I Like Cake. Can I Have Yours Too?

Jeremiah 3:1-5

"If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers-would you now return to me?" declares the Lord.
"Look up to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been ravished? By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers, sat like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness. Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen.
Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to blush with shame. have you not just called to me: 'My Father, my friend from my youth, will you always be angry? Will your wrath continue forever:' This is how you talk, but you do all the evil you can."

Israel's disobedience made God angry. They enjoyed their sin then got angry at God for allowing them to reap what they had sown. God likened them to a prostitute with many lovers. Once she left one man to be with many her body became defiled. When Israel decided to follow their fleshly desires their relationship with God too became defiled.

Not only did they follow their own desires but God said they had no shame in what they were doing. In the same instance they complained to God for their lives being in shambles. They wanted to continue in their sin yet still live under God's blessing. You have heard of the old saying: You can't have your cake and eat it too. Yet this is what Israel was expecting of God, to allow them free reign while he poured on the blessings.

Is that what happened? Verse 3 says: Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Israel had gotten themselves into quite a dry spell. God stopped the flow of fresh rain due to their lack of obedience. It definitely caught their attention. Though, their whining to God about His continual anger was not going to sway Him. God said that even though they prayed to him they continued to sin.

It is easy to beg God for relief when we are in a dry spell and everything around us seems to be crumbling on top of us. Especially if we have no clue as to why it is all happening. We tend to quickly blame either God or Satan without even the thought that we could be reaping a bad harvest.

We make poor financial choices that put us in great debt. We then get angry at God for not pouring his financial blessings on us. It must be his fault we are poor. We eat unhealthy foods. We then shake our fists at God for allowing disease to come upon us. It must be his fault we are sick. We don't take the time to instill the Word of God into our children. We cry out because they have turned to the world and lost their way. God must not be willing to keep his promise of us and our household being saved. We desire another instead of our spouse. We wonder why God allowed our spouse to leave us. Or we wonder why our second marriage is just as bad as the first. God must not love us.

We reap what we sow. God wants the best for us. His promises are waiting to be fulfilled. If we don't stop all this nonsense our only destination will be an eternal hell where there is no flow of fresh rain. We will only have ourselves to blame.

I challenge you to commit yourself solely to your first love, God. Live in obedience to His Word. Live by the Spirit, not the flesh. In doing this He will rain down His blessings and promises on you like never before. He is waiting.