Jeremiah was shooting off his mouth to God. This was acceptable to God. We can tell Him how hurt, depressed, and lonely we feel. Nevertheless, we are not allowed to blame God for our problems. The Lord has been perfectly faithful to us, and we should never deny this.
When Jeremiah started accusing God of being "a treacherous brook" and not abiding with him, the Lord stopped Jeremiah from further mouthing off (Jer 15:19). The Lord told him to repent of that last "vile" remark, or he would no longer be used as God's mouthpiece.
The Lord will not permit us to judge anyone, including Himself (Mt 7:1). Expressing our pain is legitimate, but it is unacceptable to blame someone else for it – especially God. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Ps 111:10). "If we deny Him He will deny us. If we are unfaithful He will still remain faithful, for He cannot deny Himself" (2 Tm 2:12-13).
| PRAYER: | Father, give me the awesome fear of You. |
| PROMISE: | "The reign of God is like a buried treasure which a man found in a field." –Mt 13:44 |
| PRAISE: | Continuing to judge and "bad mouth" her husband, Cathy was literally silenced until she repented and changed her way. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College