But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned away and abandoned me. They do not say from the heart, ‘Let us live in awe of the Lord our God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’ Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings. Your sin has robbed you of all these good things. – Jeremiah 5:23-25
The fifth chapter of Jeremiah begins with God giving Jeremiah a mission: Go search throughout all of Jerusalem and see if you can find just one honest, honorable person. If you find one, I will not destroy the city…
If this sounds familiar, you’re not wrong. Back in Genesis 18, Abraham pleads with God to not destroy the town of Sodom if He can ultimately find just 10 righteous people. Spoiler Alert: Sodom ends up destroyed.
But here in Jeremiah, God isn’t talking about a place like Sodom. He’s talking about Jerusalem – the very center of the Jewish world – the City of David. The Israelites’ collective sin was just as grievous: they were stubbornly rebellious, they had no gratitude for God’s provision, they were worshipping false idols, they were exploiting the poor and ignoring the needy, and even the prophets and priests – the people most accountable to God – were full of greed and corruption. The Apostle Paul was right: “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).
God wanted to bless His people. He wanted them to have rain at the right time, food on their tables, and peace in their land. But their rebellion and sin got in the way. They turned from Him, and in doing so, they cut themselves off from the very blessings He had ready for them.
We would do well to consider this also. God is generous. He loves to give good things. But sin blocks those blessings. Our pride, greed, idolatry, stubbornness, our refusal to acknowledge His direction for us, our sense of ingratitude for the daily provisions He gives us… we forget. And when we forget, make no mistake – we choose to forget, just like the Israelites chose to forget. And so His peace, His joy, and the provision He wants to pour into our lives – we forfeit those wonderful things.
God doesn’t stop being a God of blessing. If we turn back to Him, confess, and walk in obedience, the storeroom of His blessings opens to us again. Don’t let sin steal what God wants to give you!
Today’s Prayer: Lord, keep me from a stubborn heart. Show me where I’ve turned from You, and help me turn back. I don’t want to forfeit Your blessings – I want to walk in Your will. Amen.
Former Blackout Artist 