What Have We Learned

When I was growing up (in my mind not that long ago) almost every book or children's story had a lesson to learn in it. Listen to your parents. Be nice to others. Give from the goodness of your heart and not because you think you'll get something out of it. Even our spelling books in school had little commonsense lessons at the end of each week. Can you believe that? They actually TAUGHT commonsense in school! I bet you are now questioning my age, believing me to be one of the ancients. Here's an example of one: A truck comes to a bridge. It is higher than the bridge by an inch. What do you do? Answer: Let a little air out of the tires and keep on trucking. Here's another one from our spelling book: A little boy was looking forward to helping his uncle tap trees for sap but he wasn't tall enough yet to reach the spiles. He was worried he'd never be able to because he thought that as he grew, the tree would also continue to grow, always keeping the spiles out of his reach. Answer: Trees grow from the top not the bottom, he'll be able to help soon. No matter what we read there was always a little lesson to be learned to make us better people and to develop our commonsense, etiquette and spiritual wellbeing.

As I read through Jeremiah, lessons continue to present themselves and I wonder if we're still able to see them. "You are to tell them that Adonai says 'If a person falls, doesn't he get back up again? If someone goes astray, doesn't he turn back? Why do these people keep backsliding? Why is their backsliding so persistent? They cling to deceit and refuse to return! I listened attentively but they spoke nothing right. No one repents of his wickedness saying, 'What have I done?' Each runs off in his own direction like a horse plunging headlong into battle. Storks in the sky know their seasons; doves, swallows and cranes their migration times; but my people do not know the rulings of Adonai.'" (Jeremiah 8:4-7, CJB)

Does that speak volumes or not? Even though these words were spoken to Jeremiah ages ago, they are still true today. Think how they apply to our individual lives and the world around us. It goes on:

"Oh that I had in the desert a lodging place for travelers, so that I might leave my people and go away from them; for they are all adulterers, a crowd of unfaithful people. They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; it is not by truth that they triumph in the land. They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me," declares the Lord. "Beware of your friends; do not trust your brothers. For every brother is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer. Friend deceives friend and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning. You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me," declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 9:2-6, NIV)

These are the words spoken to Jeremiah from God. Do you see any parallels between then and now? I implore you to pick up a Bible and read it all through on your own – there is far too much to be presented in one little article and it's so much better to be able to read passages in their entirety for context. When deceit and sin runs rampant, God is not afraid to point it out, to give a warning, and follow up with what will happen if people continue down the path they're on.

Two nights ago I had a dream. There were jackals running around me. They didn't seem fierce and they didn't act like they wanted to eat me. Then someone came up to me and explained that they were not jackals, they were just dogs, so they were alright. But I know what a dog looks like, and I know what a jackal looks like. Those were jackals no matter what someone else called them. You can dress up a lie and make it sound pretty but it's still a lie. You can pretend a sin is not a sin, but it still is.

"Then I said, 'Adonai God! The prophets are telling them, 'You won't see war, and you won't have famine; but I will give you secure peace in this place.'" Adonai replied, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I didn't send them, order them or speak to them. They are prophesying false visions to you, worthless divinations, the delusions of their own minds." (Jeremiah 14:13-14, CJB)

Remember the children's tale by Hans Christian Andersen "The Emperor's New Clothes?" Con men talk the king into spending way too much money on invisible clothes. They tell the king that only complete nincompoops are unable to see the spectacular clothes. Not wanting to be grouped into that category, the king decides he should definitely get the clothes. He hires the con men to "make" the clothes and they pretend they are. Officials even check on the progress. The officials can't see anything but not wanting to be seen as incompetent fools, they pretend that they do. Eventually the thieves "finish" the clothes and the king is duped into "putting them on." He effectively walks through town totally naked, pretending that he's glamorously dressed. The whole town, not wanting to be seen as idiots, goes along with the ruse, even though the king clearly is wearing nothing. Finally, one little child is smart enough to shout out "Hey! He doesn't have any clothes on!" (That is all paraphrased.)

The world loves to try to make you feel stupid for seeing the truth. Don't let them get in your head. Don't let their lies into your heart. Don't ignore the lessons to be learned from the Bible. Don't turn away from God. Don't stop obeying his commands. Don't stop seeking his face. Don't stop repenting from your sins and cleansing your heart daily. Don't let the world tell you that a jackal is a dog or that the emperor's clothes are stunning. They are not. Don't be fooled.