Ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of
Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing
(Jeremiah 44:18).
After Jeremiah was kidnapped and taken to Egypt, he warned
the Jews living there about continuing in the disobedience that led to
Jerusalem’s destruction. The refugees scoffed at Jeremiah for they saw no
connection between behavior and blessing.
The things that are best for us don’t usually offer an
immediate reward. We exercise for thirty minutes and still aren’t buff, so we
say, Forget this! We start
putting a few bucks a week in savings and at the end of the first week we have…
a few bucks. This isn’t getting me anywhere. Might as well go out to
dinner! On the other hand the
things that are worst for us don’t usually pose an immediate threat. We eat a
greasy hamburger without having a heart attack. We spend too much time at work
and our wife and kids still love us.
The fact that the consequences of our choices are cumulative
rather than immediate allows us to live in denial. But just because the outcome
is delayed doesn’t mean it’s not coming.
The Jews had fond memories of life back in Judah when they
had been worshiping the Queen of Heaven [1]. They totally missed the connection
between their previous lifestyle and their present circumstances.
TODAY’S MEDITATION
What behaviors would you
change if you were thinking long term?
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