18 “Your own conduct and actions have brought this on you.
This is what the Lord declared in Jeremiah 4 when He continued His call to His children in Jerusalem and Judah to return to His side. By that He meant for them to turn away from their wicked ways and come back to the Lord. Wicked ways would entail the idolatrous hearts and worshipping of other gods that men have created for themselves.
14 Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved.
How long will you harbor wicked thoughts?
15 A voice is announcing from Dan,
proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
16 “Tell this to the nations,
proclaim concerning Jerusalem:
‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land,
raising a war cry against the cities of Judah.
17 They surround her like men guarding a field,
because she has rebelled against me,’”
declares the Lord.
18 “Your own conduct and actions
have brought this on you.
This is your punishment.
How bitter it is!
How it pierces to the heart!”
One must reflect and see if their walk with God has gone astray as they lead their daily lives. It is not enough to just attend church on the weekends or read up simple prayers from the Internet to be holy and just. One must also walk closely everyday by inspecting their hearts and their tongues if they are abiding by the same rule that the Lord has called for us to follow. If we have not, then is it because of our own unwillingness to change or could it be due to our own neglect? Or like the people in Jerusalem and Judah back then, simply rebelled because they have attained freedom from usual life difficulties and begun living in the cushy comfort of a trouble-free life?
30 What are you doing, you devastated one?
Why dress yourself in scarlet
and put on jewels of gold?
Why highlight your eyes with makeup?
You adorn yourself in vain.
Your lovers despise you;
they want to kill you.
It is not as if we Christians are not allowed to live a very leisurely life but more to the reason when we do, are we still living within the holy yardstick prescribed by the Lord or have we totally forgotten His instructions? It begs for us to remember.
When we look at worldly disasters, we sometimes ascribe it to predictions of why it happened devoid of a spiritual interpretation. While science may have the justifications for a lot of the phenomenons, we still have not the idea about most of what is in the universe. As such, our intellectual capabilities are still very much limited and confined to only stuff on earth and not the outside world per se such as the Dark Matter or Dark Energy as identified by scientists. But even so, with the little knowledge that we have, we have already given ourselves the liberty to paint any predictions that we may think is right and sometimes this is where we wag our tongues too freely and land us in disasters by saying the wrong things or accusing others of the wrong reasons.
On a personal life basis, we too court trouble through our violent uncontrollable ways. Our thoughts are foremost the crucial determinant that directs our paths. Where shall we go? What should we do? Who should we befriend with? All these have their very own circumstances and consequences if not guarded with the faith-filled heart and walk with God.
If and when we’re in the wrong company, then our journey will be filled with false accusations, deceit, lies, temptations and eventually hurting the people around us and ourselves. These could also mean being wicked to our lives because we’re selfish enough to just tunnel our preferred routes for our own benefits and God in the process is neglected, hurt and pushed aside.
When disaster strikes, it begs for us to question ourselves, is it coming continuously without any solution in sight or do they come repeatedly with no end in sight? If it’s the former, it could likely be God’s grace and mercy at work; you will overcome it. If it’s the latter, perhaps it’s time to re-look at yourself in the mirror.
I pray, regardless of when and how the disaster may come, you will find your hearts wholly dedicated to the mighty protection of the Lord and that you will follow in His footsteps so that all the disruptions will preclude you within the equation. Let God’s purpose take root in your heart and may His joy reflect on your treatments of others. Because God loves us so, we must remember that we too must love Him, not just so that disasters will not come but because He is our Father. Return to Him is all He ever wants. May you experience His grace, mercy, love and imperishable blessings, from now until eternity, in Jesus name Amen!
Bible reference from www.biblegateway.com
Photo by JJ Jordan on Unsplash
