When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me. Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? Is not her king in her?
“Why have they provoked Me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities?”
The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me. Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?…
Jeremiah 8:18-22
daughter of My people
Weeping
“Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people. Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.” Lamentations 3:48-50 (KJB)
Jeremiah is known as being the “Weeping prophet”. When you read his prophecy, and his laments in Lamentations you can see why he is called that.
As I read the Laments this morning I found myself weeping for the prophets pain, and his laments were just for a caring heart and soul. He hurt for his people. He hurt because of their forsaking of God, and His way, and His word.
There are other verses which show his grieving, weeping heart. Consider Jeremiah 4:19 and 9:1.
If I stop to think about what I have wept over I am too often ashamed of it. What should cause me to weep?
- That many who call themselves Christian are departing from the worship of God our Creator through Christ Jesus;
- That the word of God is considered by too many as being an antiquated book no longer worthy of following, or believing;
- That there are many who are perishing in their sins, and are going untold of the wonderful gift of God displayed upon the cross of Jesus Christ, His burial, and resurrection;
- That there are too many Christians who are in a backsliden condition, away from God, and do not seem to care;
- That Christians seem to see no need for the local church, and are forsaking the assembling of themselves together;
- That we have brethren in nations which persecute them for their faith in Jesus Christ while we go without any persecution;
- That Jesus Christ is not exalted as He should be.
That list is not exhaustive. If you can think of another let me know in the comments; and let us pray to draw nearer to the LORD our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Would You Like a Visit From The LORD?
“Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know Me, saith the LORD.
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of My people? Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.
Shall I not visit them for these things?’ saith the LORD: ‘shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?'” Jeremiah 9:6-9 (KJB)
My answer to the title question is; Not the kind of visit verse 9 is speaking of. I enjoy and I am blessed when I really see that God has come visiting me. Yes! I know He is with me always.
We need to see a few things about the above verses…
- God is speaking to Jeremiah in verse six of the kind of people he is living among;
- God is grieved with the people of Judah and Israel because of their lies, deceit, their hypocrisy in worship;
- God is grieved because of their personal hypocrisies with one another;
- God says that He will come visit them (meaning of course in judgment) if they do not change their ways.
These thoughts lead me to ask,,,
- What about the people where I live and what about me; How is my relationship with God and my neighbor?
- Do I live honestly with my neighbor, and remember that they also are a people made in the image of God?
- Is there anything in our lives that resembles false worship? Do we have a passion for something else more than God; forsaking the assembling of ourselves with other believers in Christ Jesus; or maybe assembling but living a different life the other days?
- Do we want the visitation of God on us for the kind of living that does not honor and glorify Him?
No! We cannot live a sinless life. We can live a redeemed life because of the cross of Jesus Christ the Son of God, God the Son. He is God’s greatest, and gracious visitation to all Adam kind.
The Fire and Hammer 