The Result of Turning Away From God

They should have known better.

After all, they’d seen the result of their fellow countrymen going the wrong way.

But instead they turned a blind eye, certain they were different. Certain they’d get different results. Besides, they were God’s chosen people. His Holy Presence resided in their midst. Right?

* * *

The message of national disaster wasn’t popular in Jeremiah’s day, and I’m sure it’s equally unpopular today. Nevertheless, it’s a message we need to heed.

God didn’t spare Israel or Judah, and if our nation doesn’t turn back to Him, He won’t spare America either. The punishment Israel experienced at God’s hand–disciplinary action designed to bring His children back to Him in repentance–should have been a warning for Judah. Instead they continued in their idolatry/false worship. And because they had the advantage of Israel as an example, Judah would be judged more severely. That certainly doesn’t bode well for us.

“I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. Because Israel’s immortality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD. The LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah.” ~Jeremiah 3:8-11 (NIV)

Turning Away – The Prophecy

Through the prophet Jeremiah, God prophesied what was about to happen to Judah at the hand of the Babylonians.

“Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls and against all the towns of Judah. I will pronounce My judgments on My people because of their wickedness in forsaking Me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made.” ~Jeremiah 1:15b-16 (NIV)

Turning Away – The Charges Against Them

“They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.” ~Jeremiah 2:5b (NIV)

“But My people have exchanged My Glory for worthless idols. Be appalled at this, O heavens, and shudder with great horror,” declares the LORD. “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken Me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” ~Jeremiah 2:11b-13 (NIV)

“Now why go to Egypt to drink water from the Shihor? And why go to Assyria to drink water from the Euphrates? Your wickedness will punish you; your backsliding will rebuke you. Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the LORD your God and have no awe (fear, reverence) of Me,” declares the LORD Almighty. ~Jeremiah 2:18-19 (NIV)

“Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to blush with shame. Have you not just called to Me: ‘My Father, my friend from my youth, will You always be angry? Will Your wrath continue forever?’ This is how you talk, but you do all the evil you can.” ~Jeremiah 3:3-5 (NIV)

Turning Away – My Thoughts

What we trust in, we worship. What we worship, we serve and become like. Anything that replaces God as the center and whole object of our worship is an idol–emptiness, futility, vanity, of no profit. In other words, the worship of nothing. I wonder sometimes if we’ve deceived ourselves into thinking we’re serving God, when in all actuality we’re serving ourselves.

Have we exchanged the Glory of the Living God–our source of Living Water–by creating broken cisterns that hold no water? Those broken cisterns are the things we put our trust in. Talents and abilities. Jobs. Houses. Land. Power. Bank accounts. Other people. Military might. Government. The list is endless.

To make matters worse, they were prideful and took no shame in their rebellion against God. They prayed for His mercy, but continued in their sin.

When a nation forsakes God (especially when His Name and Word are on national monuments, courtrooms, and money)–when we have no awe, fear, and reverence of Him–the result will be evil and bitter.

I was shocked and appalled as I watched the twin towers incident play out on the television screen, but nothing was more shocking and appalling to me than this:

Don’t get me wrong. I know there were godly men and women in that crowd of Congressional members. But I also believe with all my heart that this was an example of people drawing near to God with their lips while their hearts were far from Him (Isaiah 29:13). The years since that fateful day have proved it. Abortion, homosexuality, and other forms of immorality and idolatry have been elevated, while God continues to slip down the chain in our national estimation. When I see this video, I don’t see repentant people. I see national pride. And God hates pride.

Our God is not dead, as a recent movie proclaimed. That is so true. He reigns and lives forever! He’s eternal! But God will not accept words of repentance not accompanied by a heart of repentance and resulting actions. If there is to be any hope for the return of our country to a godly nation, we must see a whole-hearted returning to God displayed in the actions of her people. We cannot relegate God to the fringes of our national or personal life and expect Him to rescue us.

Turning Away – The Way Back

1. Repent (turn back to God and away from sin): “Return, faithless Israel,” declares the LORD, “I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful,” declares the LORD, “I will not be angry forever.” ~Jeremiah 3:12 (NIV)

2. Acknowledge (confess) rebellion (sin): “Only acknowledge your guilt–you have rebelled against the LORD your God, you have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed Me,” declares the LORD. ~Jeremiah 3:13 (NIV)

God created us and loves us. In fact, He loves us too much to let us stay the way we are. If we–individually and as a nation–won’t return to Him in repentance and confession, He will do whatever it takes to get our attention. And our hearts.

But the question is this: Is that a price we really want to pay?

* * *

We should know better.

After all, we’ve seen the result of our fellow man going the wrong way.

But instead, we turn a blind eye, certain we’re different. Certain we’ll get different results. Besides, we’re God’s chosen people. His Holy Presence resides in our midst. Right?

The post The Result of Turning Away From God appeared first on Cathy Bryant.