We all have
our favorites in the Bible. One of mine is Jeremiah. God called him to be a
prophet when he was very young. Jeremiah doubted his competence, and God had to
assure him that he would be with him every step of the way. Jeremiah was a
special prophet who asked thought provoking questions and gave soul stirring inquiries
to his people. He lived at a time when people were more influenced by their culture
than by their God. One of the questions Jeremiah asked needs to be asked today.
He began one of his sermons with a description of some of the terrible things
that were going on.
The people had
lost their willingness to stay committed in friendships, business arrangements,
marriage, and in even in their relationship with God. Because they had
forgotten God, it affected every other area of their lives. Jeremiah writes
that “disaster overtook them” (Jer. 2:3).
What a
disaster! When they forgot God, they lost his presence in their lives. They
lost his protection and provision. They had no idea how bitter their way would
become. When they lost their commitment to marriage, they lost the love and
integrity of a committed spouse. They lost their ability to be forgiven and to
forgive each other. They were hurt, and they hurt each other. How did this happen? The prophet says it
began because they stopped asking the most important question in life.
Jer 2:6 They did not ask, 'Where is the LORD, who
brought us up out of Egypt and led us through the barren wilderness, through a
land of deserts and rifts, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one
travels and no one lives?' 7 I brought you into a fertile land to eat its fruit
and rich produce. But you came and defiled my land and made my inheritance
detestable. 8 The priests did not ask,’ Where is the LORD?’ Those who deal with
the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets
prophesied by Baal, following worthless idols.
Our worth
and identity come from God. When we abandon him, we lose our value. We start
looking to others to provide our value. We depend on others’ approval for our
identity. Our ability to distinguish right from wrong comes from God. When we
lose that, we look to the culture to tell us how to live. Political correctness
is an example of that. Our ability to forgive others and show compassion comes
from God. When we lose this, we become bitter and resentful.
Jeremiah
says, “They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord, who brought us up out of Egypt?’” In
other words, they lost their spiritual roots. When you stop making God the very
center of your life, you are headed for trouble. When you lose sight of what
God did for you—you are traveling the wrong road. When you stop talking to God
and stop running everything by him before you make your decisions, you are
already chasing worthless idols. Let us begin each day by asking, “Where is the
Lord in my family, my job, my church, and my life?”
