But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. LMT told this story on her blog, but it fit so perfectly with what I read, thought I'll add it too :) A couple were out on a boat on the river. The wife got out of the boat too take a swim. Soon she realized the current was too strong and she couldn't get back to the boat. When the husband heard her shouting, he immediately dove in after her, but by the time he heard what was wrong, he was stuck too. The husband was a good swimmer, so he said to the wife 'you save your strength and just drift along, I'll swim after the boat, and when the current dies down, I'll get on the boat and come get you.' So he swam against the current for hours. Finally the current died down and he reached the boat. It took days to find the wife, but they finally found her, she had floated twenty miles downstream! So it goes to show that in your relationship with God, if your drifting, your not just drifting, your going backwards. Swim toward the goal as hard as you can.

“Yet even in those days,” declares the LORD, “I will not destroy you completely."

God is love. He loves us when were good or bad or super horrible. It doesn't mean he's not going to punish us, it means he loves us anyway. And when he punishes, he leaves room to grow, and to learn from our mistakes, thought often times we don't. He's like a parent.

“Announce in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem and say: ‘Sound the trumpet throughout the land!’ Cry aloud and say: ‘Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities!’ Raise the signal to go to Zion! Flee for safety without delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, even terrible destruction.”
A lion has come out of his lair; a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his place to lay waste your land. Your towns will lie in ruins without inhabitant. So put on sackcloth, lament and wail, for the fierce anger of the LORD has not turned away from us.
“In that day,” declares the LORD, “the king and the officials will lose heart, the priests will be horrified, and the prophets will be appalled.”

At first, when I read this, I wondered, why does God tell them this? Then, I realized that God wanted them to know that he was punishing them. He wanted them to know it camefrom him, it wasn't just another thing that happened. It was probably also to show them that his words always come true.

How gladly would I treat you like my children and give you a pleasant 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, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,” declares the LORD.

God is a God of love. and we all know that, but I don't think we'll ever fully understand how much he loves us and how unconditional his love is. It's like a parent's love, they still love you no matter what you do. I love that he loves us like that.

“Why do you bring charges against me? You have all rebelled against me,” declares the LORD. “In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction.

Our God is a merciful God. After they went chasing after other gods, He kept punishing them and bringing them back to Him. He never gave up on them, even when they blamed him for they're being afflicted!

Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.

I wonder what Jeremiah had to say about all this. God didn't give him much of a choice, but when he spoke, it was to state a problem, not to object. Imagine God coming to you, telling you your destiny, and what you'll be doing all your life, and touching you! Must have been a pretty full day for Jeremiah.

The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
“Ah, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.”
But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD. I think it is so interesting that after God told Jeremiah that he set him apart and knew him before he was formed, Jeremiah still questioned God.
Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Jeremiah wasn't always a super amazing prophet for God. He was just a normal guy who God called. And sometimes we think, " Oh, I can't do that God, I've got these problems with speaking," or "I get nervous around people" Or, "This is too akward" But Jeremiah had a problem too, and just because you have some type of problem, that doesn't stop God.

I finished Isaiah today and it really left me clueless. Not the whole thing, just most of the last chapter. You can read it here, or if you had your bible, that would be even better. I can understand most of it, but I really don't get verses 17-24. So if you have any insight, please share.

No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah,[a] and your land Beulah[b]...

Hephzibah means my delight is in her and Beulah means married. When I read this in my bible I was dying to know what those words meant, so I looked on the dictionary and all that really hard stuff for the first word, and then I went to bible gateway, and there were footnotes that told you exactly what it meant. Sigh. I really can't wait for those days, when God delight is in us like we're a bride. That's gonna be so cool.

Okay, I've got a problem. I can't get up in the morning. It's just too hard. I'll wake up a little when the alarm goes off, Lane will push snooze, then I'll either immediately go back to sleep, or I'll start that argument with myself that I usually have every morning in my head. Should I just go back to sleep? Should I wait for Lane to get up first? Will she be mad at me if I get up first?(Like she would get mad) is it a sin if I don't get up right now? It's ridiculous! I went to bed on time last night, and it's not like I'm tired all day, after I put in my contacts I'm not tired at all. It started happening about two weeks ago and it's getting crazy wierd. Any suggestions?

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.


Iv'e been doubting God a lot in the past few weeks and I know I shouldn't. God has planned my life, and I have no reason to doubt him. When we moved to CO, and then moved back in just two years, God had changed us beyond belief. As Mom said, we wouldn't be at the church we're at now, and we would of had nothing to do with IBC. God is at work in my life now, as he has been since I was born, so I have no reason to doubt him.