OCTOBER 29, 2015
Don’t Touch the
Fence!
The
Lord . . . sent word to them . . . again and again, because he had pity on his
people. — 2 Chronicles 36:15
Read:
Jeremiah 18:1-12
As a young girl I went
with my parents to visit my great-grandmother, who lived near a farm. Her yard
was enclosed by an electric fence, which prevented cows from grazing on her
grass. When I asked my parents if I could play outside, they consented, but
explained that touching the fence would result in an electric shock.
Unfortunately I
ignored their warning, put a finger to the barbed wire, and was zapped by an
electrical current strong enough to teach a cow a lesson. I knew then that my
parents had warned me because they loved me and didn’t want me to get hurt.
When God saw the
ancient Israelites in Jerusalem crafting and worshiping idols, He “sent word to
them . . . again and again, because he had pity on his people” (2 Chron.
36:15). God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah, but the people said, “We will
continue with our own plans” (Jer. 18:12). Because of this, God allowed
Nebuchadnezzar to destroy Jerusalem and capture most of its inhabitants.
Maybe God is warning
you today about some sin in your life. If so, be encouraged. That is proof of
His compassion for us (Heb. 12:5-6). He sees what’s ahead and wants us to avoid
the problems that will come.
Lord, give me the
ability to hear not just Your words but also Your heart. Help me to learn from
the mistakes of those whose stories You have given us. Help me to honor You with
my life.
God’s warnings are to protect us, not to punish us.
INSIGHT:
We sometimes wonder
whether God can change His mind. Today’s passage in the book of Jeremiah helps
us answer this question. God tells Jeremiah that sometimes His actions are
affected by our actions. God has decided to act in certain ways depending on
how we act. This is God’s freedom. He is not changing His mind; He has simply
determined how He will respond to our stubbornness or our repentance. We don’t
determine what God will do; in His goodness He has told us how He will respond
to us. J.R. Hudberg
Source: Our Daily Bread 2015
