God's Last Word

In conversations, are you a listener or a talker or somewhere in between? I've been working on becoming more of a listener. Working on... I said. I do like to talk. I always have. My mom said I learned to talk long before I even considered walking. I was referred to as a "motor mouth" when I was a kid. My dad says, "she has a lot to say." I read a quote that said something like, "You have one mouth and two ears for a good reason." Then, of course, there's the words from Jesus' brother James, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry" (James 1:19) These things have got me to thinking that maybe I need to keep my mouth shut more and my ears open and attentive to others.

I've been working on this discipline in my prayer time as well. Prayers for me used to be only wrote prayers that I learned and repeated at certain times of the day or in certain places. For example The Lord's Prayer, or my childhood bedtime prayer or dinner prayer. I matured some and began saying prayers that were made up of my own words but were pretty much just a "to do" list for God of the way that I'd like Him to direct my life under MY direction. More recently, I've been sitting quiet and listening for His voice. Waiting on His directions. It doesn't come easily for me. My mind likes to wander and sometimes whirl out of control with concerns and details of my day ahead and for the future. I feel like I'm constantly badgering the Holy Spirit to keep me on track.

Speaking of staying on track, this next verse of thanks comes from the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah, the author, is trying very hard to do just that... get the nation of Judah back on track with God. Jeremiah, as a prophet, had the very difficult job of relaying God's messages of impending judgment for His people who were disintegrating morally from within. Sadly, Jeremiah's warnings and pleas were falling on deaf ears. They were bad listeners, like me. They wanted to live their lives as they pleased, not to please God. It gets so out of hand we read warnings of judgment such as this;

"This is what the Lord says: 'Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing. There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sore, no healing for you. All your allies have forgotten you; they care nothing for you. I have struck you as an enemy would and punished you as would the cruel, because your guilt is so great and your sins so many. Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you.'" (Jeremiah 30:12-15)

This book is hard for me because I don't like conflict and confrontation. I don't like to view my God as a God that destroys - a God that disciplines and punishes. Do you? I know it's necessary. For it says truly in Proverbs 13:24 "Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them." It's for our own good, so it goes. We are God's children, just as the nation of Judah is made up of God's children. He wants what is best for them and has to discipline.

The hope comes in when He also is recorded saying, "I am with you and will save you, declares the Lord, 'Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you, I will discipline you but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished." (Jeremiah 30:11) And "This is what the Lord says: 'I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place.'" (Jeremiah 30:18)

This leads us to our verse of thanks.

"From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing, and they will not be decreased, I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained." Jeremiah 30:19

In this portion of scripture we see God's children go full circle... from the pit to the pinnacle. And trust me, this is not the first nor the last time that the Bible text will take us on this wild ride. If only the children of Israel listened more and talked less, listened to God and His prophets and followed His good laws, and listened, and listened, and listened. But they didn't, and neither do most of us. Submitting my will to God's will is hard for me... but I'm learning that when I allow God to have the last word in a situation it comes out pretty good.

Lucky for us, God is a God of compassion and the original source of love. He disciplines us because He loves us and teaches us that in order to have spiritual success, we must learn that sin has its consequences, but God's last word for those who will repent is forgiveness.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

We are forgiven! WE ARE FORGIVEN!! No matter how ugly, shameful, or awful our sins, if we confess and repent to the throne of God, Christ's blood covers our sins and makes us white as snow. Not only that, He promises us eternal life in heaven where all is perfect and free from sin, and pain, and sadness. Amazing love isn't it?! That is worthy of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing in my book.

"And be thankful." Colossians 3:15b