with meditations
by my mother, Poetess Gertrude Sanborn
August 12
Jeremiah
1:9--Jeremiah 4:12
THE
FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATER FORSAKEN
Jeremiah 2:13
"My
people have committed two evils . . ."
When I was in Bible
School in the city of Chicago, I had the privilege of
attending Moody Memorial Church. HARRY IRONSIDE was the
esteemed pastor and the Bible teacher! It was a
privilege to sit under his ministry! If I did not have a
Christian work assignment, which I often had that took
me to another part of Chicago area, I would take a
street car and attend his church. It was the biggest
church I had ever been in at the time. I would sit up
front so I could see Dr. Ironside as close as I could.
To my left, high in the balcony, was his secretary. She
had a stenographer's pad and would take shorthand,
writing every word he spoke. This is how he was able to
write so many books.
One of my delights, in
those days, was to slip into his Sunday School class
before the morning service. I remember well, that he was
teaching the book of Jeremiah. Only thing is that I
don't remember too much of what he taught. I am sure
many of his words are in my subconscious waiting to come
out. Perhaps they will come to me as we discover
"blessings" in Jeremiah together.
The prophet Jeremiah
was the second greatest prophet mentioned in the Bible.
He began his ministry as a young person. He called
himself a "child." (Jeremiah 1:7) It is interesting to
me that most of the prophets felt they were not worthy
and said they could not speak. It shows me that God does
not always call the eloquent. He takes who we are and
what we have and uses it. This shows that God is the
"power" behind the man and not the man's self-talent.
Jeremiah's ministry
was to the remnant of the people of Judah who stayed in
the land after the Babylonian took the cream of the crop
into captivity. Later he went to Babylon. He was the son
of a priest named Hilkiah in the land of Benjamin. His
father may or may not have been the high priest
mentioned in II Kings 22:8.
Jeremiah said in
chapter 2:13 that the LORD's people had (1) forsaken Him
who was the fountain of living waters. (2) They had dug
out cisterns which were broken that could not hold any
water. They were a pathetic people! Their land was
ruined and laid waste. Roaring lions roamed their area.
It was frightening! Their dignity was brought low by the
people of Noph and Tahapanes. In all this distress, they
did not turn to the LORD. Instead, they forsook Him!
Always Jeremiah's job
was to encourage God's people to return to Him and love
Him as they should. "Return, thou backsliding Israel,
"said the LORD through Jeremiah's voice. "1 will not
keep anger for ever!" (3:12) If only they would
acknowledge their iniquity and their transgressions
against the LORD their God! They had not obeyed HIS
VOICE! Why not?
"Turn O backsliding
children. I am married unto you. I will take you and
bring you from the city and from your family and bring
you to Zion," is what the LORD pleaded. We can feel the
pathos of God's heart as He pleads. Read Jeremiah
3:20-21 and feel His broken his weeping:
Surely as a wife
treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye
dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith
the LORD. A voice was heard upon the high places,
weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for
they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten
the LORD their God. Return, ye backsliding children, and
I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto
thee; for thou art the LORD our God.
Let us reflect upon
our lives today. As we condemn the people to whom
Jeremiah warned, let us look at ourselves. Are we any
different than they were? We have so much. We are
blessed with spiritual blessings in every area of our
lives; yet we are indifferent to the sin that so easily
besets us. (Hebrews 12: 1) We ignore it or pamper it.
Let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
LOOKING UNTO JESUS, the
author and finisher of our faith! (ysw)
"GOD’S PERFECT WILL"
(Romans 12:2)
IN THE CRISES OF
LIFE, JUST LET GOD LEAD!
The will of God
takes you through problems, heartaches, sorrows, and
tests.
HIS WILL AND HIS
WAY ARE PERFECT.
IF YOU WILL
SIMPLY REVERENTLY TRUST HIM,
YOU MAY FIND IT
"ACCEPTABLE"!
Surrender to
what God allows in your life.
(GGS: in part
from a sermon by Dr. Hopewell)
And
Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he
said, Behold, in the tent. And he said, I will certainly
return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo,
Sarah thy wife shall have a son. (Genesis 18:10)
