Gtcotr/ws021517
Jeremiah 2:13 "For My
people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living
waters, And hewn themselves cisterns — broken cisterns that
can hold no water.
All
throughout history man has attempted to prove himself and many times people
imagine they have gotten where they are and achieved what they have all by
themselves, acting as though there was no God. Some people believe they don’t
need the help or the interference of a Supreme Being. They consider themselves
wise and self sufficient. These thoughts are foolish and mankind has become the
victim of their own vanities.
The
Bible is filled with people who foolishly imagined they needed no God.
Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
(KJV)
At
what point in Jonah’s life did he come to this conclusion?
Jonah 2 NKJV
7 "When my soul fainted
within me, I remembered the LORD; And my prayer went up to You, Into
Your holy temple.
8 "Those who regard
worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy.
What
did Jonah do as a result of realizing his need for God?
Jonah 2 NLT
7 As my life was slipping
away, I remembered the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy
Temple.
8 Those who worship false
gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.
9 But I will offer sacrifices
to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation
comes from the LORD alone.”
Jonah decided to praise the Lord and turn his
life over to God in the midst of his problems. At this point Jonah stopped
seeing himself as a victim and became the victor.
10 Then the LORD ordered the
fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.
You
see, it is Almighty God, the One and only God of the universe Who commands the
fish of the sea and the fowls of the air and the beasts of the fields and Who
rules over the affairs of man. Jehovah Almighty! My God!!!
Generations
have struggled with lying vanities since the beginning of time. People have
misdirected their allegiance and loyalties to such vanities as:
·
Graven
images & Idols of all kinds
·
False
gods to whom they worship and sacrifice and pray
·
Lying
spirits speaking vanities in the ears of the deceived
·
Empty
promises sown as weeds in the lust filled minds of feeble men
·
Foolish
fears that hold the hearts of silly women captive
·
Carnal
appetites which lead a life astray from the narrow path
·
Delusions
of grandeur and deceptive dreams which lure minds from the will and way of God
·
The
Wisdom of this world masquerading as the Wisdom of God
Sad
to say these vanities so often promise riches, success and fame only to lead
the person consumed by them to the brink of destruction. Flattery, false
promises and empty dreams can never satisfy the longing of the soul.
Nonetheless people love to hear how wonderful they are, how much they are loved
and how their enemies are hated. It is vain to imagine you can have success
without godliness or happiness without obedience to God’s rule. People often
become just like the god they are following.
Jeremiah
2:13 "For My people have committed
two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And
hewn themselves cisterns — broken cisterns that can hold no water.
The
prophet went on to say:
Jeremiah 5:31 The prophets
prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people
love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?
People
most often end up becoming miserable by their own election. Such was the case
for:
·
Jonah – Jonah 2:8
·
King Saul – 1 Samuel 15:22ff
·
The Young Rich Ruler – Matthew 19
·
King Ahab – 1 Kings 18
·
Queen Jezebel – 2 Kings 9
·
The Prodigal Son – Luke 15
These
ended up miserable by their own election. We all need God and most often the
worst enemies we face are the lies we have been told or worse yet, the lies we
tell ourselves. What can we do when we realize things aren’t getting better but
rather they seem to be getting worse?
Take
a page from the life of Jonah …
Jonah 2 NLT
7 As my life was slipping
away, I remembered the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy
Temple.
8 Those who worship false
gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.
9 But I will offer sacrifices
to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation
comes from the LORD alone.”
Don’t
live another day expecting things to change until you change. Nothing changes
until something changes. Most often the change that is needed is first in you. Do
you feel life slipping away? Well if or when you do …
1. Stop blaming others.
2. Continue the sacrifices of Prayer; Praise and
Worship
3. Do everything you promised God you would do.
Stop playing the victim and become the
victor!
Jonah 2:10 Then the LORD ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the
beach.
Salvation came when Jonah stopped observing
lying vanities, stopped forsaking his own mercies, and got back on track with
God.
