Only acknowledge your guilt—
you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods
under every spreading tree,
and have not obeyed me,’”
declares the Lord.
“Return, faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband. I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.
Jeremiah 3:13-18
It's so humbling and even.. well...downright humiliating.. to know you have a weakness that, apart from God's mighty hand, will bring you down in a second.
I used to think, naively, that my 'thorn in the flesh' was just food. But saying no to food is so easy comparatively speaking. I have lost weight many times and for years kept it off.. and am losing weight now. I can say no to food. No problem.
But to Love the Lord only.. to turn only to Him for my deepest needs, rather than to something or someone else, i.e. food, shopping, people, entertainment, praise, that is a much more difficult thing.
Seems our whole culture has this malady though. We look to the things we can see.. for acceptance and significance.. not to the Lord.
We look under every spreading tree.. our hearts so easily attracted to the things of this world.
I wish the Lord would take away that vulnerability from me.. but I have a feeling He may not. It's that propensity to wander which makes me feel I have no option but to seek Him daily.. often.. and desperately. I know my nature.
So I will glory in my weakness as Paul did.
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
I am so grateful that God is our husband, master and Lord, and cares enough to ask us to come back to Him.. even make us miserable if we don't.
And not only does he woo or drag us back.. but he restores us and forgives us completely. How great the Lord's grace and mercy truly is!
Dear Lord, If any of my dear readers are wandering.. struggling.. failing.. or condemning themselves for the tendency to do so, please wrap your arms of love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and healing around them. Assure them that if they will return, you will accept them. Your mercies never fail. They are new every morning! Assure them that you never give up on them. Rescue them from the clutches of the 'attractions' and snares of this world. Amen
