I am reading the book of Jeremiah right now and man, it’s driving me nuts. I don’t know how Jeremiah did it. God told him, I’ve got a word for you to say to this poeple and I want you to say it but they aren’t going to listen and obey. How frustrating is that? If you’ve got kids or work with people who just don’t like to follow instructions, you get what I’m saying. I can’t tell you how many times at certain points I have to tell my kids something before they listen and actually do it. it drives me nuts at times. Just listen the first time, please! It would save a lot of yelling and time, if you would just listen the first time and obey.
Jeremiah 42-43 is a great example of this. Jeremiah is asked by the people to “pray for us to the Lord your God… that the Lord your God may tell us the way in which we should walk and the thing we should do” (42:2-3). So the people who are left in Judah, not taken to Babylon yet seem to be sincerely seeking the Lord as to what they should do. The people continue in their request to Jeremiah in 42:5-6, “…May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with the whole message with which the Lord your God will send to us. Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the Lord our God to who we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the Lord our God.”
The people seem to be truly willinging to do whatever God leads them to do. Good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant. God can be judge against us if we do not obey.
Jeremiah spends 10 days seeking the word of the Lord for them. He comes back and tells them if you listen and obey this whole message this is what will happen and if you don’t obey this whole message this is what will happen. So, no brainer right, these people are going to listen and obey. NOPE!
Beginning of chapter 43, verses 1-2, “But as soon as Jeremiah whom the Lord their God had sent, had finished telling all the people all the words of the Lord their God…and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, You are telling a lie!…”
The reality is this stuff drives me nuts because I do the same thing. I am like my children at times, God keeps telling me what to do, calling me to listen and obey and my pride and arrogance and stubborness block out all reception of what God is truly speaking to me.
God help us! Give me ears to hear. Give me a heart that truly wants to hear You speak to me and by the power of your Holy Spirit, listen and obey. May I turn the world and all its stuff off and listen, to what I pray I long for, which is Your voice. He who has ears to hear let him hear! Help me Lord to listen and obey.
