Your Daily Devotional for September 26, 2006

 

September 26, 2006

 

 

Remembering Our Past

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

“Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD. Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel:”

 

Jeremiah 2:1-4

 

 

Throughout the year our nation has certain holidays to remind us of how great a price was paid for our freedom. We take time to remember those who gave their lives for our freedom and we honor them. Yet, as we remember those who have fallen for our freedom, it is imperative that we also remember that our freedom is based on the fact that God has granted us this peace and freedom.

 

In this passage of Scripture, we see a message to the children of Israel during the reign of Josiah.

Josiah was Judah’s last good king. His son Jehoiakim abandoned Josiah’s leading and turned the nation to evil. Jeremiah, the prophet of God, is speaking in these verses to the nation of Israel. He is beseeching them to turn back to the Lord.

 

Verse 2 says, “…Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth…” God is saying that the only reason He had not destroyed them was because He remembered how they once worshipped Him. Israel had once been so in love with Christ that they had worshipped only Him and had never thought of straying. But as time went on, they became polluted with the philosophies and gods of the surrounding nations.

 

Today, America is much like Israel was. We were once founded on Christ and were so in love with Him that our Founding Fathers would have never thought to run our nation without Christ’s help. But as time has gone on, we have been influenced by others’ philosophies and other religions. Our nation has turned its back on God.

 

Not only has our nation turned its back on God, but many Christians have as well. Christians who, at one time, loved the Lord and sought only to serve Him have now been influenced by the world and are seeking to live only for themselves. Many Christians have lost the spiritual fire that once burned within them to live for Christ. All too often, some Christians are content with going to church and occasionally reading the Bible.

 

Friend, when was the last time you truly sought God through prayer? When was the last time you opened your Bible and forgot about the cares of this world and sought to learn more about God? When was the last time you saw someone as a lost soul needing a Saviour rather than just another person in this world? I would challenge you to remember the minute you got saved. Remember how excited you were to be able to serve God. Take time to remember the price that Christ paid for our freedom, and renew your commitment to Him today.

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