Jeremiah 36: 3
It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”
Throughout the generations we have all loved to hear the positive messages of having faith and everything turning out great and wonderful on the other side and those are good messages to have and are always my favorite but there are times when God has a different message. Kings used to kill prophets at times when they brought a bad word and other times they would tear their garments and repent and God would bring healing to the land. What’s your response?
God had told the Israelites over and over that if they would do as He said and follow His lead everything would be great and He would be their God and they would be His people. He almost begged them to ask for forgiveness and turn from their sins so He wouldn’t have to continue with the disaster He was bringing on them but they were hard hearted and wouldn’t listen, they would rather die and have their children die. Sad to say there are times when some of us are like that today, we can know what we are doing is wrong but we justify it by blaming someone else and claiming that God is a god of grace so it will be alright. God is a god of grace and He loves us and wants to forgive us and move us forward into all that He has planned for us but He is still a holy God and He will not allow us to rebel and not confess and face what we have done wrong.

The consequences of not bringing to light on our own what we have done or are doing and repenting and turning away from it and getting the help we need are much worse than anything we could possibly face from the people around us. God is God and He still hates sin! If we want His blessing and favor on our lives then we must stop being complacent Christians and we must strive to be more like Him. Don’t wait for Him to reveal what you have done.

Have you ever watched a child in the grocery store that wants something and when they don’t think they are going to get it they throw a fit expecting that to help them get what they want? I believe there are times when we seem to want God to overlook anything we are doing wrong and give us what we want and it doesn’t work that way. Trust me God would love to bless you even more than a parent wants to bless their child but He wants you to live right first.

It is God’s love for us that requires His discipline. Over and over He pleaded with the Israelites to repent and follow Him and when they did He was eager to forgive them and bless them. His desire was always for their good and to bless and He hasn’t changed, He feels the same way about you!

Maybe this message isn’t for you today, maybe it is for someone you know instead. I would encourage you to pray for them and ask for God to show mercy on them and those they are affecting. Restore people when they are ready for restoration and forgive those who sin against you as well. Don’t allow Satan to have victory in the situation on any level!

Quote:
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Chinese Proverb