your backsliding will rebuke you.
Consider then and realize
how evil and bitter it is for you
when you forsake the LORD your God
and have no awe of me,”
declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty. (Jeremiah 2:19 -- emphasis mine)
Did you know that God says it's EVIL and BITTER to forsake Him and to have no 'awe' of Him? But that's precisely what Jeremiah 2:19 is saying. What an amazing rebuke we have from God in this one verse. But sadly it is very true, even to this day. Do you give thought to God? Or do you no longer have any 'awe' of Him.
God says to consider (stop and think) about how evil and bitter it really is to not give Him any thought. 'Forsake' means to 'quit' or 'leave entirely', and to have no 'awe' of God means to no longer 'fear or dread' or to not have an 'overwhelming feeling of reverence'.
Look around the world, watch people as they walk along the road, drive along the freeway, or listen to the things they are talking about. Turn on the TV, the radio, or look at a newspaper, how much 'chatter' is going on about God and giving Him respect and glory? Probably very little....what a sad state of affairs.
Here we have the Creator God, Maker of Heavens and Earth, the people that were His creation, all going about their day without even a single consideration of the God that gave them life. Or considering what God has done through Jesus Christ.
The Bible is pretty clear that God must be our number 1 priority. There should be no second. The Old Testament is clear in Deuteronomy 6:5 "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." How much? -- with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, and with ALL your strength! Just some of our strength, or just some of our heart? No ALL. God desires your best, everything you have!
Jesus reiterated this in Matthew 10 (fuller passage below) when He says in verses 37-39:
37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
While this doesn't mean we should not love others around us, the idea must be that however much you love your father or mother, how much MORE should our love for God be! We must love Him first above all else. That is the kind of love God desires.
Are you committed to Him? I pray you can be -- forsake those things around you and focus firmly on Him. There is nothing in this world of more value that our God and His Son Jesus Christ! I pray that you will not lose that 'awe' of Him and what He has done for you. I encourage you to read the Word yourself and learn and see what God desires. Grow in Him!
God bless!
Matthew 10:32-39
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others,
I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
33 But whoever disowns me before others,
I will disown before my Father in heaven.
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.
I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother
more than me is not worthy of me;
anyone who loves their son or daughter
more than me is not worthy of me.
38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
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