“They have turned their back to Me (God) and not their face; though I taught them, TEACHING AGAIN AND AGAIN, THEY WOULD NOT LISTEN and receive instruction.” (Jer. 32:33)
God is speaking to Jeremiah about the years and years of Israel’s disobedience and is getting ready to turn them over to 70 years of captivity in Babylon because they would not listen to the Lord…Oh, how important it is for us to LISTEN TO AND OBEY the word of the Lord!
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you, LIFE AND DEATH, the blessing and the curse. So, CHOOSE LIFE IN ORDER THAT YOU MAY LIVE, you and your descendants…” (Deut. 30:19)
Years earlier, God gave this word to His people about the choices we have to make, He encourages us to choose life. We know that our adversary, the devil has other plans for us!
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I CAME THAT THEY MAY HAVE 1LIFE, and have it 2ABUNDANTLY. “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:10-11) 1zóé: the absolute fullness of life, which belongs to God, 2perissos: over and above, much more than could be imagined.
The devil tries to steal our confidence in God, then kill our faith, which will destroy our relationship but Jesus has come that we may have LIFE! A life we live in Him, that is so much better than we could ever imagine. So, we must resist the devil and He will flee from us…
SUBMIT YOURSELVES TO GOD. RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU. DRAW NEAR TO GOD, AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU.
-Bill Stockham