Lamentations 3:40-42 CSB 40 Let’s examine and probe our ways, and turn back to the Lord.
41Let’s lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven:
42 “We have sinned and rebelled; you have not forgiven.
On my desk I have a copy of the scripture:
“For the shepherds are stupid: They don’t seek the Lord.” Jeremiah 10:21 CSB
This scripture is truth. If you don’t seek the Lord, you are acting in a stupid manner. Acting stupid and being stupid or two different things. The shepherds knew better than to not seek the Lord. We know better than to not seek the Lord. Yet, so often in our lives we do everything but seek the Lord.
This scripture is also a valuable promise. If you seek the Lord, you won’t be stupid. In other words, you will know the truth, you will know God’s will, and you will be blessed by God as He guides your way. Why would we want anything else?
Why are we settling for a lesser walk with God?
In Lamentations chapter three, Jeremiah issues a call for us to examine ourselves. “Examine and probe our ways,” Many people never stop doing stuff (being busy and tired) long enough to communicate in any relevant way with God. So, it’s time to stop being so proud and self-reliant. It’s time to turn back to the Lord.
When we seek the Lord, we stop seeking ourselves and our own desires. We turn around. We repent. The scriptural truth is that we have sinned and rebelled against God. We have left out repentance and we have not tasted the sweetness of forgiveness.
“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the person who seeks him.” Lamentations 3:25 CSB
There are a lot of words being spoken, printed, and broadcast that are supposedly about God. There are more materials produced than ever in the history of the world about God. There are sermons, books, tracts, podcasts, videos, and other types of media about God everywhere you turn. But . . . something is missing. What’s missing is God.
We must come back to God. His word (scripture) is truth.
2 Timothy 1-4 CSB
1 But know this: Hard times will come in the last days.
2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good,
4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to the form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid these people.
Now we get back to the “stupid shepherds.” We know what God wants. But . . . we try to find another way. This generation loves the appearance of being religious but despises God. We want our sin and get angry if anyone tells us that our sin is wrong.
God says to stop sinning, turn around (repent) and follow Jesus. Jesus is Lord. We are to follow Jesus. We are not to see if Jesus will just “ride along” with us. We are to stop going our way and start following Him. This means we will have to give up some stuff. This means we will let God change our lifestyles. This means we will let God be in charge, of all of our resources. This means that Jesus is Lord of our lives.
We are not the Lord over Jesus.
We do not tell Him what to do.
Somehow, we got this backwards.
“Let’s examine and probe our ways, and turn back to the Lord.” Lamentations 3:40 CSB