Editor's note: Written during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Malaysian marketplace writer Ivan Tan’s maiden book “What If You Could Complete Jeremiah in 8 Weeks?” goes through the whole book of Jeremiah one chapter at a time. Below is Day 4 for Week 1 (see Day 1, Day 2 for Week 1):
Stop Your Rebellious Ways & Self-Inflicted Disasters Will Cease
Jeremiah 4
18 “Your own conduct and actions have brought this on you."
This is what the Lord declared in Jeremiah 4 when He continued His call to His children in Jerusalem and Judah to return to His side. By that He meant to turn away from their wicked ways and come back to the Lord.
Wicked ways here are habits like an idolatrous heart and worshipping of other gods that men have created for themselves.
14 Jerusalem, wash the evil from your heart and be saved.
How long will you harbor wicked thoughts?
15 A voice is announcing from Dan,
proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
16 “Tell this to the nations, proclaim concerning Jerusalem:
‘A besieging army is coming from a distant land,
raising a war cry against the cities of Judah.
17 They surround her like men guarding a field,
because she has rebelled against me,’”
declares the Lord.
18 “Your own conduct and actions
have brought this on you.
This is your punishment.
How bitter it is!
How it pierces to the heart!”
We must therefore reflect and assess if our walk with God has gone astray. It is not enough to just attend church on the weekends or read up simple prayers from the Internet to be holy and just. We must also walk closely with Him every day by inspecting our hearts and our tongues if we are abiding by the same rule that the Lord has prescribed for us to follow. If we have not, is it because of our unwillingness to change or due to our own personal neglect? Or like the people in Jerusalem and Judah back then, could it be because we have attained the cushy life that we’ve always yearned for and forgotten altogether about how Abba Father had protected and blessed us during the difficult times?
30 What are you doing, you devastated one?
Why dress yourself in scarlet
and put on jewels of gold?
Why highlight your eyes with makeup?
You adorn yourself in vain.
Your lovers despise you;
they want to kill you.
It is not as if we Christians are not allowed to live a leisurely or luxurious life but more than that, it is about the fact that when we do enjoy the conveniences that life has to offer, will we still be living within the yardstick as detailed by the Lord or would we have totally erased Him and His instructions from our lives? It begs for us to remember these pertinent questions.
* * *
When we look at worldly disasters, we sometimes predict why they occur devoid of any spiritual interpretations. While science may have the justifications for a lot of the phenomenon, we still lag behind in understanding how the universe works. Our intellectual capabilities are henceforth confined to only the stuff on or near the earth, not those far far away like the Dark Matter or Dark Energy as identified by the astrophysicists. But even so, with the little knowledge that we possess, we have already given ourselves the liberty to paint any predictions we may think is right and this sometimes lands us into unwanted troubles.
Then on a personal life basis, we also court trouble through our sometimes-violent temperaments and uncontrollable ways. But in doing so we forget, our thoughts are foremost the crucial determinant that directs our paths and so to answer questions like where shall we go? What should we do? Who should we befriend? All these have their very own consequences if our decisions are not guarded with a faith-filled heart led by our diligent walk with God.
For instance, if and when we’re in the wrong company, it shouldn’t surprise us when false accusations, deceits, lies and temptations become part and parcel of the friendship. We may also end up hurting the people we love including ourselves. The doubtful and challenging decisions we’ve taken as such could be interpreted as being wicked to our own lives because we’re selfish enough to just follow our preferred routes for the sake of our own notion of “benefits”, side-lining God and His plans for us completely. And in doing so, we may have inadvertently chosen disasters over blessings; unknowingly and to the unfortunate detriment of our own lives.
I pray, regardless of when and how the disaster may come, you will find your hearts wholly dedicated to the mighty protection of the Lord and that you will follow in His footsteps so that all the disruptions will preclude you within the equation.
Let God’s purpose take root in your heart and may His joy reflect on your treatments of others. Because God loves us so, we must remember that we too must love Him, not just so that disasters will not come but because He is our Father. Returning to Him is all He ever wants.
May you experience His grace, mercy, love and imperishable blessings, from now until eternity, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
(The book is available in paperback and e-book format on Amazon.)
To be continued...
