Words from Jeremiah

It's funny how when you ask God to speak to you through His word, He does it. That was my prayer this morning as I was reading in Jeremiah, and it happened...

Jeremiah 2:10-13
10 “Go west and look in the land of Cyprus;
go east and search through the land of Kedar.
Has anyone ever heard of anything
as strange as this?
11 Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,
even though they are not gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God
for worthless idols!
12 The heavens are shocked at such a thing
and shrink back in horror and dismay,”
says the Lord.
13 “For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me—
the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
that can hold no water at all!
(New Living Translation)

In this passage God is telling his people how dumb they are! They are dumb because: 1) people aren't supposed to trade their gods for new ones - its not a card game; and 2) if it was a card game and you possessed THE card that trumps all other cards, YOU WOULDN'T TRADE IT! The Lord is saying to His people, "The heavens are SHOCKED (appalled) at such a thing! You have traded your Glorious God, the God who trumps all other gods, for worthless idols!

So I was reading this and I was like, "yeah, go God! tell 'em how it is!" Then I realized that I am one of these people that he is talking about. No, I don't sit around with friends and trade my Zeus for your Athena, or my Ra for your Apollo. But I do go throughout my day and with my actions I say "my comfort is more important than God," or "my reputation is more important than God." Without realizing it I am trading my Glorious God for a little "g" god called ME! I put myself on the throne.

I believed God is SHOCKED and APPALLED by what I'm doing. I feel Him saying, "Am I not big enough, not good enough, and not faithful enough? Am I not a God who trumps all? Am I not a God who trumps YOU?" The truth is, He is so big, good, and faithful, that I can't even totally comprehend it! My prayer today is for myself and for everyone who happens to read this. I pray that I(we) will constantly be evaluating who's on the throne. Is it me or is it God?

Praise: His gracious choice.

Here's a video from a worship leader who I highly respect and look up to, Bob Kauflin. Though he has no idea who I am, I consider him one of my mentors.

Consider his exhortation to his church about praise, God's gracious choice.