Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 46-47
One thing I was thinking about, today as I read – “This is the word of the Lord…” – how would that sound to the people listening?! After all it hadn’t happened yet – and doesn’t what I actually see seem more real than what I can’t see. What seems unreal to me – God sees in the future – that is what is really real! So the prophet prophecies what will happen to Egypt. It almost seems to me that the Lord is mocking the Egyptians “Go ahead, polish your spears – put on your armour!” But the reality is what God sees – troops terrified – retreating – terror on every side!” That is what God sees in the future. “What do I see? Do I adopt his vision when He tells me things? The Lord warns ‘But that day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty – a day of vengeance, for vengeance on His foes! So which is more real? To faith, when I see the phrase repeated over and over – ‘declares the Lord’ – it seems to me that he is pleading with me to understand that what He sees and says is really the truth of the matter! I hear God looking into the future of the world in which I live, and predicting what is happening around me in 2 Peter 3:3-4 where I am told that in the last days, men will say ‘Where is the promise of His coming… because all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation! But then Scriptures states “But the day of the Lord will come!” And He explains that the Lord is not slow about His promise… but is patient … not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance! I think I would like to join forces with the Lord reaching out to people without the Lord – to help perishing people escape – they’re all around me! I can work with my Father today in lovingly seeking to spread His message of salvation which is available today!
And the feeling only deepens at the end of the section where it says that the old enemy, Egypt has however a chance – “Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past!” (declares the Lord!). But remember that there is no escape for those who reject such a great salvation!” (Hebrews 2:3) So it is never too late to turn to the Lord until one leaves this world in death or if the Lord at any moment returns to catch away His people – then it will be “too late.” And so I don’t read anything about an escape for the Philistines! Not sure for what reason there is offered “no escape”!? But when I read about the Egyptians, the thing about our loving Father which I always appreciate – mentioned as we begin our reading for today is that He is always a God of second chances!
Did you enjoy the God of compassion stating “Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scattered you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished!” (because He knows that that would not be good for me)! But I hope that today I can walk closely to Him and He will carry me sometimes over a hard patch of life where I’m frustrated and too tired to struggle on!