so many things to write about but this one keeps lingering in my heart. as i have been reading through Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations and now onto Ezekiel i see a repeating theme. my all powerful God endlessly loving His people, His people repeatedly betraying Him with other “lovers” (putting other things, people, gods, etc. before God), my jealous God’s heartbroken anger, and then His massive mercy as He rescues His “bride” (His people) and forgives over and over. betrayed by His lovers actions… as over and over she “prostitutes herself out with many lovers” (Jeremiah 3:1) and then comes back to God when all her lovers fail her. she is married to the almighty God who has shown her His endless love over and over again yet she leaves His deep endless love for the “lovers” who do not care.
she sobs through the night; tears stream down her cheeks. among all her lovers, there is no one left to comfort her. all her friends have betrayed her and become her enemies. Lamentations 1:2
reading through this so reminds me of myself. i have access to the almighty God and yet over and over again i put “things” before God; my agenda, my husband and children, my thoughts, my desires… God wants all of me not the sloppy seconds/thirds extra. He wants to be number one… He wants to be the first one i run to when i am happy and when i am sad, He wants to hear my voice all throughout the day, He wants me to ask Him what His will is and watch me walk out His will. He wants my time, my thoughts, my all. He wants to be my center.
He is a jealous God and it breaks His heart as He hears me say with my mouth “I love you, Lord” and with my actions…ignore Him. it angers Him. He knows who He is and what He deserves… yet His all powerful love and mercy takes me back again and again through His own sacrificial gift of Jesus.
what “things” have you been prostituting yourself out to. what other things have you put before the almighty God.
you must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.
Exodus 20:5a
Prayer: this past week a family i know from my texas years suffered a great tragedy. one brother gave another brother 2/3rd of his liver in order for him to live. the surgery went as expected until the brother that gave the liver went into cardiac arrest and went brain dead from lack of oxygen. he left the world a lot earlier than his family, wife and three young children expected. please pray for the arnold family. the wife and children, the brother that received the liver and his family and all the others. though they know he is with Jesus, there is much grieving for the sudden loss.
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