I have been slowly reading through the book of Jeremiah over the past couple of months. Sometimes the reading is good…sometimes it’s painful (a little slow and repetitive). Overall, the message is good even today: Stay true to God and don’t let idols come between your relationship with Him. That’s what Israel had done. They had the real thing—God—but they chose a substitute—idols. And boy did they ever pay for their actions…70 years of captivity!

We do the same thing…or at least I do (and I’m sure I’m the only one). I substitute my relationship with God to often. Why? I’m not always sure. Maybe because it’s easier? Maybe I think God will ask me to do something I don’t want to do. Maybe I’m just weak like the Israelites?

A lot of Jeremiah is about God talking about how angry and disappointed He is with Israel. It’s about His punishment of Israel…telling His children why He is punishing them. It’s hard to read because I often deserve the same sort of reaction from God (but thank Him for His grace and mercy through Christ!).

This morning I was reading in chapter 50 (almost done)…and I almost missed something important. God is talking about the end of Israel’s punishment…of the time when they will come home. And this is what He says:

They will bind themselves to the Lord with an
eternal covenant that will never be forgotten.
(Jeremiah 50:5b)

That  hit me right between the eyes (once God’s Spirit got my attention and brought me back to it). I need to bind myself to God too. I need to be so close to Him that I am bound to Him forever. Christ does that for us…I just need to get closer and let it happen.