Hi Family,
I’m in Oregon and sharing my daily devotional. You can read the Bible along with me (download the free reading plan at www.discover.org.au/Bible) and write down what the Lord is speaking to you. It’s the best habit and spiritual discipline to develop each day. The Word of God is our daily bread, not weekly snack.
Jeremiah 8:7-9 (NKJV)
7 “…But My people do not know the judgment of the LORD.
8 “How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the LORD is with us’? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood.
9 The wise men are ashamed, They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD; So what wisdom do they have?
God’s people did not know justice.
God wished they did.
This lack of knowledge was led by authors who wrote wrote books that pushed falsehoods. In other words, leaders among believers took it upon themselves to write against the will of God and the work of God! Many today have written and published words to the effect that God is no longer just, that justice was an Old Testament issue and now God is only gracious, loving and tolerant of all sins.
Actually He is loving when He judges on behalf of believers. He is loving when He destroys the cruel and the impenitent.
Believers have every right to call for mercy at times, and call for justice at times. The wisdom is to discern the difference. God wishes we were wise and our books written with His wisdom.
Leaders in the Body of Christ are being addressed by the Lord when He asks, “What wisdom do they have?” That means a lot of popular leaders whom we know and possibly consider intellectual aren’t wise in God’s sight.
How did we the People of God and we the Authors of Books stray so far from God’s heart? A summary of what happened is offered: “They have rejected the word of the LORD.” The implication is, if we truly accepted the Word of God, we would accept, embrace and celebrate God’s sense of justice and His promise of justice. We would be calling for and calling forth God’s justice to be known, instead of harboring bitterness or vindictiveness in our hearts. We are capable of forgiving through the knowledge that every wrong will be righted, and every injustice will be dealt with. God’s People would be healed and whole when we truly trust God is perfectly just.
Does this apply to authors you’ve read? How does it apply to your life?
My application? I’m going to write better books!
Can I encourage you to slow down your pace? Before jumping into the chores and tasks that each day demands, why not allocate 20 minutes to read the Bible and 20 minutes to write something about what you learned and how you will be different based on what you just read?
Time spend reading God’s Word will become the best part of your day.
If you like this devotion, consider subscribing so I can share more personal words and drafts of chapters from my upcoming books with you. Thank you for your love, trust and support.