God is still Faithful Even when we are Not

Scripture passage that caught my attention today: Jeremiah 3:14-15 Return, O faithless children, says the LORD,
for I am your master;
I will take you, one from a city and two from a family,
and I will bring you to Zion.

Jer. 3:15 I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.

Observation: These chapters speak in rather graphic terms by comparing the people of Israel and Judah to a “whore” and to “whoring.” The language of adultery is used, indicating that Israel and Judah have done so with “stone and tree.” Still, God is merciful.

Application: God had such great intentions and expectations when humanity was created. God anticipated that people would be so thankful for life and for God’s relationship with them that they would spare no effort to demonstrate their sincere thanksgiving and faithfulness.

Well, unfortunately, things didn’t work out quite like God planned. Instead of being thankful, the people simply wanted more. And instead of being faithful, the people went their own way. It’s been that way since nearly the beginning of time. And things haven’t changed much, if at all, even in this day and age. Some might even say it’s worse today than it was way back then, though I think that would be a hard point to prove; it seems to me that was bad back then and it is bad now, period.

And God was faithful and merciful back then, just as God is faithful and merciful now—though in latter times perhaps even more so because of what God has done for humanity through Jesus.

Still, even in days of old there were those prophetic reminders that God was still there for them. Like when Jeremiah summons the faithless ones to return to the Lord and promises that they will be given shepherds after God’s own heart.

Prayer: Lord, thanks for your faithfulness to us even when we are not faithful to you. Continue to send us shepherds who are after your own heart and help those of us who purport to be your shepherds to go about our work according to your ways and not our own. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Jeremiah 3-4 and John 11)