A heart to know...
The
Bible says people we are born -- that is, we enter the world -- dead in our
trespasses and sins (ref. Ephesian 2:1). We have no desire for God. We are not
inclined toward Him.
If
anyone even begins to think about God, it is God giving that one the power to
think about Him.
To
even believe in God we have to be made alive by God. No doubt, for any who are
saved, they are saved by grace alone, by faith alone in Christ alone. To EVER
EVEN have such a notion, to receive grace, grace is already working to give
life so that the notion of separation and reconciliation to be possible!
The
Prophet Jeremiah had a difficult word for Judah. He tells them that because
they have lived faithlessly, have rejected God, and have turned to idols they
will be sent into exile for 70 years. However, there will be a remnant among
the exiled. In Jeremiah 24, the prophet is given a vision of a basket of good
figs and a basket of bad figs. The good figs are only good figs because of
God's grace-driven favor upon them.
In
other words, no matter how rotten the people who are called by God's name may
be, God is going to do a work among them that will make some of them good.
That
encourages me. God's nature encourages me. God's goodness encourages me. God's
grace blows me away.
Never
lose hope. Never lose hope in God. People are rotten. ALL of us. God is good.
All the time. The all good God will do a work in the all rotten people, and
many WILL do what they never COULD do if God didn't do what He absolutely CAN
do.
"I
will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people
and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole
heart." (Jeremiah 24:7 ESV)
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