Jeremiah 34:12-17
The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD: "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I myself made a covenant with your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying, 'At the end of seven years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; you must set him free from your service.' But your fathers did not listen to me or incline their ears to me. You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming liberty, each to his neighbor, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name, but then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves, whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your slaves. "Therefore, thus says the LORD: You have not obeyed me by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; behold, I proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the LORD. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
I think two major influences came together to create this disobedience. One was the love of money–look at how much this has cost me. I've lost property that I could have sold for lots of drachmas. The second was a distrust of the LORD, God, the Almighty. How am I going to get my crops planted, tended and harvested. Who's going to tend my flocks?
The lesson to me is that when the LORD instructs me to take a certain path, to revise my behavior in a manner pleasing to Him, etc., I am to do it and trust Him that all will be well.
Today's readings in the Psalms:
Morning: Psalm
Mid-day: 119:
Evening: Psalm
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