Day 2

Day 2 - Taking God fro granted

Prepare

This is what God says: ‘How gladly would I treat you like my children …’ (Jeremiah 3:19). In your heart, call out to God as your Father in heaven, and as you do so experience the Holy Spirit testifying with your spirit that you are God’s child.

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Explore

Who would be crazy enough to think they could force God to do what they want? As Jeremiah spoke God’s word at the entrance to the temple (vs 1,2), this is what he accused the people of doing (v 4). They believed that as long as God’s temple stood in their midst God was obliged to defend them, however much they strayed away from him (vs 9,10). What a mistake this was. God yearns for righteous and faithful living, and this is what he blesses (vs 5–7,21–23).

Jesus later quoted the words of verse 11 when he went to Herod’s temple in Jerusalem (see Mark 11:15–17). Centuries after Jeremiah he could see the same problem: people were trusting the temple instead of the God of the temple. They naively thought that as long as they had the house of God they would not face judgement for failing to do the works of God.

So, is there anything that you are using to try and shield you from God’s radical call to obedience and loyalty? Sometimes people think, ‘as long as I belong to this lively Spirit-filled church…’ or ‘as long as I keep listening to that dynamic biblical preacher…’ everything will be all right. All these things can give great glory to God, but none of them can cover over the emptiness of a life that is not obedient to God.

Respond

Pray this prayer and wait quietly for your Father’s response to your willingness to put things right with him: ‘Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind’ (Psalm 26:2).