SELECTED HEARING

  Image result for CLIP ART SHOWING EARS      Having taught school some fifteen years, been a parent of sons for 49 years, and in my second marriage, altogether some 50 years, I get it, boys, girls, and men seem to have difficulty in hearing some voices.  Guess I get to take 3/4 of the blame for males not hearing, especially my tone of voice, but that is another subject to blog. I come to one of my most favorite truths from Scripture, Jeremiah 32:17 and 26, "Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm, 'Nothing is too hard for you."  WHAT A TRUTH!

Jeremiah has faithfully given his message to Judah and to now the fifth king, Zedekiah, and all have turned a deaf ear.  False prophets were voicing that Judah would defeat Babylon and that Judah would not go into exile, ha!  Jeremiah has been voicing that Judah would fall to Babylon and that they would be in exile for 70 years and that God would bring them back to the land after the exile and restore what Babylon had taken.  What Zedekiah did NOT want to hear was that Judah was to yield to Babylon and go on with their lives in exile, and continue as if they were in Judah.  

Jeremiah is told to buy a field in his homeland as a witness that God would restore houses, fields, and vineyards back to the people.  Jeremiah purchases the land and is given the deed to the land. Jeremiah opens his prayer with the above promise.  In verse 26, the Lord replies back to Jeremiah, "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind.  Is there anything too hard for me?"  Jeremiah's obedience will cost him... imprisonment for what Zedekiah believes is treason against him. 

I applaud Jeremiah for that bold faith...I want it also, but is there an easier way to get it?  I foolishly once asked the Lord for greater faith and I was so ignorant that I thought it would be gifted to me like a present.  I had NO thought that it would come by way of difficult circumstances which HE would allow and even some circumstances which I brought about by my choices and HE allowed....all to bring me to growing in faith. Lord, I desire to hear and obey.  I will not BE SELECTIVE IN MY HEARING!  Ever learning!  In process, still!  #IHAVETHREESONS. 

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