May 21, 2023
Passage Read: Jeremiah 9-12
Meditation Verses: 12:1-2
Thought
Jeremiah's question is why do the wicked prosper, and the wicked he speaks of are people who have the Lord on their lips but far from their hearts. They are faithless people even though they always have the Lord on their lips, because He is far from their hearts. It is not enough to speak of the Lord continually, nor is it necessary. What marks a true believer is his meditation on the Lord and his desire and commitment to please Him. The Lord is not impressed by those who talk a good game, but by those who walk in His ways, who love the Lord from the heart and so desire to honor Him by their ways.
Application
There are many who talk about the Lord and have all the right answers, but Jeremiah (and the Lord) would call them wicked and faithless. They are more concerned about projecting an image than really knowing and caring about what the Lord says and desires. They do not have the Lord in their hearts, but only on their lips, and they will not be saved. These people need to be warned, in hope that they can be saved, but they may be too impressed by their words to recognize their need to repent. I need to make sure my heart is fixed on the Lord, loving Him such that I desire to please Him by how I live.