not work that way. There are
consequences for sinning against others and there are consequences for sinning
against God.
Jeremiah reminds us not only how it is that we sin
against man; but, how we neglect and sin against God, as well. He reminds us to
consider that there are many who would say that they worship the one true and
Almighty God. Yet, they neglect and forget to give God all glory and honor;
while they would never forget to put on their jewelry before they leave the
house! They forget to worship the One who gave His very life, that we might
drink from the waters of life; eat from the tree of life. Is the life of Christ
less valuable than our jewelry?
Yes, we are free to roam wherever we
please. We can do that. But, remember that there are consequences in this world and
in the next for our actions and inactions. Confess your sin and return to the
LORD destroying the false gods that you worship that you might be truly
justified by the blood of Christ shed for you. The lies and the false gods can
do nothing good for you! They can do nothing! They are worthless! But, the One
who loves you enough to save you from your sins, by dying for you, can and
does do all things for the good of those who love him. Trust him!
God's Peace - Pr. J
