2010 – July 26 – The Unfaithfulness of the Faithful

Study from God’s Word… Jeremiah, Chapters 3 – 5: 13 … Passage for Reflection: Jeremiah 3: 11, 19-20, 22a … NIV The LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah.” … 19 "I myself said, " 'How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.' I thought you would call me 'Father' and not turn away from following me. 20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O House of Israel. … 22 "Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding."

Also NKJV translation: Jeremiah 3: 11 … 11 Then the LORD said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.

Word Study from Jer. 3: 11:
Faithless/backsliding (Israel) – Hebrew – “meshuwbah” [pron. “meshu –vah”]
Unfaithful/treacherous (Judah) – Hebrew – “bagad” [pron. “by-gad”]

My Journal for Today: In today’s reading from the Chronological Bible in Jeremiah 3 – 5, and in Dr. Smith’s devotional today from the verses cited above, things got a little complex on me. Hence my little word study from my online Blue Letter Bible website on two Hebrew concepts which are used as comparisons in Jer. 3: 11 … that of “faithless” versus “unfaithful.” I’m no Hebrew scholar, for sure; but this study helped me to realize that I needed more than on version of Scripture to help me see what Dr. Smith was exposing in his devotional.

When I hear those two terms, “faithless” and “unfaithful,” my immediate interpretation may be in comparing a faith-LESS atheist, i.e., one who has no faith in God, to an UN-faithful believer, i.e., one who has faith but who has turned away from that they know to be truth. That’s the reason it’s a good idea at times to read God’s word in more than one version, which is why I’ve quoted the NKJV above as well as the NIV for Jer. 3: 11 [the primary target verse of Dr. Smith’s devotional]. And in doing so, you’ll see that the edge on meaning and application seems to take on a slightly different color as you go from the NIV to the NKJV.

Obviously God grieves over the FAITHLESS one or backslider, which was personified through the ten Northern tribes of Israel during Jeremiah’s prophetic times. But God also grieves over the degree of unfaithfulness (also called “treachery”) of the two tribes in Judah. So, how do we take away some application from this comparison? And Dr. Smith, the author of my devotional today, asks a pointed self-appraisal question to help us do that. He asks: ”Do I censure my own unfaithfulness (as a Christian believer) as strongly as I condemn the faithlessness of unbelievers?” And that my friends is worthy of some serious self-examination.

I’m afraid there are times, upon conviction, when I look at my sinfulness by saying something like, “Well, at least I’m not an atheist anymore.” That, my friends, is pride personified. And that was the attitude of the Pharisees, which Jesus hated so vigorously. So, today’s study helps me to realize that God most certainly grieves over those who do not choose to follow His ways and fall prey to selfishness and sin, … the atheists who mock God or reject Him outright. But maybe God grieves even more deeply for those believer fools, like me at times, who know – and believe – God’s ways, but turn away anyway.

Let me repeat Dr. LaGard Smith’s self exam today; and let’s deal with it within our own hearts: ”Do I censure my own unfaithfulness (as a Christian believer) as strongly as I condemn the faithlessness of unbelievers?”

My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to be sensitive to my own sin and convicted to confess and be cleansed of it just as much as I’m sensitive to the lost who need to find You for eternity. Amen

2010 – May 1 – Faithfulness in the Face of Unfaithfulness

Blogger's Note:Well, here I am beginning month five of 2010, still reading through the Bible in a year as I had set out to do on New Year's Day. Thus far it has been a very revealing and productive growth experience; and I intend to finish out my commitment to read/blog through the entire Bible this year ... <'BB><

Study from God’s Word… Psalms 75, 93, 94, 97, 98, 99, and 100 … Passage for Reflection: Psalm 100: 5 … NIV 5 For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

My Journal for Today: I co-teach what you’d likely call an adult “Sunday School” class at my church along with another brother in Christ, who comes from an African-American tradition of church; and often he begins our class with a ditty he was taught as a young boy, and one which our class also knows well. Many of you reading along with me here may have heard it. KC, my co-teacher buddy cries out, “God is good!” And the class retorts, “All the time!” Then KC responds, “All the time;” and the class comes back, in unison, “God is good!” And you’re probably ahead of me that this little interactive ditty is another expression of one of the shortest Psalms in the Bible, Psalm 100, from which we read today’s highlight passage, in verse 5, For the LORD is good and His love endures forever.”

And that’s another of those God honoring truths from Scripture that can roll off our tongues as Christian believers with almost a knee-jerk and responsive-reading type of reaction, like the little ditty used by my co-teacher friend to begin our class. Somehow, we know, in our heads that God is good, and He’s good forever; but when the issues of life and the pressures of the world bear down, do we really believe – in our hearts - that biblical song to be the truth?

This morning, along with about 25 other men/boys from our church, we’re out on a fishing trip into the lovely hills of the Ozark mountains; and out here, quietly fishing on the Little Red River in Arkansas, it’s pretty easy for me, surrounded by God’s creation and the peace and quiet on the river, to believe that “God is good;” … BUT … (another one of those big “BUTS”) when the tyranny of the worldly urgent is bearing down on me, the very human side of me sometimes wanders in my belief that God is ALWAYS good and that His love surrounds me … yes, even when I see man – and that includes me! - being so cruel and greedy and dishonest in the world.

That’s why it’s very good for me to join in with my fellow brothers in Christ, as we did last night in our cabin; and worship our God together. And last night about 15 of my fellow fisher’s of men, joined me in a short devotional in our cabin after a fun day of fishing for fish. We were brothers in Christ, a few of them with their young sons; and we worshipped God by singing a few praise choruses; and then I brought a brief message which God had lain on my heart about Christian “vulnerability.” And here in this place, along with my fellow Christians, it was wonderful raise up our voices together and worship the God Who, as Psalm 100 declares is truly good and Who is the same LORD, Whose love, in truth, does endure forever.

I pray this morning that you can join me in that same declaration of worship for our God.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, I pray that I join with anyone who reads this to shout to the heavens that You are a good God, Who loves us all forever and Whose faithfulness endures through all the generations. Amen