Jeremiah 16-18
We are like
clay in the hands of a potter as God shapes us as seems best to Him. He gives
us different gifts and intends for us to use those gifts for His glory. God has
a plan for us, but He allows us to make choices, primarily we choose whether or
not we will walk in obedience to Him. Our choices affect what God does with us.
If God
decides to bring discipline against us and in the midst of the discipline or even
before it begins we turn back to Him, He may relent and not inflict the
discipline He had planned. On the other hand if God has plans to bless us and
we turn away from Him in disobedience, God may bring discipline and judgment
instead of a blessing.
God has a
plan for us. His plans are good, but if we reject Him, we will face the
consequences. While we are walking away from God we are walking into disaster,
but if we will turn back to Him, He will extend grace. "“Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in
Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you
and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you,
and reform your ways and your actions.’" (Jeremiah 18:11, NIV)
We are all
in the place of the people of Judah until we receive Jesus as our Lord and
Savior. We are all headed for disaster. When Peter preached on the Day of
Pentecost, he told the people; "“Therefore
let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified,
both Lord and Christ.”" (Acts 2:36, NIV) You know you are in trouble
when you realize you have killed the one person God called to save you from
your death sentence. The people cried out to Peter; “what shall we do?” "Peter replied, “Repent and be
baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts
2:38, NIV)
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