We've been spending the past year surveying the Old Testament through the window of the Mini-Bible College and Dick Woodward's inspired insights. One of the broad-brush truths that emerges is that the Old Testament uses stories of individuals, families and nations to teach principles we can apply personally in our walk with the Lord. Having just completed a reading of the prophet Jeremiah I find myself amazed at two things: (1) the capacity of the people of Judah and Israel to stiff arm the living God and (2) the sovereignty of God which uses whole nations to judge other nations and to restore His people to their home. I was specifically challenged this morning by Jeremiah 51:51 "We are ashamed because we have heard reproach; Disgrace has covered our faces, For aliens have entered the holy places of the Lord's house." I remembered that ever since I personally trusted in Jesus for His work of salvation, my heart has been His home. I realized that when I allow evil thoughts and evil actions to form in that heart I effectively have acted just like the Judeans and Israelites of Jeremiah's time. I have allowed "aliens" to enter the holy place of the Lord's house. This led to the memory of another verse: Proverbs 4:23 "Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the issues of life." Sometimes I need to remember the walls around Jerusalem and build even stronger walls around my heart!
blessings,
Rob Smith
No comments:
Post a Comment