Real Change
Posted by Karah
“Humankind cannot bear very much reality.” —T.S. Eliot
Read Jeremiah 8:8-12. Write down the things in the passage that roused God’s anger.
“How can you claim, ‘We are wise; the law of the Lord is with us’? In fact, the lying pen of scribes has produced falsehood. The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and snared. They have rejected the word of the Lord, so what wisdom do they really have? Therefore, I will give their wives to other men, their fields to new occupants, for from the least to the greatest, everyone is making profit dishonestly. From prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have treated superficially the brokenness of My dear people, claiming, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they acted so abhorrently? They weren’t at all ashamed. They can no longer feel humiliation. Therefore, they will fall among the fallen. When I punish them, they will collapse,” says the Lord.” —Jeremiah 8:8–12
Now, read verse 11 again in your Bible. How would you write that verse in your own words? What do you think it means? Jot down your ideas.
THE POINT
Reality can be ugly, but no real change can happen until you acknowledge the way things really are. You can’t ignore sin, treat it like it’s not important, or control it. For God to make a difference in your life and the lives of those around you, you have to acknowledge your sin.
JOURNAL
Get real with God today. In your journal, write your no-holds-barred, no secrets response to today’s passage. If the Holy Spirit brings to mind unconfessed sin, confess it. Ask God to help you hate the sin in your life the same way He does.
Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest, Jeremiah 8, Real Change, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps