Today, during my quiet time, one simple yet profound portion of just one verse -- yes, God speaking through a few words penned by the weeping prophet in Jeremiah 2:8a CEB --stopped me as a spiritual leader in my own tracks for a soul-searching season of reflecting, repenting, reviving and refocusing.
Hear the words:
"The priests [the spiritual leaders] didn’t [did not] ask, ‘Where’s the Lord?’ Those responsible for the Instruction didn’t [did not] know Me." Jeremiah 2:8a CEB
How sad for God to have to say that His own people had forsaken Him and forgotten His faithfulness and that those entrusted to lead the people to God are first and foremost the guilty ones. Painful. God forgive. God forbid.
Question: Pastors, spiritual leaders, do we ask, "Where’s the Lord?" Do those of us entrusted to point people to the Lord really know the Lord for ourselves?
My mind quickly remembers similiar striking words of Jesus recorded in Matthew…
"Not everybody who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will get into the kingdom of Heaven. Only those who do the will of My Father Who is in Heaven will enter. On the Judgment Day, many people will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name and expel demons in Your name and do lots of miracles in Your name?’ Then I’ll tell them, ‘I’ve never known you. Get away from Me, you people who do wrong.’" Matthew 7:21-23 CEB
Prayer: Lord, before i would ever dare to spiritually instruct others, i definitely want to spend my days and nights asking, "Where’s the Lord?" i must [and i do] desire to know You intimately for myself so that i might be finally trustworthy as Your witness to others. Amen.
With gladness.
Pastor Kerry Willis
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