Read today's passage HERE.
As of this writing, America and the world is falling deeper into chaos. It's June 2022, and after two years of suffering from a world-wide Covid pandemic, the American government (as well as the rest of the world) is reeling in turmoil. For a long time we've been blessed with wealth, freedom, and many luxuries not afforded by most people throughout the world. But payday has come!
To add insult to injury as if the pandemic wasn't hurtful enough, the American government decided to help ease the pain of American's hurting financially, the U.S. government decided to freely dole out TRILLIONS of dollars in aid to its citizens to shore up their personal economic challenges. During the pandemic, large, staple companies went out of business. Most business were forced to shut their doors under federal mandates while hundreds of millions of workers for also forced to stay home by those same mandates. Sadly, however, many Americans never went back to work.
Yet, while many Americans enjoyed the temporary freedom from work and a free hand-out from the government, payday has come! Now, the U.S. economy is paying huge, painful price. Our country, along with many others, are falling headlong into a recession, strapped with overly-inflated prices on food, gas, and everything else. To make matters worse, we're also experiencing rising interest rates, and a deepening divide between two political parties that has stirred vitriol and hatred like I've never seen in the past 63 years of my life. Today, America is paying the price for it's pride, its trust in money, its freedom from tyranny, and the American dream we all once knew.
You might say, it's much like the last few chapters of Jeremiah. However, as we read these last few chapters, things in those days were much worse. God was done with all the sinful ways of the nations that made up the Mid-East. And through Jeremiah, God prophesied a horrific pronouncement of doom upon the nations. In fact, they are so horrible that it would be difficult to imagine having lived through such destruction.
As we glance through chapters 46 through 52, we see a collection of doomsday prophecies for several nations near and around Israel, Turkey, Greece, Iran, Iraq, and a few other countries. Even though they had different names back then, God was fed up with their evil ways and their time was up!
In fact, God says, "For this is the day of the Lord, the Lord Almighty, a day of vengeance on his enemies." - Jer.46:10
Time had run out for these nations. God was patient long enough. In fact, God even states in 47:4, "the time has come for the Philistines to be destroyed" and in 48:44, "for the time of your judgment has come." God has a time for everything...just as King Solomon one day prophesied several hundred years before!
God gives everyone a time or period of time to repent of sin. Why? Because He's slow to anger and very loving and longsuffering towards us. But one thing God is not, He is not blind to our sin. He waits patiently for us to realize the error of our ways before He strikes. During Jeremiah's time in history, God was done waiting. It was time to put an end to man's ever-increasing sinfulness.
Thus, God uses Jeremiah to pronounce His judgment on the nations. As you read each chapter, you see God pronouncing judgment on nation after nation telling them how horrible it will be unless they repent. Sadly, they did not!
Even the great empire Babylon was not spared. God called out His judgment against them as well.
As you read through these chapters, underline the sins God has against each nation. Perhaps you can see the same sins we, as a nation, or even as a person are committing against God. Don't wait too long. God doesn't let sin go unpunished. Just as He said to Israel in Jeremiah 46:28, "But I must discipline you; I cannot let you go unpunished."
Is there any unconfessed sin in your life right now? Talk to God about it now. Ask Him to help you to stop sinning, to feel the desire of truly repenting of your sin, and ask for His help in turning fully to trusting in Him and obeying His every command.
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