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Exile
Father God, what I know of You will only ever be a fraction of who You are. Jesus, open my mind to see You and understand the Scriptures. Spirit, move my heart from familiar to fascinated until it is ablaze with Your unfailing love.
Read: Psalm 86:14-16
Today I am reflecting on a painful part of Israel’s history. After the high point of David’s and Solomon’s reign, the twelve tribes split into two kingdoms, neither of which remained faithful to God. After ignoring the repeated warnings of the prophets, both kingdoms experienced God’s loving judgment. Both were conquered and eventually removed from the promised land by the superpowers of their day. However, when all hope seemed lost, the prophet Jeremiah delivered God’s promise of restoration to the people of the Southern Kingdom of Judah…
Read: Jeremiah 32:36-41
The people of Judah had turned to other gods and abused and exploited the most vulnerable in their society. Yet God was patient. He repeatedly sent prophets like Jeremiah to plead with them to repent, return to Him, and right their wrongs. Yet despite receiving multiple warnings not to reject God’s presence, priorities, and protection, the Jews repeatedly chose a path of destruction. But why? Did they want to be the masters of their own destiny?
Today I consider an uncomfortable question…
Holy Spirit, is there an area of my life where I am repeatedly letting You down? I trust in Your unfailing love and mercy - please show me my habitual sin.
Pause and pray
God, just like the people of Judah, I need Your help to move away from my destructive behaviours. As I name the area of sin You have highlighted to me, I ask You to transform my heart and mind so I can live a good and whole life with You.
Pause and pray
‘Jeremiah’s words remind [me] that the Bible is not to be read as a flat description of history but the dramatic story of how God wants his creation to know how he feels about them… Put simply, through the prophets Israel knew not only what God was saying but what God was feeling.’*
Lord, I invite You to rewire my heart by Your Holy Spirit today. And as You do, would You help me understand a little more of Your heart as well?
Amen.
* Adam Cox and Alain Emerson, The God Story (London: SPCK, 2024), p. 94.
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This 18-day plan sweeps through the compelling and creative biblical story. It will help you move from familiar to fascinated with God and His word. Each day, we focus on a particular individual who encountered the unfailing love of God.
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