The Simple Life

"How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me and have sworn by those who are no gods. When I fed them to the full, they committed adultery and trooped to the houses of whores. They were well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor's wife. Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord; and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this? "Go up through her vine rows and destroy, but make not a full end; strip away her branches, for they are not the Lord's. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly treacherous to me, declares the Lord. They have spoken falsely of the Lord and have said, 'He will do nothing; no disaster will come upon us, nor shall we see sword or famine. The prophets will become wind; the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them!'" Jeremiah 5:7-13 (ESV)   It is tragic when those entrusted with the truth are no longer guided by the truth, and lies become the new "tr...

How long must I see the standard and hear the sound of the trumpet? "For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are 'wise'—in doing evil! But how to do good, they know not." Jeremiah  4:21-22  (ESV)   There is a warning to those who refuse to know God. The trumpet has been sounding, and the anger of the Lord will be unleashed on the disobedient. Living in the shadow of impending doom is much different from living in the shadow of the Almighty as your protector. One generates fear; the other creates peace. One gives hope; the other brings despair.   Those who choose to ignore God are choosing not to live in the way life was meant to be, and they can never find purpose in this life. Success will always be out of reach, and pleasures, if experienced at all, will be temporary and empty.   The key factor in a meaningful life is knowing God, and knowing God comes to those who choose to spend time with Him. h...

For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: "Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns." Jeremiah 4:3 (ESV)   God often uses agricultural examples. These stories are easy to understand and apply. In this case, we are told that the men need to break up the fallow ground in their lives. Our lives have many fields, and the fields we leave "uncultivated" are not only worthless, but they also encourage the growth of weeds that eventually transfer to our cultivated areas.   It is a waste of time to sow seeds on ground that is not prepared, and foolish to think that the throwing of the seed on the unprepared ground will produce results. For those who do this, the process of buying the seed, throwing it on the ground, and waiting for a harvest is, at best, an exercise in futility. The uncultivated ground, land that is ignored, becomes a breeding ground for all that will destroy what could have been done by intentionality.   Charles Spurgeon said th...

Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, "'Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord. Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.'" Jeremiah  3:12-15  (ESV)   The shepherds of God's people need to have a heart for God. They need to see the importance of feeding the sheep entrusted to them with knowledge and understanding. To feed the sheep with knowledge and understanding, they need to have found an abundance of it and be willing to share it.  ...

Thus says the Lord: "What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless? They did not say, 'Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no man dwells?'" Jeremiah 2:5-6 (ESV)   Why would anyone exchange the valuable for the worthless? You would think I was crazy if I asked you to exchange Monopoly money for real money, and then I got excited about it. You would be even more amused if I took the Monopoly money and told all who were with me about my good fortune and persuaded them to exchange their real money for Monopoly money as well.   We could convince ourselves that we have done well when, in reality, we have traded something of value for something worthless. Really, our thinking is what is worthless. Right living always starts with right think...

“And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me. They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands. But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you." Jeremiah  1:16-19  (ESV)   God is the judge, and we are judged. When we judge, we mess up. Our focus should be on obedience. We were not made to be a judge. We were made to be followers of the one who judges, for He alone knows how well we followed.   Those who listen to God will never be alone or disappointed with the final results.   https:...