Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place” (Jeremiah 7:2-3).

A few weeks ago, we looked at the Ten Commandments given to the people of Israel. As we learned, these laws were given by God so that His people would know how to be in relationship with Him and with one another as they entered and then lived in the Promised Land. 

God promised Israel that if they obeyed His commands, they would experience abundant blessings. However, if they were unfaithful, there would be chaos and calamity. 

Guess which the Israelites chose? 

At this point in our Age to Age series we are confronted by the prophet Jeremiah. He has an urgent message for God’s people in Judah. They must repent to avoid the destruction that the northern kingdom suffered. If they continue in their idolatrous ways and worship all manner of things -- other than the One True God -- they will face the consequences. 

Were they so caught up in their religious observance that they forgot who they actually were to worship? It is not hard to imagine, after all. We can easily fall into this trap today.

I grew up in a church where it was mostly about the outward practices and who saw you do them. We were more concerned with checking the boxes than checking our hearts. It was more about our standing in the community than where we stood with the Creator God. There came a time when I had to repent and turn from the lie of performance and surrender my life to Jesus. However, this was only the beginning. Followers of Jesus must live a lifestyle of repentance.

Your story is likely different than mine. Maybe you avoid “getting real” with God by staying busy and distracted by all the comforts and conveniences that surround us. Or perhaps you are more achievement-minded and feel you need to push yourself to excel, instead of trusting God with the results.

All of us, no matter where we are in our journey of faith, are tempted by the world’s offer of the counterfeit versions of “the good life”.  But the Lord is gracious and offers us the opportunity to “reform our ways and actions” - to repent and turn from our idolatrous ways. 

We have the same choice today as the Israelites did back then. We have the opportunity to turn away from our sins and turn back to God. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, God remembers our sins no more. Is there something you have placed on the throne where only God belongs? Take a moment and confess that to the Lord and know that He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).