Scripture
Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet. King Zedekiah, however, send Jehucal son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: "Please pray to the Lord our God for us." Jeremiah 37:2-3
Observation
King Zedekiah and his officials didn't want to listen to Jeremiah words or warning and judgement, but they still wanted the benefit of his prayers and blessings.
Application
From my Life Application Bible
King Zedekiah and his officials did not want to listen to Jeremiah's words, but they wanted the blessings of his prayers. They wanted a superficial religion that wouldn't cost anything. But God is not pleased with those who come to him only for what they can get rather than seeking to establish or deepen a relationship with him. We would not accept that kind of relationship with someone else, and we shouldn't expect God to accept it from us.
So often we want God to be a genie in a bottle. We want to be able to live our lives however we think is best, virtually ignoring Him and our so-called relationship with Him, until we need something. Then all of a sudden we have time to pray - at least the part of prayer that involves supplication anyway.
That's not a relationship. There's nothing genuine about that and God is not pleased with it in any way, shape or form. It is not acceptable.
We try to get the best of both worlds - live how we want, yet still receive God's blessings. We want to have our cake and eat it to. It doesn't work that way.
We need to be willing to accept both discipline and blessing, both accountability and mercy from our God who is not only merciful, loving and compassionate, but holy, wrathful and just. Sometimes we like to put God in a box - asking "How could a loving God send anyone to hell?" instead of "How could a just God let anyone into heaven?" We cannot limit God to any one attribute.
Prayer
Lord, we thank you that it is even possible for us to have a relationship with the Lord of the universe! Help us not to take that for granted. Help us to realize what an absolutely precious gift that is. Help us not to relegate you to genie status, but to invest in a relationship with you, to spend time with you, glorifying you and getting to know you better so we can become more like you. Give us an all-consuming desire for YOU.
Amen.
Tomorrow's passage: Jeremiah 37:11-38:28, Ezekiel 1-3:15
2 comments:
Ooooo, I like how you turned that "How could a loving God..." question around!
I've learned, over the last year or two, to do that more often, particularly when I'm struggling with a bit of self-pity/depression ~ focusing on what I DON'T have, CAN'T afford, WON'T get to do, blah, blah, blah. You know, the general "Woe is me! Life is so unfair!!" nonsense.
And then I think to myself, Tammi, you're so fortunate life ISN'T fair!! You'd be doomed to HELL if God was really fair! ANY of the little problems you're having here right now are a BLESSING when compared with burning in a lake of sulphur!!
And then it doesn't take long and I'm not depressed anymore. :)
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