Jeremiah_19
Scripture - What stood out?
Jeremiah 19:4 For they have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods; they have burned incense in it to gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.Observation - What does it say?Jeremiah, a messenger of God, delivers faithfully a message intended for the kings of Judah and the people of Jerusalem. The message was one of bad tidings. The nation of Judah had fallen away from God and so God responded by letting the people know what was about to happen to them.Understanding - What does it mean?I have really thought a lot about “idol worship” and foreign gods for several weeks now. Most christians can’t really relate to either of the two because most of us aren’t fashioning statues and worshiping false gods outright. But when I think about how Jesus focused so heavily on the conditions of our hearts I think I begin to understand how I might apply some of what Jeremiah preached to my life today.For if God cares so much about my heart than really a foreign god, a false god, and idol could potentially be anything that replaces God as my priority. That kinda opens the door wide open doesn't it? I have placed so many things above God in my life. Beauty, fame, fortune, power, physical strength, intelligence, lusts...All are things I used to obsess over at one point or another. In the days of the old testament people worshiped these “other gods” openly. Today we worship these non-gods in our heart. We just don’t call them foreign gods. (Although I am sure there exists open forms of religions that worship fake gods for sure.)Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today?If Jeremiah were alive today I wonder if he would look at our society and out of his mouth would come these words…”For they have forsaken me and made this a place of foreign gods; they have burned incense in it to gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah ever knew, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.”
Lord forgive us our transgressions. I pray forgiveness for all the innocent blood we have spilled, for worshiping things in our hearts that our ancestors never knew. I pray against all the forms of pride, envy, bitterness, hatred, and lusts that we have prioritized in our hearts above you. Forgive us Lord and help us to refocus ourselves and hopefully our society’s heart back on You, Jesus. In the name of Jesus do I pray. Amen.
-kenneth lee