Today's Bible Reading: JEREMIAH 8:4-11:23
Jeremiah 8:4-5
You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD: When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return? Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit; they refuse to return.
In the natural world there are locations called breeding grounds. These are specific locations were various animals, birds and insects seasonally return to breed.. Their internal clock directs each species to the specific time of this annual occurrence. They are instinctively guided each year to the exact location where this event would occur. Like clockwork they never fail to return.
Jeremiah considers the regularity of these migratory events as he contemplates the condition of God’s people. He says, “Even the stork in the heavens knows her times, and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming” (Jer 8:7). The problem is that he can’t seem to wrap his mind around the fact that this great return occurs without fail in nature, but God’s people “refuse to return” to Him.
The Lord understands this great conundrum about human nature that we all have certain normal behavioral patterns. He directs Jeremiah to ask the people, “When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return?” It is natural when we fall to want to get back up. Typically, capable people don’t just remain where they have fallen they attempt to get back up. In addition, usually people who leave will most often come back from where they have left.
But for some reason spiritually God’s people have left Him and will not return. He says they are in a state of “perpetual backsliding”. This is a condition of continual and willful rejection of God’s principles, purpose and plan. Those in this state don’t seem to want to get back up spiritually. They are the “happily fallen”. They have slipped up and have no desire to stand back up. They are content to remain in their spiritual lethargic and comatose condition. Their heart for God has grown cold and their passion for Him has dissipated. They have fallen and don’t want to get back up.
The sad thing about these individuals is that their condition is highly contagious. Once it infects the body of Christ it begins to rapidly spread throughout God’s people. Others observe their behavior and begin to follow suit. They begin to slowly slip away from the Lord. They eventually are backsliding to the point where they chose not to come back at all. They too become “perpetual” backsliding”
The containment of this epidemic occurs only when those infected recognize their fallen condition and seek by the power of the Holy Spirit to repent and return to the Lord. Then they can plead for God’s mercy to fall upon them. Then they can cry out to Him to grant them forgiveness. Then He will enable them to rise up again. Perpetual backsliding doesn’t have to be permanent. Those who have turned from Him can turn back to Him.
Today thank the Lord that there is hope for us when we backslide. Praise Him that no matter how far someone has fallen away from Him He has made a way in Christ for all to find their way back to Him. Plead with the Lord to break our cycle of perpetual backsliding. her times,
and the turtledove, swallow, and crane keep the time of their coming” (Jer 8:7). The problem is that he can’t seem to wrap his mind around the fact that this great return occurs without fail in nature, but God’s people “refuse to return” to Him.
The Lord understands this great conundrum about human nature that we all have certain normal behavioral patterns. He directs Jeremiah to asks the people, “When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return?” It is natural when we fall to want to get back up. Typically, capable people don’t just remain where the have fallen, they attempt to get back up. In addition, usually people who leave and will most often come back from where they have left.
But for some reason spiritually God’s people have left Him and will not return. He says they are in a state of “perpetual backsliding”. This is a condition of continual and willful rejection of God’s principles, purpose and plan. Those in this state don’t seem to want to get back up spiritually. They are the “happily fallen”. They have slipped up and have no desire to stand back up. They are content to remain in their spiritual lethargic and comatose condition. Their heart for God has grown cold and their passion for Him has dissipated. They have fallen and don’t want to get up.
The sad thing about these individuals is that their condition is highly contagious. Once it infects the body of Christ it begins to rapidly spread throughout God’s people. Others observe their behavior and begin to follow suit. They begin to slowly slip away from the Lord eventually are backsliding to the point where they chose not to come back at all. They two become “perpetual” backsliding”
The containment of this epidemic occurs only when those infected recognize their fallen condition and seek by the power of the Holy Spirit to repent and return to the Lord. Then they can plead for God’s mercy to fall upon them and that He will grant them forgiveness and empowering them to rise up again. Perpetual backsliding doesn’t have to be permanent. Those who have turned from Him can turn back to Him.
Today thank the Lord that their is hope for us when we backslide. Praise Him that no matter how far someone has fallen away from Him He has made a way in Christ for all to find their way back to Him. Plead with the Lord to break the cycle of perpetual backsliding.
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