Jeremiah 21-22 Is It Coming?

Judah was hearing God say:  “In My anger, My very great anger, I Myself will fight against you with My great power and strength.  I will kill everything living in Jerusalem … I will let those win who want to kill the people of Judah … I will let you choose to live or die.  Anyone who stays .. will die … Anyone who leaves … will save his life…. Jerusalem, I am against you … I will give you the punishment you deserve … People from many nations will … ask each other, ‘Why has the Lord done such a terrible thing…?’  And the answer will be:  ‘Because [they] quit following the agreement with the Lord their God …’  As surely as I live … I will hand you over.”

They’d messed it all up by choosing to sin, and now it was too late to say I’m sorry!  God was bringing discipline on Judah.  He will just as surely bring discipline on America.  My sidebar by Charles Stanley said, “God’s discipline arises from His love for His people … People who accept the discipline of God realize that His discipline is for their own protection.  They do not view it as something negative.  They see it as an expression of His love, for that is exactly what it is … So when God disciplines us, He is trying to keep us from the greater harm that comes from involvement with sin.  We will not fully appreciate the love God has expressed toward us through His discipline until we get to heaven.”

 

Father, I’m thankful that I’ve been able to see Your love for me in the discipline You’ve sent to my life.  I understand.  I only wish that our country understood in the same way.  I fear that we are too much like Judah was, and that we’ve left You with no other alternative but discipline.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford