Jeremiah 2:26-28 - God is our source in life

In Jeremiah 2:26-28, God continued to chide Israel for her rebelliousness. He likened them to a thief that had been caught red-handed. A thief when not caught in his mischief would not feel the shame. But when he is caught, he would then able to feel guilt and shame. So the whole nation of Israel, like the thief, was disgraced by their rebelliousness. None of them was spared the embarrassment. Everyone from kings to princes, to priests and prophets, and to ordinary citizens, were brought to shame.

What Israel did to bring about their calamity was made known in verse 27. They had all turned from God to worship idols made from trees and stones. Instead of acknowledging God for their existence, Israel ridiculously claimed that their existence was brought about by idols of wood and stone. God was pointing out Israel’s folly for attributing their existence to those worthless idols.

 

The people of Israel did not just turn their faces from God but also turned their backs on Him. Then in their struggles with trouble, when their idols were proven worthless, they had the audacity to expect God to deliver them. God assured them that by then it was too late, and they just simply have to suffer disgrace in exile. Then they would realize that the many useless idols they trusted did not have the capacity to save them.  

 

The lesson: God is the source of our lives and every blessing. As Don Moen said in his song, God indeed is the strength of all our hearts. It is dangerous not to acknowledge Him as our source in life and give thanks to Him. When we fail to do that, we won’t feel the need to be grateful to Him. It is bad enough not to give thanks but what may be tempted to attribute what He has given to another source. And when we do that, we free God’s hand from continuing to bless us or come to our rescue when we need it. He will no longer be obliged to come to our assistance. We need Him to help ever near us as we navigate through life’s many untold challenges.