I am reading through Jeremiah... man, that dude had it tough! He was chosen to tell a stubborn and obstinate people that they had better start paying attention or they were going to be destroyed, and they were stubborn and obstinate, so they didn't listen. Ever. So they were destroyed. Jeremiah also wrote Lamentations - basically, "The Weepings". He was known as the weeping prophet. I don't think I will ever complain about my circumstances ever again.
Before I get on to the topic, I do want to a little side trip to address the concept of reading the scriptures continuously. It is closing in on the end of 2010, and I am reading Jeremiah for the second time. I started in Genesis in January, reading the Amplified version and read through the entire Bible. Then, I bought the English Standard Version (large print ;-) and started back in Genesis... And I intend to continue to read it through, then again, and again. I honestly have lost count on how many versions I have read, and how many times I have read through the Bible from cover to cover. I have also spent periods of time studying a particular book, and have memorized many scriptures. At one time, I had the book of James and Ephesians memorized. I am not saying this to shame you, but hopefully to help you see that it just isn't that hard to commit to reading God's Word. All you need to do is do it... And I guarantee that diving into God's Word with reward you beyond your expectations. Studying what God has already said is absolutely essential to knowing Him and growing closer to Him. If you are not spending some concerted effort reading His Word, I really do not see how you could be growing. I could be wrong, but I don't really think so.
Okay - back to the point: For His Glory. In Jeremiah 13, God said, "'For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me,’ declares the LORD, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.’" I have read this many times, but for some reason today, it struck me: God chose us for the express purpose of bringing renown (notoriety) praise and honor to Himself. I know He loves me; I know He has the hairs of my head numbered; I know I am forgiven because of the work Jesus did on the cross... and I know I cannot earn anything from God. He did it all. So I guess that it never occurred to me that He did have a reason that He saved me beyond His inexplicable love; to bring glory and honor and praise to Himself. Wow. That sheds a lot of light on what my life should look like.
As Christians, we always wonder, "what does God want me to do?" We even have bracelets, "WWJD"... We talk about straining to understand God's will in a particular situation, and we often wonder what the heck is going on and what could God possibly be thinking, especially when so much stuff looks messed up and just wrong. The way to deal with these strivings is strikingly clear to me now: "What can I do in this situation that would bring glory, and/or honor, and/or praise to my Father?" If we can answer that, we have our answer even to the toughest of questions.
For instance: Let's say I have a job that is very difficult, and my direct supervisor is a horrible person who treats me inappropriately. I know that my reaction would be to quit... I know this from experience. But, since I know without any doubt that every single thing in my life is to bring honor and glory and praise to God, I need to evaluate the situation a bit more. As I pray, I would ask for clarity and direction: "What would bring You, God, the most honor, glory and praise in this situation?" If the answer is to quit, so be it... But, what if standing up to the boss in a respectful manner is more appropriate, because maybe God wants this man to witness how a follower of Jesus handles conflict? Maybe he had negative interactions with Christians in the past, and my willingness to look him in the eye with love and be honest about what God is doing in my life might surprise him enough to consider that maybe God is real. Maybe he has some bad things going on in his life and he is just lashing out because he doesn't know how to handle it. Maybe the door will open for real ministry if I look him in the eye and love him through the hurt... What if just being submissive is more appropriate? Maybe the silence will catch him off guard and he will observe my godliness in the face of oppression. The point is, maybe God is doing something to bring glory to Himself, and my rash reaction to the situation would cause me to miss on an opportunity for God to be glorified. Yes, that is a heck of a lot of "maybe"s but if we use the lens of "bringing God glory and honor and praise", perhaps our answers might be easier to find.
I am still trying to process all of this, because even though I have read through the Scriptures many times, this is the first time I have really considered this idea. It seems basic, in some sense, and yet to me, today, it is profound. Which brings me back to another reason we are to continue seeking God in His Word: He is so deep, so complex, so amazing... we can spend our entire earthly life reaching for Him, straining for Him, and we will never get to the end of Him. This, too, brings Him glory, and honor, and praise.
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