Jeremiah 4:27-28
For thus says the Lord, “The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end. For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be dark; for I have spoken; I have purposed; I have not relented, nor will I turn back.”
relent: verb (used without object)
1. to soften in feeling, temper, or determination; become more mild, compassionate, or forgiving.
Yes, God is love. But He also has a righteous anger and wrath for those who deliberately resist giving up their sin and idols. He will not relent in the pursuit to destroy the influence that evil has on His people. He does not hate His creation, He hates the darkness and evil that holds them. Many people say that they don’t want to believe in an angry God, when really they have no desire or intention to give up their sin and idols. They want to do as they please, therefore anything that disrupts and tells them to stop is just not true. Sin is often thought of as the obvious: murder, theft, abuse, lying, adultery, terrorism, drugs, etc. Things that are recognized as crime by law. However, what people don’t wish to believe as sin are things like lust/fantasy, pornography, greed, materialism, homosexuality, food, other addictions, people pleasing, etc. Things that seem “harmless”.
ANYTHING that sets itself up against God that tries to give fulfillment, comfort, approval, significance… is an IDOL.
People want to keep their idols and sin because they are selfish and deceived into thinking that they aren’t bad. “I’m a good person” has become a way to feel better about ourselves because one does not commit crime or do anything illegal.
NEWSFLASH: Satan has succeeded in his plan to deceive people!
Because of this, millions are roaming around, searching for purpose and meaning in all the wrong places! Spending countless hours and amounts of money on things that will ALWAYS leave them empty!
2 Corinthians 4:4-6
God, with his mercy, gave us this work to do, so we don’t give up. But we have turned away from secret and shameful ways. We use no trickery, and we do not change the teaching of God. We teach the truth plainly, showing everyone who we are. Then they can know in their hearts what kind of people we are in God’s sight. If the Good News that we preach is hidden, it is hidden only to those who are lost. The devil who rules this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. They cannot see the light of the Good News—the Good News about the glory of Christ, who is exactly like God. We do not preach about ourselves, but we preach that Jesus Christ is Lord and that we are your servants for Jesus. God once said, “Let the light shine out of the darkness!” This is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts by letting us know the glory of God that is in the face of Christ.
THIS is why Jesus must be shared! Because people are missing out on life-changing truth! We don’t need to share Jesus just so we can call people “saved” and throw around a bunch of Christianese jargon. We need to share Jesus so they can be freed from the evil lies of Satan! Christ paid the price of our sin and defeated death on the cross! Yet people are still in bondage to the lies that Satan has woven in their hearts and minds because they don’t know the truth! When they know the truth, they can be set free from the lies! (John 8:32)
Christ is about relationship. Talking out your questions, hurts, excitement. Communication. He does not slap your hand if you ask Him something that is keeping you from trusting or believing in Him. All questions are permissable, and He will graciously answer them with the truth.
Christ is not simply about acting better because you know the truth, but sharing the truth, in love, with others so that they might experience the heart healing and life-change He offers.
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not all who sound religious are really godly people. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but still won’t get to heaven. For the decisive question is whether they obey my Father in heaven. At the Judgment many will tell me, ‘Lord, Lord, we told others about you and used your name to cast out demons and to do many other great miracles.’ But I will reply, ‘You have never been mine. Go away, for your deeds are evil.’
We all know the age-old saying, “actions speak louder than words,” and it still rings true today! If I am telling someone to submit their life to God but have things still controlling me like greed and putting my significance in what others think of me… those actions will speak to a person more than my words. Especially if there is no evidence of my pursuing Christ to help me break free from said things. That is the key…. we can never be perfect before we share the love of Christ with others… but there is a stark difference in willingly submitting those burdens and struggles to Him for healing and a deliberate attitude of arrogance to keep them tucked away. This is called repentance. A posture or attitude to actually acknowledge and let go of things that keep us from attaining the freedom Christ paid for on the cross.
The word “submit” has gathered a negative connotation over time when really all it means is to “give over or yield to the power of authority of another.” This means relinquishing control. And although hundreds of thousands of people have abused this concept and twisted it into manipulation and abuse… God meant it as an instruction to stop fighting for control because He ultimately has it anyway. So when we submit our lives to Him, we let go and trust Him. We relinquish the need to know everything and allow Him to walk us through life with the assurance that He cares for us.
My life before God was full of my attempts to work my way to success. My love for people got twisted into a form of manipulation to get what I wanted. My gifts for administration, organization, and implementation turned into arrogance and a very disrespectful attitude. I could do everything faster, better and more efficiently so teamwork was a waste of time. I have since learned that we are each created with different gifts and abilities to work TOGETHER.
It is funny that my love for people eventually pushed them away. My desire to “reach the top” overcame my desire to help others and thus became my idol. My achievements and desperate need for acknowledgment was ruling my life and attempting to fill the void in my heart that made me feel loved and significant. False hope for success. Now I know how to use what I am good at to help others, even teach them if they wish to learn, and work harmoniously with the people I was created to love and appreciate their unique gifts and abilities to be used in conjunction with mine.
All because God captivated my heart and showed me the truth. The truth that my works and accomplishments did not make me special. I did not have to work to earn love. I am loved because He created me, and as I submit myself to Him, He will continue to unfold His plan for my life before my eyes.
So wherever you are today, stop and ask yourself: “What things am I looking to in order to find my significance?” Is it other people? Money? Material objects? Sex? Work accomplishments? Drugs? Alcohol? I tried all of these things and I can testify and assure you that NONE of them will satisfy the longing in your heart to feel valued and worthy of love. NONE.
Not all of these things are evil when pursued in the right context that God created them for. But when they become the idol that is slave-driving you to earn love and significance… they will destroy your life.
Please consider accepting the truth today that Jesus is the only one who can fill the void in your heart. The area where you feel numb… possibly because you lost something… or because it was stolen from you… Jesus can make you whole again DESPITE your past. Every single person on the planet has experienced pain of some sort. Every one of us has also fallen to something or many things to cope with that pain. But you don’t have to suffer any longer. Jesus can take it all away.
He is the key.
Mark 9:23 Anything is possible if a person believes.
Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to his followers, “If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up their lives to follow me. Those who want to save their lives will give up true life, and those who give up their lives for me will have true life. It is worthless to have the whole world if they lose their souls. They could never pay enough to buy back their souls.
