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God's Not A Lousy Teacher-
You're Not Paying Attention
When tragedy hits, everyone wants to ask - Where was God in this whole mess?
And out of heaven comes a voice, saying loudly and clearly - Why didn't you listen to Me and turn from your evil ways?
God spoke a distinct word through the prophet Jeremiah saying - "Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest My soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited"(Jeremiah 6:8).
In other words, what He was saying to His people was this - Receive My chastisement for your actions...heed My discipline...be wise by returning back to Me.
What specific instruction did He give?
We find the first portion in Jeremiah 25:5-6, saying - "...Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings...And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke Me not to anger with the works of your hands..."
Again, we read of God's instruction in Jeremiah 35:15, saying - "...Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them..."
In Jeremiah 44:4, He added - "...Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate."
Did God mean business with His people?
Just how earnest was He in soliciting them?
He lost no time in dealing with them. He took every opportunity available to bring them to their senses.
Jeremiah 7:13 relates - "...and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not..."
Jeremiah 25:3-4 confirms - "...and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened. And the LORD hath sent unto you all of His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear."
Jeremiah 35:15 adds - "I have sent also unto you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them..."
What was His objective in sending forth His instruction to His people so unweariedly, forcefully, earnestly, and zealously through His servants the prophets?
The answer can be found in Jeremiah 31:19 - "Surely...after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh..."
He expected His people to come to their senses and to learn from their suffering and times of sorrow.
To "smite upon the thigh" was an outward demonstration - indicating a remorse over sin or a definite change of life. It was a token of indignation, humility, affliction, and grief over sin.
Jeremiah 32:33 tells the story of the rebellion of the people after all that the Lord God did to turn them from their evil ways - "And they have turned unto Me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction."
Perhaps you are one who is reading this message today and the Holy Spirit is convicting you and showing you that you are just like Israel and Judah. You are not right with God and you know it!.
Time after time, He has sent His servants to you with a Word of Correction. How did you react to the call to "Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings...amend your doings...Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate"? Did you "smite upon your thigh" after being "instructed" from His Holy Word, or did you do as described in 2 Chronicles 36:16 - "...mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words, and misused His prophets..."?
Sin is an abominable thing to God.
He does not expect you to -
...make excuses as to why you cannot live without it
...justify yourself in it
...call it "good" when He calls it "evil"
...ridicule His servants in order to make them look bad while you end up looking good
God is warning you today - perhaps some are even getting their final warning before judgment falls - "Turn ye again now...from your evil way...from the evil of your doings...amend your doings...Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate..."
The Holy Spirit is saying to you - O Wayward One - "Be instructed..."
Return to the Lord. Learn the lesson that He is trying so earnestly to teach you.
It isn't that God is a lousy teacher - you're not paying attention!
Don't provoke Him - as Israel and Judah did - to have no other choice than to "depart" from you or remove His presence from your life.
Utter ruin lies ahead if you will not heed His discipline and chastisement.
The Almighty - the Holy One of Israel - will not always strive with you.
Be warned.
Get rid of your sin and get right with Him - before it is
Too Late!
May God Bless His Word.
Connie
| © COPYRIGHT Connie Giordano - All Rights Reserved
