THE STORY OF JESUS: Jeremiah 9-10
“Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts.” (Jeremiah 9:14)
When children are young, they can have an independent streak.
They want to do it their way, even if you know it won’t work.
They can become angry and insistent, ‘I do it!’
At a certain point we normally grow out of this, we learn to accept help.
I think God would argue this – we are still just as stubborn.
We follow the idea of Paul Anka’s song, ‘I did it my way!’
We pursue life, liberty and happiness our own way, and don’t find it.
And then we shake the fist and complain to God why life is so hard.
The God way (kindness, justice, righteousness, 9:24) is not a bad way.
Yet for some reason we still insist on going our own way.
As in these chapters, God weeps at the folly and futility of our ways (9:1).
He allows us to suffer the consequences, to help us see the truth.
God has shown us through Jesus what the God-life looks like.
Where are you stubbornly trying to do things your own way?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, instead of pursuing You and Your way, which leads to life, liberty and happiness, we go our own way and eventually regret it. Help me to see where I am being stubborn, and help me to surrender to Your help.