So these are some of the verses I read last night. At first, I was thinking they were very appropriate for my middle of the night quiet time. Then I kept reading......
19 Rise during the night and cry out. Pour out your hearts like water to the Lord. Lift up your hands to him in prayer, pleading for your children, for in every street they are faint with hunger. (The small part that was cool in the middle of the night.)
20 “O Lord, think about this! Should you treat your own people this way? Should mothers eat their own children, those they once bounced on their knees? Should priests and prophets be killed within the Lord’s Temple?
21 “See them lying in the streets— young and old, boys and girls, killed by the swords of the enemy. You have killed them in your anger, slaughtering them without mercy.
22 “You have invited terrors from all around, as though you were calling them to a day of feasting. In the day of the Lord’s anger, no one has escaped or survived. The enemy has killed all the children whom I carried and raised.”
I haven't researched this yet, but I am assuming all of this is when Babylon conquered the Jews because God was disciplining them for worshiping other Gods. For generations. After they promised to follow Him.
It does get better and start talking about God's mercy later on. That was a relief. But I went back to bed, thinking "Wow, Lord, women eating their own children?" And then I realized, there is NOTHING worse than not believing in our God, who created us, loves us, died for us, rose again for us. There really truly is nothing worse than rejecting Him. That is the important choice in life. Not, do I go to college or not? Do I become a pastor or not? Do I get married? Do I have children? Do I move to a different town? The important question is do I believe God? Do I seek God? Do I love God? Do I reject God? Do I think I am wiser than Him? If we choose Him, He will direct our life. And it will be GOOD. Hard probably, but better than we could ever dream.
I used to read about people worshiping idols and thought God was overreacting. They didn't hurt anyone, just lit up a little incense to the wrong person, what is the big deal? They were tearing God's heart up. That is the big deal. I just was reading a book and it told us to ask Him if we had any idols. I did. Waiting for the answer......little bit wondering if that is why I can't sleep at night.......
3 comments:
Love this post! Do I have any idols - HHMMMMMM? I wonder - is it anything we love or trust in without giving God the glory for it? Is that an idol? YIKES! I can see a lot of idols that have been removed in my life, I am sure the line of them that remain are longer than the ones that have been removed. Good question!
Well, I asked one of the Pastors what an idol is and he said it is anything that takes the place God should have in our life. That we are hoping will give us what we are looking for. Fullfillment securtity ect. I do not believe it is the same thing as struggling with sin.
Does anyone else have a definition of a modern day idol?
This is what one of my scholorly friends said: Anything, that has set itself before God, as more significant to ones life.
Lamentations is hard reading...but so needed today for us to see that God will not let sin go unpunished. I'm so thankful to have Him and pray that I will not allow other things, people, my own desires to get in the way of worshipping the One true God.
Thanks, Tawny.
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