Going Left Instead of Right

Jeremiah 44:16 - "As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen."

The level of stubbornness that God's people displayed in Jeremiah 42-44 just blows me away sometimes.  In chapter 42, they recognize that God regularly speaks through Jeremiah so they ask him to pray to God to guide them.  This is a good start.

At the risk of sounding a bit mean, I find Jeremiah's response at the end of the chapter 42 kind of funny.  He gives them God's instructions and says that he knows they won't obey anyways (verse 21).  He basically says, I don't know why you asked, or why I prayed, because you're too hard headed to listen.  In chapter 43, the people call Jeremiah a liar, and in chapter 44, they flat out tell him that they won't obey.

It's like being on vacation, and asking a local for directions.  They tell you to turn right on a certain street, and you say, "You don't know what you're talking about.  I'm turning left instead of right."  Well, if you're going to go wherever you want to go, why did you bother to stop and ask directions in the first place?  So you could hear what you wanted to hear?

God doesn't work that way.  He speaks the Truth to us at all times, and He does it in love.  He doesn't tell us what He wants us to do because He's mad and wants to lead us down a dark path of destruction.  He wants that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9).  Paul told us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).  That's what Jesus did, and that is one way for us to become  more like Christ.  Telling someone what they want to hear, especially when you know it is untrue, just to coddle their feelings does them a great disservice, and could lead them down a path towards greater problems.

Those of you who know me well enough, know that I tend to have issues with stubbornness.  It's an inherited trait, that I have perfected over 39 years of practice (I mean 21...).  The one thing that keeps me out of big trouble is God's love and grace.  His love and protection over me have rescued me more times than I could count.  He knows my heart, and He knows when my humanity has a tendency to take over and steer me down the wrong path.  He knows that I will mess up regularly, but He still loves me anyway because of His unending grace.  I am often reminded of His promise from Psalm 91:1 that says, "Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty."

Promises like this help me get back on the right road after that unexpected, and inexplicable, left turn.  I have made, and will make more, wrong turns during my journey (as I'm sure we all have).  The Great News, is that when we seek His forgiveness through confession and repentance, and seek shelter in Him to find rest in His shadow, He is just to forgive us and restore us to Him because of the price paid by Jesus on the cross.  A price paid in blood because of perfect love.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding me to take the right when I keep trying to take the left.  Thank You for Your forgiveness and grace for the times when I do disobey You and go left instead of right.  I pray for those that always ignore Your warnings and instructions.  My prayer is that they will remember that You have nothing but great plans for them that will give them a future and a hope.  I pray that when we do make mistakes, we are mindful to seek Your forgiveness through confession and repentance, and that through Your love and grace, You will restore us.  I cannot thank you enough for Your love and grace.  In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen!



God Bless!!!