“If you, Israel, will return, then return to me,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 4:1
A friend had violated the vows of his marriage. It was painful to watch him destroy his family. As he sought reconciliation with his wife, he asked my counsel. I told him he needed to offer more than words; he needed to be proactive in loving his wife and removing any patterns of sin.
The prophet Jeremiah offered similar advice to those who’d broken their covenant with God and followed other gods. It wasn’t enough to return to Him (Jeremiah 4:1), though that was the right start. They also needed to align their actions with what they were saying. That meant getting rid of their “detestable idols” (v. 1). Jeremiah said that if they made commitments “in a truthful, just and righteous way,” then God would bless the nations (v. 2). The problem was the people were making empty promises. Their heart wasn’t in it.
God doesn’t want mere words; He wants our hearts. As Jesus said, “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (Matthew 12:34). That’s why Jeremiah goes on to encourage those who would listen to break up the unplowed ground of their heart and not sow among the thorns (Jeremiah 4:3).
Sadly, like so many people, my friend didn’t heed sound biblical counsel and consequently lost his marriage. When we sin, we must confess and turn from it. God doesn’t want empty promises; He desires a life that’s truly aligned with Him.
In what areas of your life do your words not match your actions? What patterns do you need to change?
Father, please forgive me when my actions fail to match what I profess to believe.
For further study, read Part of the Problem—Understanding the Power of Words.
INSIGHT
“Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns” (Jeremiah 4:3) is an agricultural reference readily grasped by Jeremiah’s contemporary audience. Modern readers, however, may not fully comprehend it. Just as a farmer wouldn’t plant his crops on unplowed ground, neither would he sow seed in a field without first clearing it of thistles and briars. So, too, God won’t plant His life-giving message of salvation in a heart that doesn’t repent of wrongdoing.
The reference in verse 4 to circumcision (“circumcise your hearts”) is also more easily understood by ancient Jewish culture. Circumcision was a physical sign of being set apart as God’s people—an integral part of His covenant with Abraham fifteen hundred years earlier (Genesis 17:10-14). God is far more interested in an inward change of attitude than in our outward religious symbolism and rituals.