Blessings at a distance

Today: Jeremiah 4-6

I'll be honest: In today's chapters, God is NOT happy with His people. They've turned away from Him and are blind to His goodness. Check out what He said here:

It never occurs to them to say,

'How can we honor our God with our lives,

The God who gives rain in both spring and autumn

and maintains the rhythm of the seasons,

Who sets aside time each year for harvest

and keeps everything running smoothly for us?'

Of course you don't!

Your bad behavior blinds you to all this.

Your sins keep my blessings at a distance...

Whoa. It's interesting that God hadn't stopped blessing His people--they just didn't recognize the blessings or fully experience them.

How can you and I make sure that we're not blocking ourselves from God or His blessings? The answer's in this passage, too. We have to first ask for His forgiveness--and then choose to submit to His leadership, asking, "How can we honor God with our lives?" That sounds simple, but it requires a heart of humility, love and perseverance--to continually desire God and pursue the purpose He has for you.

Tomorrow: Jeremiah 7-9

I'm still here...

Today: Isaiah 64-66

Have you ever felt invisible? Overlooked? Forgotten?

These aren't the best feelings in the world, but I think it's interesting that God has experienced that feeling, too. In today's passage, there's a section where God addressed His people and reflected on how some treated Him:

I'm here, ready to be found

by those who haven't bothered to look.

I kept saying 'I'm here, I'm right here'

to a nation that ignored me.

I reached out day after day

to a people who turned their backs on me,

People who make wrong turns,

who insist on doing things their own way...

Yikes! Isn't that interesting? The Creator of the Universe, the all-powerful, all-knowing God...somehow goes unnoticed?

People often say things like, "God just feels really distant right now" or "I haven't felt His presence lately." The truth? God is always there for us--we just might not see Him in front of our noses...or we've put up barriers between ourselves and Him.

God's still here. He's still reaching out for you and for me. He's ready to be found.

Tomorrow: Jeremiah 1-3