Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+004

Jeremiah 4 (ESV)

¹⁹ My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain!
Oh the walls of my heart!
My heart is beating wildly;
I cannot keep silent,
for I hear the sound of the trumpet,
the alarm of war.
²⁰ Crash follows hard on crash;
the whole land is laid waste.
Suddenly my tents are laid waste,
my curtains in a moment.
²¹ How long must I see the standard
and hear the sound of the trumpet?

²² “For my people are foolish;
they know me not;
they are stupid children;
they have no understanding.
They are ‘wise’—in doing evil!
But how to do good they know not.”

REFLECTION:

The people of Judah don’t know God, they only know how to indulge in pleasure, and they don’t want to live a life of integrity and kindness, so God calls them “foolish” (v22). Jeremiah saw that the coming judgment would lead people to an abyss of misery, so that he felt heart-piercing and mourned. This judgment will not end until the people repent and obey God’s commands. Although this prophecy originally pointed to the destruction of the Kingdom of Judah by Babylon, it was not unreasonable to also announce the judgment of the end times. “Not knowing God” is not just being ignorant of God, it is knowingly committing a crime, deliberately rebelling against Him and resisting Him. We should understand that not knowing God is the greatest foolishness, and this foolishness will manifest itself in every aspect of our daily lives. Today, the righteous God also pays great attention to our daily behaviour. The judgment that God imposed on the stupid Israelites will also come to those who “don’t know” Him today. Reflect whether I am a wise person or a foolish person? Or is it stubbornness mixed with wisdom? We should be vigilant, learn how to live a life of obedience to God, and strive to bear witness for God, learn more about God and please Him, so that we can stand fearlessly before God’s judgment.

PRAYER:

Pray to God, ask Him to enlighten and guide you in your daily life, so that you can know Him more deeply and experience His grace more fully. Ask God to make you more vigilant, so that you can be free from the influence and temptation of the unrighteous people around you and follow their way.

HYMN:

Reaching For You – youtu.be/f7pV71J9al0