OUR DAILY BREAD : TREE VS. BEAR

[cimi]

August 18
Saturday


TREE VS. BEAR

READ:
Jeremiah 8:4-12
_______________________________

Even the stork in the
heavens knows her
appointed times...
But My people do not
know the judgment of
the LORD.
__Jeremiah 8:7
__________________________________

It's not often that police must break up a brawl between a bear and a tree. The fight began with a playful insult and an accidental bump. Suddenly the bear talked! Then the tree talked back! Soon a guy in a bear suit was mixing it up with someone dressed as a tree. Police had to pull the wo apart. The two mascots for Stanford and University of California had stopped entertaining and started fighting.

Bears and trees weren't made to fight. Neither were we. Yet, throughout history people who were created to love and serve each other have often added insult to injury.

The amazing thing, according to the prophet Jeremiah, is that even those who know God's law can hurt one another without regret. "No man repented of his wickedness," he reported (8:6). "They were not at all ashamed" (v.12). Jeremiah also expressed God's astonishment that even creatures of the wild reflect more wisdom than those who say "peace, peace" while doing harm (vv.7,11).

The One who designed birds to migrate at His command (v.7) does not merely call attention to our wrongs. he offers to fill our emptiness with the fullness of Himself. The alternatives are good: grace for bitterness, wisdom for foolishness, peace for conflict. __Mart De Haan
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~~~~~~~~~~Heavenly Father, forgive us for our reluctance~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~to recognize and confess our sins. Replace our~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~eagerness to vindicate ourselves with a willingness~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~to see things Your way. Help us to repent. Amen.~~~~~~
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Repentance not only says "I'm sorry,"
it also says "I turn from my sin."

**************Today's Bible Reading __ Jeremiah 8:4-12***********

4 Thus says the LORD:
"Will they fall and not rise?
Will one turn away and not
return? 5 Why has this
people slidden back,
Jerusalem, in a perpetual
backsliding? They hold fast
to deceit, they refuse to
return. 6 I listened and heard,
but they do not speak aright.
No man repented of his
wickedness, saying, "What
have I done?' Everyone
turned to his own course, as
the horse rushes into the
battle....

8 "How can you say, 'We
are wise, and the law of the
LORD is with us'? Look, the
false pen of the scribe
certainly works falsehood.

9 The wise men are
ashamed, they are dismayed
and taken. Behold, they have
rejected the word of the
LORD; so what wisdom do
they have? 10 Therefore I
will give their wives to
others, and their fields to
those who will inherit them;
because from the least even
to the greatest everyone is
given to covetousness; from
the prophet even to the
priest everyone deals falsely.

11 For they have healed the
hurt of the daughter of My
people slightly, saing,
'Peace, peace!' When there
is no peace. 12 Were they
ashamed when they had
committed abomination?
No! They were not at all
ashamed, nor did they know
how to blush. Therefore they
shall fall among those who
fall' in the time of their
punishment they shall be
cast down," says the LoRD.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The context of the Old Testament Hebrew term translated
"backsliding" (Jer. 8:5) implies a perpetual turning away from
the Lord. In contrast, the Greek New Testament word translated
"repent" is often used of changing one's attitude and behavior to
turn back to God (Matt. 4;17). __HDf