God continues to condemn the sin of His people, and not even His beloved children will be spared from the consequences of their sin. Yet, there is joy in knowing some righteous people remain and they will be spared.
” ‘…when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence… behold, some survivors will be left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out… when they come out to you, and you see their ways and their deeds, you will be consoled for the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem… and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, declares the Lord God.’ ” (v21-23 abr)
God turns His people over to the consequences of their sin if they refuse to repent. He then promises to spare any who have repented or remained righteous. It grieves me that many people, even those who profess to be Christians, practice a shallow version of faith (such as the elders mentioned in this book, who keep some outward practices but don’t truly honor God with their hearts).
I encourage us not to grow complacent in our relationship with the Lord. Let’s pray daily for His renewing works in our hearts. In order to properly obey the two greatest commandments we need to remain humble and rooted in Him, spending time in prayer and scripture. If we don’t do these things daily, just like when we don’t exercise regularly, we will get weaker. I urge us (myself included) to actively and intentionally strengthen our relationships with Jesus on a regular basis.
Father God, our Magnificent Lord who is worthy of our full love and adoration, thank you for Your steadfast love and patience with us. We confess that we frequently fail to honor You with our full hearts, since we are easily distracted with other things. May we build a habit of turning to You daily, humbling our hearts, confessing any sin, and loving You as best we can. In doing so would we grow deeper in relationship with You, and display Christlike characteristics for all to see. May we love our neighbors and obey You with every word and action, from this day forward, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training