Thanks to the 'Christian Almanac' I am back in Jeremiah again. I have to admit I am fascinated by Jeremiah. Over the past couple of evenings I have been reading the account in chapters 40+ about the remnant who were left to take care of Jerusalem after Nebucadnezzer had decimated it. There they were, with Jeremiah, surely they couldn't have been happier. What did they do? They asked Jeremiah to enquire of the Lord for them (now wouldn't that have made HIM happy, to know that there were still some folks around who were interested in God?) and he told them that they prob. wouldn't listen and act on what God said. "oh, we know you don't really trust us, but we truly, truly WILL do what God says, just ask hey? Please?!" So Jeremiah asked. 10 days later (why the delay, I ponder?) and the Lord speaks back. how exciting to have the Lord of Heaven and earth answer our QUESTION. Wouldn't we be thrilled and ready to do what He said? I was flabberghasted (though Jeremiah wasn't!) to read the story unfold. Just like Jeremiah told them not to do, they left for Egypt. Seems J. got to go along to. They asked J. to enquire of the Lord again (what, even after they had DISOBEYED!) and it was confirmed that they were dead meat - and so they became - without even saying sorry!
I ponder thus: how much can you KNOW, how much can you HEAR (even directly from the Lord in specific answer to your own question), and STILL NOT DO IT? We don't read of their excuses - though doubtless they had one or two by means of which they convinced themselves that they would be safter from the Babylonians away off in Egypt than they would in Jerusalem (how WRONG can you be!). What an awesome lesson in recognising the ompnipotence of God and the importance of listening and doing - like it says in James.....
The night before last, I was just drifting off to sleep in my pre-heated bed and Victoria started crying. I was, at first, annoyed (how many nights have I been dragged out of my warm bed over the past 22 years ...) though I realised the inevitablity of my need to get out and found that Victoria had a burp to do and then was relieved of her discomfort. As I got back into my bed, the thought occurred to me (thank you Lord!) that HE is more willing to hear my cries and listen to me, than I am to look after my little baby (though I was very happy that I had been able to help, honest!). It was a kind of re-working of 'which of you if his son asks for a loaf of bread.....'. I am, slowly, beginning to see what a priveledge it is to put myself at the disposal of others - I knew this sanctification business was going to be a long process...