Great Plains Daily Devotional for 9/1/2019

Jeremiah 2:4-13 

Listen to the Lord’s word,
    people of Judah,
    all you families of the Israelite household.

This is what the Lord says:

What wrong did your ancestors find in me
    that made them wander so far?
They pursued what was worthless
    and became worthless.
They didn’t ask,
    “Where’s the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt,
        who led us through the wilderness,
        in a land of deserts and ravines,
        in a land of drought and darkness,
        in a land of no return,
            where no one survives?”
I brought you into a land of plenty,
    to enjoy its gifts and goodness,
        but you ruined my land;
        you disgraced my heritage.
The priests didn’t ask,
    “Where’s the Lord?”
Those responsible for the Instruction didn’t know me;
    the leaders rebelled against me;
    the prophets spoke in the name of Baal,
        going after what has no value.
That is why I will take you to court
    and charge even your descendants,
        declares the Lord.
Look to the west as far as the shores of Cyprus
    and to the east as far as the land of Kedar.
Ask anyone there:
    Has anything this odd ever taken place?
    Has a nation switched gods,
        though they aren’t really gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glory
    for what has no value.
Be stunned at such a thing, you heavens;
    shudder and quake,
        declares the Lord.
My people have committed two crimes:
    They have forsaken me, the spring of living water.
    And they have dug wells, broken wells that can’t hold water.

Not sure about you, yet if God were to ask me what I had found in Him to make me wander so far away from Him – I’d probably melt right in the spot. Like me, I would think most people would say, “surely not I, I would not wander away from You, God.” Then I think about the conversations I hear. I rethink about the questions asked at a recent Police/Community Meeting, the questions asked at the recent active shooter awareness training – and I wonder. One look at the nightly news – and I wonder.

They pursued what was worthless and became worthless. v. 5b. I really think we have an epidemic in our world of focusing more on the worthless. My people have committed two crimes: They have forsaken Me, the spring of living water. And they have dug wells, broken wells that can’t hold water. v. 13. As a society we have placed more value in things, places, other people, than we have God. Our wells of life are leaking more than we are taking in because we have forsaken our first love, God. We are not refilling with life sustaining living water, instead we are attempting to fill our souls with whatever else we can find that makes us happy for the moment. And all the while, we don’t even think that we have wandered away from God. The great part about it all -- we can make the choice to not wander! We can decide to allow the life sustaining water glue our broken wells back together and be filled to over flowing. No more wandering!
 

Prayer for Reflection

Jeremiah 2:4-13
Psalm 81:1, 10-16
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Luke 14:1, 7-14