I AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE:
TO GIVE US GOOD OPPORTUNITIES
Jeremiah 2:7 And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. 8 The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.
Whenever you end up in a “bountiful” place, a good place, you can rest assured that God is the one that brought you there. That is what God does. God always leads His children to good places, if they will just follow Him. God takes us into places to give us good opportunities. God sets us up to give us good chances. Now what we do with those chances is up to us.
Here in this verse, God says that He brought His people to a “plentiful” country, but when they entered, they “defiled” His land. This word means “polluted”. God led them, set them up, gave them a good opportunity, and they messed it up. They had a good opportunity to head in the right direction, to make some wrongs right, to live a blessed life, but they took it for granted, what happened? Who dropped the ball?
1. THOSE IN POLITICAL AUTHORITY
“Priests” in verse eight means those in authority, or rulers. This was the people in political authority. These were the decision makers, and the movers and shakers. They we’re so busy ruling, that they did not even notice that the Lord was missing. They were making decisions without God’s input or help. They were doing their own thing. I believe this describes the political rulers in our day and time. They do not ask God, respect God, or want God. God has given us an unbelievable opportunity to live in America. He has put us in a plentiful country. He’s given us every chance we could possibly ask for. But we have defiled the land.
Those who rule in America have a great responsibility. Those in political office, and local government should be totally dependent on God and His Word. But that that is not how it is. It is discouraging to think how far our country has moved away from God. God has led us, fed us, and set us up. God has given us miraculous resources in our country, and God has provided protection, mercy, and blessing on America. Our leaders have neglected God, and are not even concerned that God is missing from their decision making.
I would ask as you read this devotion that you would pray today for our leaders in America. Pray that God would change their hearts. Pray that they would have a heart for God‘s Word, God’s people, and God‘s will. Ask God to give us Christian, Bible believing leaders. “Ye have not because ye ask not.”