“And if another time I announce that a...kingdom is to be built up and planted, and...it...does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it...Reform your ways and your actions...But they will reply, ‘It’s no use...We will continue with our own plans; each of us will follow the stubbornness of his...heart’” Jeremiah 18:9-12.
I must admit that Jeremiah is a tough book to study because it conjures up emotions that swing in the extreme. One reason is that God swings from the depth of love to the depth of grief when dealing with His children. The passage above is one example of how deep His love and wonderful His plans are for us followed by His renouncement of blessings. The important thing to remember when dealing with these tough biblical truths is that God is first and foremost love...sovereign...for us and not against us. However, that does not mean that He does not give us what we need when we turn a deft ear to Him. He had repeatedly spoken to His children through many vessels. He had warned them over and over again until their lack of reform forced His hand.
God has amazing plans to bless us in our God-given kingdoms but will not entrust and grow our land until we adhere to the message He is sending us through prayer, Scripture, circumstances and godly counsel. What is the message you seem to be hearing repeatedly in your own life? Are you turning a deft ear to that message? Is the message lining up with biblical truths? If we could really comprehend the unlimited storehouse of blessings that God intends for each of us we would never again return to that certain behavior...ignore the messages of those we trust...continue with our own plans.
God changes the manner in which He deals with us based on the opportunities He has given us. Just because He does something one way for a season does not mean He will not require something different from us in another season. We must have moldable hearts and allow God to work us into His vessel. ‘Can I not do with you as this potter does...Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand’ Jeremiah 18:5-6. ‘We control the consistency of our clay. Are we stiff and resistant like the stubborn people of Judah, with closed ears, or are we soft and moldable, to endure pressure, trimming, and fire in order to become vessels for His use?’ Melissa Spoelstra, Jeremiah – Daring to Hope in an Unstable World, p. 79.
If we are hearing a consistent message most likely God is requiring change. May we all lay down our ways, trust Him for everything and allow Him to mold us and build up our kingdoms according to His purposes.
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