It's Not A Curse, It's A Blessing

Date: Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Today's Chapters: Jeremiah 33-36
Message Title: It's Not A Curse, It's A Blessing

Hello My Friend,

Cruel, mean, control freak, these are the many words used to describe God. Okay, if you have to give an excuse as to why you reject God, it might as well be something that makes Him look like a monster. The world will never see God as the loving, merciful, and forgiving God that He is, for that reason we can expect the world to treat us like monsters. However, do not call it a curse, call it a blessing. “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.” - Luke 6:22,23.

As Jeremiah sits in a jail cell while many of the Jews had already been carried away into Babylon, God sends word to him. He assures him that He has not forsaken Israel, that He has not forgotten His covenant with them, and that they will one day return to the promised land. “Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.” - Jeremiah 33:2,3,14-16.
I will admit that when I first started reading the Bible, especially the books of the law, it seemed as though God did not have much mercy, and He would strike a person in an instant. However, the more I read it the more I understand that God is a just God, meaning His judgments are right, and He always has a very good reason for striking a person down if He does. “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” - Romans 9:14-16.

By the way, no one can never blame God for the judgments that come because God gives them fair warning to stop what they are doing. Before the invasion of Jerusalem, God sent Jeremiah to warn King Zedekiah what was about to take place. God made a covenant with him that he would keep him safe if he set free any servant who served them for seven years, but he broke that covenant, and now, he too will be judged. “Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof, The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf; I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.” - Jeremiah 34:17-20.

Why was God so angry? They used His Word to deceive the people. When we use God's Word in any way, even if it is quoted as God not saying it, it mocks and discredits God, not the person. The word liberty means to set free, when we believe in and receive Jesus Christ as our Savior He gives us liberty from death and hell. That does not mean that we are to take that liberty for granted and continue to live in sin. While our salvation is never based on our works, we do a dishonor to God and make Him angry when we take His liberty for granted. “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.” - 1 Peter 15,16.

Have you ever had someone say to you, “I thought you were a Christian.” or “That is not very Christian of you.” when you confront them about something? They often try to quote some form of Scripture about judging them? That is the comments you get from people who barely pick up a Bible, yet expect you to accept and compromise with them over all the garbage they are telling you, disregarding the fact that it is a complete abomination to God. The things that God expects from us are not hard, in fact, they are something most people do for their parents or spouse. To prove this point, God sent Jeremiah to meet with the house of Rechabites, He brought them to the temple and encouraged them to drink wine with them in the house of God. The Rechabites refused, siting that they would not go against their fathers command to drink no wine.

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the LORD. The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father's commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me. I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.” - Jeremiah 35:13-15.

In other words, God says, “You suffer because you will not listen to me.”, this is the very reason why it appears that God is cruel and mean to the world. God does not ask us to do anything that our parents would not ask. God loves us, He died for us, so that we can spend eternity together, that does not mean He will not punish us here on earth for doing wrong, just like a parent would. “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” - 1 Peter 1:16-19.
Today's Prayer: God, You truly do give mercy to whom You give it, and I will never understand why Your were so merciful to me. Thank You for Your mercy and grace to not give me what I truly deserve, and thank You for always being there for me no matter how many times I mess up. Lord, I do want to give honor to You by living to please You, lead me and guide me, give me Your power to live in Your will, and to resist the temptation to go against You when people try to confuse me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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