"Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited."
Jeremiah 6:8
It's easy to hear a lot of what God says as a threat, especially when we're off the path and not listening to the spirit at all. And assuredly, the things that God says he will do, he will do. But I think that pleading is a lot closer to the correct interpretation than threatening is. God never wants us to have to suffer the consequences. He doesn't want to see us suffer, even when the consequences are a natural and just reward for our own evil choices. He would much rather have us turn around and become better people. He wants us to learn and change. If we won't though, eventually we will have to suffer the consequences. Eventually, if we don't accept Christ's atonement in our lives and grasp the repentance that is offered to us, it will become too late. ... Not now, or while we can still desire repentance. I want to be super clear that none of us are beyond hope at this moment. But to make sure that continues, we have to turn around and start making a change.
Today, let's allow ourselves to be instructed. Let's be humble enough to realize and accept that we need God's help to change. Let's repent, and become better than we ever thought we could be, with God's divine help. If being afraid of the consequences of evil helps, then let's use the motivation to change, but honestly God isn't doing all of this to scare us. His whole goal is to save us, and a big part of that is by teaching us. So, let's get on our knees and enroll, and start today, learning all the great things that God has to tell us about--the hope, and the love, and the possibilities.
Jeremiah 6:8
It's easy to hear a lot of what God says as a threat, especially when we're off the path and not listening to the spirit at all. And assuredly, the things that God says he will do, he will do. But I think that pleading is a lot closer to the correct interpretation than threatening is. God never wants us to have to suffer the consequences. He doesn't want to see us suffer, even when the consequences are a natural and just reward for our own evil choices. He would much rather have us turn around and become better people. He wants us to learn and change. If we won't though, eventually we will have to suffer the consequences. Eventually, if we don't accept Christ's atonement in our lives and grasp the repentance that is offered to us, it will become too late. ... Not now, or while we can still desire repentance. I want to be super clear that none of us are beyond hope at this moment. But to make sure that continues, we have to turn around and start making a change.
Today, let's allow ourselves to be instructed. Let's be humble enough to realize and accept that we need God's help to change. Let's repent, and become better than we ever thought we could be, with God's divine help. If being afraid of the consequences of evil helps, then let's use the motivation to change, but honestly God isn't doing all of this to scare us. His whole goal is to save us, and a big part of that is by teaching us. So, let's get on our knees and enroll, and start today, learning all the great things that God has to tell us about--the hope, and the love, and the possibilities.
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