Friday, November 23, 2012

TO Continue or Not to Continue. That is the Question!



"The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord.  When Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, "You must die!" (Jer. 26:7-8).

Hey Gang:   If I were to make a list of all the really tough dudes of the Bible, I would place Jeremiah at, or near the top of the list.  If you want to get a handle of what true faith is, read the book of Jeremiah and note the times he placed his head on the block for His God.

He had warned the King a zillion times that he had best shape up or pay the piper. The King chose to pay the pipe.   Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, after conquering Israel gave orders that Jeremiah was to be spared and not a hair on his head harmed. (Jer. 39:11-12).

I wonder how many times, when he found himself up to his armpits in alligators, that Jeremiah said to himself "There has to be a better way to live life!"  Do you think maybe he got a wee bit discouraged when, every time he went to the King with a word from the Lord that would spared his people from the coming scourge of Babylon, he got clobbered?  But, the bottom line is, Jeremiah took it right between the eyes on many occasions but "HE KEPT ON TRUCKIN".  

I certainly cannot identify with the "right between the eyes bit” but I can identify with the ‘checking periodically to see if I have purified the vessel and remained on the potter wheel’.  We are nearing the three century mark with Gramps Morning Thoughts and there is always a concern that repetition tends to dull the air. So I asked God if it would be okay to send out a questionnaire and check out the temperature of you readers.  His reply was quick and very blunt, "Forget it dude!"
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He did not leave it there. He reminded me that it was not me doing the creating of the thoughts. only the recording them.  So as long as I had fingers and a computer I should just be obedient and leave the driving up to Him.   He also reminded me, as He has done so many times in the past, that I am only a seed planter.   I plant, cultivate, water but He alone does the growing and the harvesting. 

Soooo, young folks, We will quietly pass by the three hundred mark and continue down the road until God says, You have "completed the race".  

My prayer for the New Year for each of you:  "Thank you Lord for giving me the spirit to continue to plant your seeds.  I pray, Lord that each might find encouragement, solace and even growth in these epistles from You.  Use them Lord for Your glory.

Blessings 

Gramps

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