Bells ringing?

Jeremiah was talking to the army officers of Israel one fine spring day, officers who wanted to pick up stakes and move to Egypt because they felt the Egyptians could protect them more than God. They felt Egypt was a place where it was easier to live and certainly more peaceful.

No armies. Plenty of food. You know the drill. It was better there. Greener over that hill. You know that hill, don't you? It's the one you've been trying to go over all your life.

But God has an interesting retort. He tells Jeremiah to say this: If you have determined to go to Egypt and make that your home, then the very wars you fear will catch up with you in Egypt and the starvation you dread will track you down in Egypt. You'll die there! Every one of you who is determined to go to Egypt and make it your home will either be killed, starve or get sick and die.

Now, you can focus on the killed, starve and get sick and die and you will miss the point. The point is that when you are determined to go outside the will of God, the very things you fear most will, uh, get you.

If you're determined to buy that new car though every ounce of you is telling you NO, you'll reap the consequence of that new car monthly payment.

If you're determined to take the job you've got night sweats about while the one that is over there that you've got complete peace about taking, maybe it's more than a risk. Maybe God is telling you to take the one with the peaceful, easy feeling about it.

My point is this: Your fears often are more than just a simple bit of fear. Often your fears are God telling you, directing you, pushing you toward his will. Try using the word nervousness instead of fear. Maybe you're nervous about what you're trying to decide upon because God hasn't given you peace about it. I've found that the time I'm at absolute peace about a decision is when I'm in God's will. It is the proof in the pudding, as it were.

Now, I know it would be easier for God to just go the Mt. Sinai route and just tell us in a loud voice, DON'T BUY THE CAR, DUMMY. Or it would be good to have a prophet on speed dial. But for whatever reason, we don't seem to have a Jeremiah lying around the house. The Holy Spirit and that ol' reliable still, small voice are what we have on call.

But you know what? When Jeremiah had finished telling the armies exactly what God had said, you know what they did? They called him a liar and refused to believe him. So even having that prophet standing there, giving you the very words from God's mighty mouth wouldn't mean you would do it. Excuses are as plentiful as leaves on the trees God created.

Finally, the Babylonians came crashing down upon the Israelites, taking prisoners and destroying Jerusalem and its temple.

God had offered his protection. They refused it. Stuff happened.

Does that ring any kind of bells? Any at all? Come on. Really?

God offers you protection. You BUY THE CAR ANYWAY and what do you get when a year later you get laid off at work?

God offers you peace. You TAKE THE OTHER JOB ANYWAY and what do you get when six months later the salary you were guaranteed has been adjusted because the economy isn't doing well?

The Bible says the source of all this "doom to Jerusalem and Judah was God's anger. God turned his back on them as an act of judgment." Do you think your going outside of God's will for your life will be any different? Really?

Bells ringing? Any at all?