The world population is quickly closing in on 8 billion people. We should pass that threshold in a matter of months. That number is kind of hard to fathom, but it is growing rapidly. The year I was born (1987) the population rose to 5 billion for the first time. 1960 marked the first time it ever went above 3 billion people. With this vast number of people, the world has become a busy place. It is a distracting place. Nearly 8 billion minds full of differences in opinions and focus. Everywhere you look, someone or something is vying for attention.
However, all 8 billion of us were created with the same singular purpose in mind: to glorify God in loving relationship with our Creator. How can we stay focused in a world where billions are not focused on their real purpose in life.
Jeremiah was a man who seemed to remain constantly focused on the task of serving the Lord regardless of life and those around him. Ridicule, invasion, mockery, imprisonment, exile, abuse, mistreatment, heartbreak, embarrassment: these are just a few ways to describe the life events we have seen in Jeremiah. God remained faithful to Jeremiah and thankfully Jeremiah set an example of being faithful to Him. Jeremiah 9 presents a simple challenge to remain focused on God even in a distracting world.
Jeremiah 9:23-26 is a message from God Himself to a people that had been allured by idols, focused on political alignments, broken by disappointment, and grieved by destruction. It seemed they just wanted what any other self-respecting nation could want: freedom, independence, strength, resources, power, security, and influence. The problem was that they had forsaken their relationship with God to get these things. They had become utterly distracted in doing so.
The world population is quickly closing in on 8 billion people. We should pass that threshold in a matter of months. That number is kind of hard to fathom, but it is growing rapidly. The year I was born (1987) the population rose to 5 billion for the first time. 1960 marked the first time it ever went above 3 billion people. With this vast number of people, the world has become a busy place. It is a distracting place. Nearly 8 billion minds full of differences in opinions and focus. Everywhere you look, someone or something is vying for attention.
However, all 8 billion of us were created with the same singular purpose in mind: to glorify God in loving relationship with our Creator. How can we stay focused in a world where billions are not focused on their real purpose in life.
Jeremiah was a man who seemed to remain constantly focused on the task of serving the Lord regardless of life and those around him. Ridicule, invasion, mockery, imprisonment, exile, abuse, mistreatment, heartbreak, embarrassment: these are just a few ways to describe the life events we have seen in Jeremiah. God remained faithful to Jeremiah and thankfully Jeremiah set an example of being faithful to Him. Jeremiah 9 presents a simple challenge to remain focused on God even in a distracting world.
Jeremiah 9:23-26 is a message from God Himself to a people that had been allured by idols, focused on political alignments, broken by disappointment, and grieved by destruction. It seemed they just wanted what any other self-respecting nation could want: freedom, independence, strength, resources, power, security, and influence. The problem was that they had forsaken their relationship with God to get these things. They had become utterly distracted in doing so.
The world population is quickly closing in on 8 billion people. We should pass that threshold in a matter of months. That number is kind of hard to fathom, but it is growing rapidly. The year I was born (1987) the population rose to 5 billion for the first time. 1960 marked the first time it ever went above 3 billion people. With this vast number of people, the world has become a busy place. It is a distracting place. Nearly 8 billion minds full of differences in opinions and focus. Everywhere you look, someone or something is vying for attention.
However, all 8 billion of us were created with the same singular purpose in mind: to glorify God in loving relationship with our Creator. How can we stay focused in a world where billions are not focused on their real purpose in life.
Jeremiah was a man who seemed to remain constantly focused on the task of serving the Lord regardless of life and those around him. Ridicule, invasion, mockery, imprisonment, exile, abuse, mistreatment, heartbreak, embarrassment: these are just a few ways to describe the life events we have seen in Jeremiah. God remained faithful to Jeremiah and thankfully Jeremiah set an example of being faithful to Him. Jeremiah 9 presents a simple challenge to remain focused on God even in a distracting world.
Jeremiah 9:23-26 is a message from God Himself to a people that had been allured by idols, focused on political alignments, broken by disappointment, and grieved by destruction. It seemed they just wanted what any other self-respecting nation could want: freedom, independence, strength, resources, power, security, and influence. The problem was that they had forsaken their relationship with God to get these things. They had become utterly distracted in doing so.