anitasanecdotes

In Jeremiah 7 and 8 God orders Jeremiah to call the people to account. They have been breaking the commandments of God and then going to worship in the temple, believing themselves to be safe as long as they go to worship. They have not listened to God’s call or changed their evil ways. The mere going through the motions of worship is not enough. Their actions must reflect their faith. They are repeating the actions of their ancestors when they were in the wilderness. God punished them for their lack of true faith and will do the same if the people of Judah do not obey.

But God knows that they will not listen. He tells Jeremiah that He will reject this people because they have rejected Him. They will meet with destruction and punishment.

God will especially hold the leaders to account since they have led the people into sin. They continue to lie to the people and tell them they are doing right when they are not. They have felt no shame in what they were doing.

God is not doing this with some sort of perverse pleasure. He is sick with grief that the people have not listened to His warnings. He mourns over the punishment they must receive.

When we choose to go the wrong way is saddens God. We know that we should obey. We know what is right and what is wrong. We know the consequences of our actions, and yet we choose to go the wrong way. God does not want for us to bear the punishment but we have made our choice.

Psalms 114 and 115 speaks about how God chose Israel and Judah to be his people. They encourage the people turn to back to God. God deserves the glory and praise.

Jeremiah 3 and 4 liken Israel and Judah to unfaithful wives who have had many lovers. God is calling for them to repent. He is clear that if they truly lament their mistakes and turn from their unfaithful ways God will restore their relationship. Otherwise, it will lead to divorce. God is trying to convince His people that they must turn around. They are going the wrong way.

John 2 reveals the first miracle Jesus performed, the turning of water into wine at a wedding. His disciples now believed in him

Jesus goes into the temple at Passover and turns over the tables of the money changers. This story is put in an earlier place in this gospel than in the others. He descriptively predicts his death and resurrection but people don’t understand. People believe in Jesus when they see him do signs and wonders, but Jesus knows their hearts, whether the belief is sincere or not.

Jesus knows our hearts. Even if we go through the paces of faith, if we are not sincere Jesus can tell. He understands motivations as well as actions. He deals with our souls, our inner beings. We might try to fool ourselves into thinking that just because we do the right thing we are in God’s graces, but Jesus looks at our hearts. It is a matter of faith.

Jeremiah 1 and 2 begins with the call of the prophet Jeremiah. God says that He knew Jeremiah while he was still in his mother’s womb. He called him to the task before he was born. God knows us before our parents do. He claims us before we are born.

Jeremiah is still young when God calls him. He is afraid that he is too young to do what God wants. God assures him that God is with him. He puts the right words into Jeremiah’s mouth.

God calls us at any age. We are never too young nor too old to follow God’s lead. He will be with us. He will give us what we need to accomplish the work He has called us to do.

God shows Jeremiah visions of Israel’s future. He gives Jeremiah words of judgment to say against Israel. They have sinned and will receive punishment for their sins. They have rejected the God of their youth and now proclaim their innocence even in the midst of their guilt. God sees through their deception. Just as those who have never trusted Him will be held accountable, so too, those who are his chosen people will be held accountable for their disobedience.

Psalm 112 speaks of the blessings that abound for those who obey God.

Psalm 113 is a psalm of praise to God for his mercy.

Isaiah 65 and 66 speaks of the last days when God will establish new heavens and a new earth. He speaks of judgment upon those who do not follow Him and blessings upon those who fear Him.

God makes an interesting statement: “I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that did not call on my name.   I held out my hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices;” God is always there calling out to us. Even when we are deep in rebellion God is still there. He is waiting for us to respond to His calls. If we think that He doesn’t care or isn’t close by we are just fooling ourselves. God tells us that He is close. We just have to listen and respond.

We must remember that part of the purpose of prophecy is to change the hearts of those who are in rebellion. It is mainly saying, “IF you continue on this path, this is what will happen.” God is always holding out the promise that if we turn around the outcome of the prophecy can be good rather than harmful. It is supposed to be a wakeup call to let us know we are moving in the wrong direction.

John 1 begins with a beautiful description of Jesus. He is the Word of God, the Word who is God. This means for us that Jesus is the fulfillment of the word of God which we call the Bible. He is every word that God has spoken. These words shine light into the darkness of our souls.

The Holy Spirit revealed to John the baptizer that Jesus is the Lamb of God, the one true sacrifice for our sins. John pointed the way to the Son of God.

People began to follow Jesus. In the telling of the calling of Nathaniel, Jesus reveals that He sees us before we know Him. He knows that we will follow.

The writer of John is definitive from the outset that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and the Son of Man. Where the other gospels wait to affirm this claim, John leads with this point. The rest of the gospel is the working out of just what this means.

Isaiah 63 and 64 proclaim that God Himself (as we know through Jesus) saves us through the spilling of blood. His people have rebelled and grieved His Spirit. His people cry out for mercy. They have desecrated His city and He is angry. He becomes their savior in their distress. It is his presence that saved them, in His love, and in His pity, He redeemed them. Even when they continue in sin He loves them, but His anger brings punishment.

Hebrews 13 speaks of how we are to deal with one another in love. It also describes how Jesus is the High Priest but also the perfect sacrifice. The letter ends with the exhortation that we continue to offer the sacrifice of praise to God for his mercy toward us. This sacrifice is made pleasing in our good deeds toward others.

Isaiah 61 is the passage Jesus read the first time he taught in the synagogue. It proclaims His work as our Messiah. He builds us up. He comforts us in our mourning. He will make an everlasting covenant with us. He clothes us in salvation and righteousness. Every part of our being rejoices.

Isaiah 62 speaks of the Messiah’s salvation of Jerusalem. Because of sin God left it forsaken. Now His Delight Is in Her. It becomes his bride. Of course, we believe this to be true of the new Jerusalem that is established at Christ’s second coming. The people of this new Jerusalem will be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord.

Hebrews 12 begins by referring to the list of the faithful in chapter 11. Since we have such fine examples of faith, we should be ready to run the race as well. We will endure discipline as we deal with the consequences of our sins but this discipline will lead us to the path of righteousness and holiness. It leads us to the heavenly kingdom, the new Jerusalem that cannot be shaken.

Isaiah 59 and 60 contain a wonderful description of the spiritual consequences of sin and how God chooses to deliver us from that sin. Our sins create a barrier between us and God. He can no longer see nor hear us. While we are deep in sin it is as though we are groping around in the dark. There is no peace, no justice. But God is displeased with this unrighteousness. He puts on the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation.  He comes into our darkness and shines His glory upon us. God reclaims us and makes us righteous again.

Psalm 110 is a Messianic psalm speaking of the work of the Lord as our high Priest, but also as our High King who executes judgment on the nations.

Psalm 111 speaks of the goodness of the Lord. He provides for us, redeems us, and is faithful and just.

Isaiah 57 warns those who continue in wickedness, who continue to worship idols that they will not experience peace. They keep turning away. God is still there with the offer to heal and forgive when they are ready to receive. Until then peace will be elusive.

Isaiah 58 speaks to the people of God. They say they want to be close to God and yet they do not do the things that God wants them to do. It is not enough to perform the rituals of worship. God wants the faithful to be just and charitable. They must commit themselves to help the poor and needy. It is only then that they will truly be keeping God’s law. They must honor the Sabbath and pursue God’s interests not their own. God will bless their efforts.

Hebrews 11 is a recounting of many of the faithful found in the Old Testament. It states that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” When we act in faith we believe that God is working things out even though we may or may not ever see the results of His actions. We are not to doubt that God’s hand is in our lives just because we may not be seeing visible signs of His actions. We are part of God’s larger plan and we may only be a small part of the fulfillment of God’s purposes. God may be using the circumstances in which we find ourselves to contribute to a greater good that will be complete long after we are gone. We must not assume that just because we are not seeing results God is not blessing us. The blessing comes in being faithful to God’s call on our lives and being and doing our best to be faithful.

Isaiah 55 and 56 speak of the fact that God’s covenant with Israel will now be extended to other nations. God’s grace is greater than anything we can conceive. His love is more expansive that our limited minds can comprehend. He can and does love the whole world. This is a hard concept for the people of Israel to accept. They forget that God’s promise to Abraham was that he would be the father of the multitudes and that his people would be a blessing to the world.

Jesus does not limit His love; all are welcome to come to Him.

Hebrews 10 continues to speak about the comparison between the old sacrifices and Christ’s sacrifice. The writer adds that the law is now written on our hearts and we need to encourage one another to remember it. We cheapen God’s forgiveness when we willfully remain sinful.

Isaiah 53 is one of the most profound passages of the work that Jesus our Messiah accomplished for us. It describes His passion in such detail that it is almost as if Isaiah was standing there during those last hours. It is almost impossible for us read this passage without weeping.

“Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.” Jesus bore the punishment for our sins. We are broken in our sinfulness and He, by willingly being broken, has made us whole. We are sick in our transgression and He, by willingly being battered unjustly, has healed us.

We cannot understand how our God could love us so much the He was willing to be punished on our behalf. But because of this act of grace we now have been made righteous. It was God’s plan that our salvation be made possible through His own action. God is satisfied and light reigns.

Isaiah 54 is an exhortation to Israel, that God has taken her back like a husband takes back an unfaithful wife. God was hurt by our infidelity, He lashed out in anger, but now He shows great compassion. God will no longer respond in anger against his people.

Psalm 108 is a song of praise in the midst of battle.

In Psalm 109 the writer has been falsely accused of many things. Even though he holds his people up in prayer they are turning against him. They would rather believe lies than the truth. They make up stories about him and portray hi in a negative manner. The writer calls out to God asking that the truth be known. He asks for blessings even though he is being shamed by others.

There are times when others seem to be out to get us. They believe and spread untruths as though they are true and do not seem to want to find out the truth. In those times, realize that the only relationship that counts is the one we have with God. He loves us with an everlasting love. God blesses us even when people criticize.