Reading: Jeremiah 5
My Verse: "Hear this, O foolish and senseless people,
who have eyes, but see not,
who have ears, but hear not.
Do you not fear me? Declares the LORD.
Do you not tremble before me?
I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea,
a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass;
though the waves toss, they cannot prevail;
though they roar, they cannot pass over it" (Jeremiah 5:21,22).
This passage reminds me of two things: our insensitive heartless ingratitude to You and
our total lack of understanding of Who You are LORD God. For if we truly knew Who You are we would not be "foolish and senseless people." We would realize the beauty and strength and awesome purpose even in the "grain of sand" that You ordain.
The Amplified clarifies this with -
"And though the waves of the sea toss and shake themselves,
yet they cannot prevail
[against the feeble grains of sand
which God has ordained by nature to be sufficient for His purpose];
though [the billows] roar,
yet they cannot pass over that [barrier].
[Is not such a God to be reverently feared and worshiped?]"
If one would but truly look at the things in nature - the incredible complexity not only of the structure of all things but the intricate interactions of all living things, the amazing balance of all that is- we could not help but fall on our knees before You, Oh LORD God!
In the "Poetry Out Loud" competition for high school students one of the girls recited Trees by Joyce Kilmer.
"I think that I shall never see
A poem as lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is rest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree."
If we would but gaze upon Your creation LORD God we would realize the wonder of Who You are. We might begin to get an inkling of the great things You want for us - the joy, peace and sense of purpose.
"We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are too easily pleased." -CSLewis
Oh, LORD God, because of Who You are, the very fountain of goodness and light You cannot help but emanate that goodness and light out to us Your creatures! Your goodness and light flow out to us, lighting up our darkest corners, filling us with a longing for Your goodness!
In the first verse of this passage You, LORD God direct Jeremiah to "go to and fro" searching for any "who does justice and seeks truth" so that You may pardon them. But sadly Jeremiah could find none, he goes to all the levels of society and finds none! There is only pretense and hypocrisy. But You, LORD God see through all that, You see the heart, You are not fooled.
I was gazing at the full moon the other night and wondering at the beautiful light it reflects from the sun. The moon is so very plain in reality, it has nothing to make itself beautiful, yet there it is simply gorgeous! LORD God I thought how wonderful if I could but reflect even a little bit of Your beauty as the moon reflects that of the sun. If I could, though I am as nothing, be a glowing, beautiful refection of You in this sad and broken world.
Thank You, for this wonderful lesson of the simple grain of sand.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
My Verse: "Hear this, O foolish and senseless people,
who have eyes, but see not,
who have ears, but hear not.
Do you not fear me? Declares the LORD.
Do you not tremble before me?
I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea,
a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass;
though the waves toss, they cannot prevail;
though they roar, they cannot pass over it" (Jeremiah 5:21,22).
This passage reminds me of two things: our insensitive heartless ingratitude to You and
our total lack of understanding of Who You are LORD God. For if we truly knew Who You are we would not be "foolish and senseless people." We would realize the beauty and strength and awesome purpose even in the "grain of sand" that You ordain.
The Amplified clarifies this with -
"And though the waves of the sea toss and shake themselves,
yet they cannot prevail
[against the feeble grains of sand
which God has ordained by nature to be sufficient for His purpose];
though [the billows] roar,
yet they cannot pass over that [barrier].
[Is not such a God to be reverently feared and worshiped?]"
If one would but truly look at the things in nature - the incredible complexity not only of the structure of all things but the intricate interactions of all living things, the amazing balance of all that is- we could not help but fall on our knees before You, Oh LORD God!
In the "Poetry Out Loud" competition for high school students one of the girls recited Trees by Joyce Kilmer.
"I think that I shall never see
A poem as lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is rest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree."
If we would but gaze upon Your creation LORD God we would realize the wonder of Who You are. We might begin to get an inkling of the great things You want for us - the joy, peace and sense of purpose.
"We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are too easily pleased." -CSLewis
Oh, LORD God, because of Who You are, the very fountain of goodness and light You cannot help but emanate that goodness and light out to us Your creatures! Your goodness and light flow out to us, lighting up our darkest corners, filling us with a longing for Your goodness!
In the first verse of this passage You, LORD God direct Jeremiah to "go to and fro" searching for any "who does justice and seeks truth" so that You may pardon them. But sadly Jeremiah could find none, he goes to all the levels of society and finds none! There is only pretense and hypocrisy. But You, LORD God see through all that, You see the heart, You are not fooled.
I was gazing at the full moon the other night and wondering at the beautiful light it reflects from the sun. The moon is so very plain in reality, it has nothing to make itself beautiful, yet there it is simply gorgeous! LORD God I thought how wonderful if I could but reflect even a little bit of Your beauty as the moon reflects that of the sun. If I could, though I am as nothing, be a glowing, beautiful refection of You in this sad and broken world.
Thank You, for this wonderful lesson of the simple grain of sand.
Ditat Deus - God Enriches!
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