Tuesday February 23, 2021

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 2:1-13

They stopped asking: Where is the Lord who brought us from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and ravines, through a land of drought and darkness, a land no one traveled through and where no one lived?

Jeremiah 2:6

Reflection: When God accuses Israel of abandoning Him, He likens their behavior to digging cisterns that cannot hold water, while having available to them a fountain of living water. Israel had followed the Lord out of Egypt and were freed from slavery. By Him, they were cared for and protected in the wilderness, and received a land to call their own. But then, resting in the riches of His blessings, they stopped asking for God. They stopped seeking Him. Israel failed to remember their need for God.

We should never stop asking for our Lord. For even more then His Providence, we are in greater need of His Presence. Wealth and comfort can be evidence of God’s Love and Mercy, but can also beckon us away from God if we are not careful. By our own hands, we may be able to achieve worldly success. But without the life-giving waters of the Lord, we will never be completely satisfied. Only by seeking to be near to God, by longing after His Presence, can we look forward to fullness of life now and for eternity. Follower of Christ, do not go astray, for you will only be toiling the ground endlessly for stale water that cannot be contained enough to drink. Instead, remember to seek after the Lord always. Look for His Presence and follow closely after Him. For He is the fountain of living water, by which your soul is satisfied.

Prayer: Eternal God, great is Your Faithfulness, for Your mercies are new every morning and are abundant, far beyond what I need. Great is Your Providence, for only You can orchestrate all of time, matter, and space into Your perfect Will. Greater still, Lord, is Your Presence, Your very nearness that reminds me of how wonderful You are, how loving and kind. Thank You Lord for Your Presence with me, that when I did not even know You, You drew near to take my sin away, and that by Your Spirit You abide with me still. I am not worthy of Your Presence, Lord, but I am grateful for it. Please grow me to be nearer to You. Teach me to seek You all the time, to look for ways to please You. Stir within me a greater desire to do what brings You glory. I pray all of these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, AMEN.

Thru the Bible in a year (credit: Biblestudytools.com): 1 Timothy 5:1-22; Jeremiah 1-2; Psalm 119:145-176