LEARNING DAILY

Jeremiah 2:31-32, “O generation, see the word of the Lord! Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are lords; we will come no more to You’? Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet, My people have forgotten Me days without number.”

In this portion of Scripture, we read Jeremiah’s “analogy of an immoral, adulterous prostitute to illustrate the depth of Judah’s unfaithfulness to God, her husband” (Life in the Spirit Study Bible). God had done so much for the people of Israel. He had led them out of captivity and slavery in Egypt, provided for all their needs while in the wilderness, protected provided for all their needs while taking control of the Promised Land. All he demanded was for this people to be look to Him to be their God. To answer the question above, He was neither a wilderness nor darkness to this people.

But they did not want to live as He wanted them to live. They began to look at themselves as self-sufficient, wanting to be in control of their lives; they did not want any of the rules or restraints imposed on them by God. They said we will do what we want and worship who we want and do it the way we want. They looked around at the people and their beliefs – the people they were to destroy – and no longer gave thought or practice to the ways God demanded. The result was falling into idolatry and immorality.

It is important to reread the darkened portion of the verses about; it is my emphasis because this is the message of today’s blog. Is this an expression of God’s disappointment, even the painfulness of His people open neglect of Him? It certainly appears that Jeremiah is revealing His grief and sorrow over the unfaithfulness of His people. They had forgotten what He had done for them.

For me, this is an important reminder to never forget what God did for me, how He saved me, changed me, and has never given up on me. It seems to me that Believers need to be reminded of what God has done and what He continues to do for His followers. We must not allow Satan to snatch the Word of God from us or the difficulties and circumstances of life cause us to lose our faith. We must not allow the attractiveness of worldly lusts, things, and position take away from the time we spend reading/studying/meditating on God’s Word, our time in prayer, and letting the light of Jesus Christ shine so others can see it. No, we allow the time we spend with the Lord to accomplish its results in us.

I have to ask because I have had to ask myself this question. What would God say about the time – the quality time – you spend with Him? I am not talking about the time you spend to check off a box on your “To Do” list. If the people I love dearly did not communicate with me, I would be devastated! I enjoy watching, being with, talking to my family. I truly miss the fellowship I have had with many I have worked with. That being so, think about a loving Father who sent His son to die on a cross that we might be saved by Him and brought back into His family. We must not accept that salvation and then forget Him. We must walk the narrow way to become like the Lord Jesus. Make time to be with Him daily. Make it be quality time! Oh, what joy I have with my family! Oh, what joy God has when His people come to Him and spend time with Him. He pours out His blessings when we do!