“Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?“ Jeremiah 15:18
Jeremiah’s painful prayer above reflects his deep despondency so much so that it seems prayers and intercession couldn’t prevail with God, all because Israel refused to self reflect and retrace their path to God after several warnings.
Even though this season is a season of celebration among men, a close look around shows a worsening situation of character among men and nations.
In spite of these dangerous signals all around us we see few men willing to do a deep self analysis and return to God and we see more people getting deeper into the ocean of unrighteousness.
From God’s perspective He would rather have us do a more intense self scrutiny so that He can carry out His work of deliverance in our lives than carry on with a celebration that brings no fruit to repentance.
God is always calling us to repentance and always willing to forgive us our sins but only if we repent and return to him.
Whenever it appears that God’s power is impotent to save we should check ourselves.
Why are God’s people weak and failing? Because they continue to live in disobedience and wouldn’t repent.
It is not not that the devil or our problems are insurmountable but they appear so because sin strengthens the enemy and makes the righteous helpless.
A central message of the Bible is repentance- to turn or return to God and this can only be achieved if we form a constant habit of self examination through the word of God.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus it is a glorious of opportunity to reflect on what the birth of Jesus means to us. Christ came to redeem us from our sins and if we confess him as our Lord and savior but refuse to die to our sins then we are not any better than the Jews who insisted that they would not have Jesus be the King over them.
When one carries out a thorough self examination before the Lord there must be confession of sins and then a return to the Lord with the heart. This is the way to receive forgiveness from God and it is also the path that leads to the waters of deliverance that can never fail.
God will never fail those who are sincere about their ways and are willing to forsake all sins in other to walk with Him. Have you searched your heart deeply today?
A great promise is given in the Book of Isaiah to those who will return to the Lord in truth, and that promise also holds true for us today:
“The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins”. Isaiah 59:20
Reading
Jeremiah 8:1-
