Hook, Line And Sinker

Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, all you clans of the house of Israel. This is what the LORD says: "What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves." (Jer. 2:4-5) Tell me "what did you find in me that was so bad that you wanted to walk away and start following after these other idols? What happened?" Doesn't that sound like so many of us? -- We start out with this wonderful relationship where we are thrilled with God and find our meaning and purpose and joy and future and hope and then we wonder away chasing after other worthless things. And God is just left there saying, "What happened? What did I do? I thought I was everything to you. I thought we are in love. What fault did you find in me that you would go after these worthless things?

On down in this passage, in verse 11 he says: Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols. "Be appalled at this, O heavens, and shudder with great horror," declares the LORD. "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." Jer. 2:11-13) He says, Why would you trade me away? I am the spring of everlasting refreshing fresh water -- and you exchange it for what? You dig your own hole and by the way it's a hole that's full of cracks and flaws and doesn't hold anything -- and you exchange Me for that?" Instead of fresh, refreshing, flowing water -- you are going to fill with the foul stagnant water you can collect? Why would you ever drink from that when you can come to the well, to the fountain of life Himself? The angels are appalled -- we are turning our back on God for what -- for some temptation that your think will bring you pleasure or security or peace or joy? You are going to exchange the glory of walking with God everyday for a brief few moments with something that is guaranteed not to deliver? Really? God is saying, "What did I do wrong? What did I not provide for you?

In chapter three: I myself said, "How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation. I thought you would call me Father and not turn away from following me. But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel," declares the LORD. (Jer. 3: 19-20) This God speaking from His perspective -- "I thought that if I gave you every thing you needed -- I provided for you -- I delivered you -- I care for you -- I heal you -- I walk with you and I love you -- I give you an inheritance that no one can touch - --I thought that you would call me Father and follow me." But you are like a woman who is unfaithful towards her husband. I give you everything and then you chose to go somewhere else -- I would have given you everything -- but you walked away. What did I do wrong? God just wants us to be in love with us -- and we chase after the empty box and substitute it for his love. You see the issue isn't just that we chose sin -- but also that we chose sin over him. That's what breaks His heart. Listen to me there has never been a person in the history of the planet that has made this kind of exchange and been thankful for it.