The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 1 March 2022 – Repent And Avoid God’s Wrath
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TOPIC: Repent And Avoid God’s Wrath
READ: Jeremiah 8:1-16 (NKJV)
- “At that time,” says the LORD, “they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of its princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves.
- “They shall spread them before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served and after which they have walked, which they have sought and which they have worshiped. They shall not be gathered nor buried; they shall be like refuse on the face of the earth.
- “Then death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of those who remain of this evil family, who remain in all the places where I have driven them,” says the LORD of hosts.
- ” Moreover you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Will they fall and not rise? Will one turn away and not return?
- Why has this people slidden back, Jerusalem, in a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return.
- I listened and heard, [But] they do not speak aright. No man repented of his wickedness, Saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turned to his own course, As the horse rushes into the battle.
- “Even the stork in the heavens Knows her appointed times; And the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow Observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment of the LORD.
- ” How can you say, ‘We [are] wise, And the law of the LORD [is] with us’? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood.
- The wise men are ashamed, They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD; So what wisdom do they have?
- Therefore I will give their wives to others, [And] their fields to those who will inherit [them;] Because from the least even to the greatest Everyone is given to covetousness; From the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely.
- For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When [there is] no peace.
- Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed, Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; In the time of their punishment They shall be cast down,” says the LORD.
- ” I will surely consume them,” says the LORD. “No grapes [shall be] on the vine, Nor figs on the fig tree, And the leaf shall fade; And [the things] I have given them shall pass away from them.” ‘ “
- “Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, And let us enter the fortified cities, And let us be silent there. For the LORD our God has put us to silence And given us water of gall to drink, Because we have sinned against the LORD.
- “[We] looked for peace, but no good [came;] And for a time of health, and there was trouble!
- The snorting of His horses was heard from Dan. The whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of His strong ones; For they have come and devoured the land and all that is in it, The city and those who dwell in it.”
THE MESSAGE:
This passage reflects God’s imminent judgement over the idolatrous and unrepentant people of Judah in the days of Prophet Jeremiah. The prophets and priests were giving false assurances rather than correction. The text foretells the Babylonian invasion that would lead to:
- The death of many of them and exposure of their dead bodies – a desecration of their Jewish custom (verses 1-3).
- Acquisition of their wives and farmlands by their enemies (verse 10).
- Grapes and vine will be unproductive (verse 13).
- Search for fortified cities to hide in (verse 14).
- Lack of peace and good health (verse 15).
One would have thought that after hearing the impending doom, the people of Judah would repent but they did not. No repentant or righteous person was found in the city. Everyone behaved as he/she liked (verse 6) and God’s wrath came upon them (2 Kings 24:1-4, 20). A similar situation is experienced in our society today. People are careless about God. They are unrepentant and live as they wish. Some believe in wealth, connections, positions and occultic powers. However, all of these cannot save; repentance is the key. Are there signs that you are living in sin or heading towards doom? What are you doing to get back on the right track? Today you can avoid God’s wrath if you repent (Ezekiel 33:11).
PRAYER: O God, I repent of my sins today and rededicate my life to You. May Your Word influence my thinking in Jesus’ name. Amen.
