In Jeremiah 32:33, the Lord is sharing with Jeremiah how the people of Israel have responded to Him. The Lord states the following, “they have turned their backs to me, not their faces.” How is it possible to turn your back to the Creator of everything? What has happened to the chosen people of God, causing them to disrespect the source of all their blessings? Is it possible they have taken the Lord for granted, and have lost sight of what He has done for them? Or, is the problem associated with ignorance? I wonder how many generations were born in the land flowing with milk and honey, and were taught about the Lord. Did they not know how the Lord delivered their ancestors from bondage in Egypt, and all He did for them while they were in the wilderness? Did they not know how the Lord brought them into the promised land, and kept them safe from danger seen and unseen?
From the time they entered the promised land to where they are at this point, something has happened. From generation to generation the Lord was not the focal point, yes they would offer a sacrifice. But, it had become more of a tradition than worship. In essence this is what they were told to do, but many did not understand the why. This makes me think about us, do we come to Church, because it’s something we were told to do? We come clapping and singing, but do we know the Lord? Therefore, our worship does not impact our lives, if we don’t know the God we are worshipping. We know of Him, but He is not rooted inside of us. The Lord closes out the verse by making this statement, “though I have taught them persistently, they would not listen and accept correction.”
The people decided to ignore what they were taught, and would not listen nor embrace correction. In essence they turned their backs to God, because they did not have a relationship with Him. They did not realize their lack of understanding and their self centeredness was going to cause everything they were given to be destroyed. Do you know the Lord? If your answer is yes, then you understand the Lord is the source of everything. All you have been able to accomplish came from the Lord, and it’s not because you deserved it. It originates from His love for you. God loves you and always wants the best for you, and that’s why He keeps on blessing you. Therefore, when the Lord sees you doing something wrong, He will confront you. Now, will you listen and accept correction, because this will keep you in the favor of the Lord. And, He will continue to bless you to do the extraordinary, because you did not turn your back to Him. I encourage you not to turn from but to the Lord, the source of all your blessings. Continue to walk in your blessings!
