Thought for the Week - 19th July

Pastor Gareth Watkins

Jeremiah 7: 22-24

“22 For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices.
23 But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God,
and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you,
that it may be well with you.’
24 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels
and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.’’ (NKJV)
During this time of lockdown, most of us have had to learn to listen to the voice of God more for ourselves and come closer into relationship with Him. Each of us need to know His voice personally, to listen to what He has for us, and make a choice to obey Him. There are many voices around us that we can listen to, be led by, and get lost in, that cloud our ability to just listen to Him.

In the above passage Jeremiah is addressing the children of Israel, who, amid all of the ceremonious acts they performed and displayed at the temple, had forgotten to listen. The voice of God was lost to them, without which they fell back into their old ways, lying, following other counsel, and led by the wants of their evil hearts. Sadly, we see churches and Christians still today going through the motions without listening to God. They go about their days attending meetings, praying, and carrying on their works, yet in their not listening they fall outside of the things of God, His will and all that He has for them, bringing judgement and consequence.

‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’…

God wants a relationship with us as individuals, He wants us to hear Him and walk in His ways. He has plans to give us hope and a future, for things to be well for each one of us. He wants to bless you and establish you as His holy people. Out of His goodness, and so we can receive all that He has for us, He commands us to listen to His voice and obey Him. God commands this so that we would not fall backwards into old ways and old affliction, old sins and past illness, losing what we have already gained. God wants us to be strong, to thrive and continue forward, ever taking new ground as we get closer to Him. He wants to give you His peace and fill you so you want for nothing, but you must listen to His voice, to stay in His will, pushing all else that would crowd aside, and know Him personally.

Amen.

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