Friday December 16, 2016
Merciful God
- JEREMIAH 11:1-14
Key Verse:
"Then the LORD said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them" (Jeremiah 11:6).
In the second stanza of his song, Have you counted the cost', A.J. Hodge, scripted: "You may barter your hope of eternity's morn, For a moment of joy at the most, For the glitter of sin and the things it will win, Have you counted, have you counted the cost?" But stanza three, reads: "While the door of His mercy is open to you, Ere the depth of His love you exhaust, Won't you come and be healed, won't you whisper, I yield; I have counted, I have counted, the cost." All through the ages, God has remained faithful. He is ever-slow to anger, but full of compassion. He forewarns before he punishes. The children of Israel had remained rebellious despite repeated warnings from the prophets of God. They had a history of rebellion and hard-heartedness towards obeying the word of God. Generation after generation had the same problem. In the passage of consideration, God needed to once again, appeal to their conscience through Prophet Jeremiah on the need to do His command. His expectation was that the children of Israel should have effortlessly obeyed Him, having done so much for them; yet, they continued in their disobedience. They were tied to their idols, as if they had enjoyed all the privileges by its power. They continued to multiply idols and set up altars to burn incense unto them. Evil was determined against them as God strictly charged the prophet never to intercede for them. Today, God is charging believers whom He has redeemed through Jesus Christ, on the need for a consistent walk with Him. He expects that having enjoyed His blessings, pardon from sin and protection from our enemies, believers should have learnt to reciprocate the gestures without being prodded. Whatever idols may have taken the place of God, He wants such idols rooted off before it is too late.
Thought for the day: To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
Bible Reading in one Year: HABAKKUK 1 - 3
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