March 18

Today’s Bible reading ties in nicely with yesterday’s sermon.  In Deuteronomy, we read that God wants his people to serve him when they move into their new country.  That he is the one who rescued them and wants them to prosper.  But he cautions them about being tempted away from him.  And we know from reading the Bible that they were indeed drawn away from God.  They had every blessing of God, yet they foolishly turned their back on him.  This is why later on in the prophets, the nation of Israel were called fools.  In Jeremiah, God is speaking and says, “My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.”  I sometimes I wonder how a people who actually saw God and knew his power in his acts, turned to idols and other gods.  But then I look at myself and how little I trust God.  I often try to do things on my own and yet I too have seen God work.  My idols are money and self.  But how much more can I do with God blessing me.