Jeremiah 14 - False Gods And Droughts

Despite the fact that the LORD tells Jeremiah to quit praying for the welfare of these back-sliding people, Jeremiah continues to pray for them and even attempts to justify them by making excuses for them.

But, the LORD knows the truth and they will suffer what they will suffer and that includes the false prophets who keep promising peace in a place where there is no peace. There is no peace in a land where the people worship false gods. Will the false gods help them? No, they will not. Neither, will ours. We bring the calamity upon ourselves when we turn our backs on God and listen to those who would please our itching ears; when we worship anything other than the one true God.

Yesterday, after spending the day touring local waterfalls and the beach, and a couple of stops at the Aura Jamboree, I brought my grandchildren home to their father. Then, I came home to crash on the couch. Nothing worthwhile on television for sure. I flipped through news channel after news channel wondering in amazement how Martin and Zimmerman was still the top headline of the day since it has been about a week since Zimmerman's acquittal. I flipped through reruns of Criminal Minds and Law and Order and an assortment of other programs; finally flipping to the section of religious programming. About five minutes of bouncing from one false prophet after another telling us how we could get rich in this world was all I could take. Oi! Sometimes, I'm a little slow; but, I finally figured out that it would be best to stop flipping mindlessly through channels and spend some one on one time with God. The latter proved to be much more blessed experience.

And... God's people were, and many still are, listening to the false prophets. Happiness, it seems, is about silver and gold and yes, even green paper with pictures of presidents and from being a spectator of those famous calamities that we call stars that exhibit very poor behavior and lack of faith on that flat screen in our living rooms. Idols come in different shapes and sizes today, but they are still false idols which steer us away from a real relationship with the One who loves us more than all others.

Is your life is empty? Are you living in a drought? Then, hear the prayer of Jeremiah:
"Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain?
    Do the skies themselves send down showers?
No, it is you, Lord our God.
    Therefore our hope is in you,
    for you are the one who does all this." (Jer 14:22 NIV)

Return to the LORD, to the One who loves you. Let your hope rest in Him.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Psalm 98 - Make A Joyful Noise

This past week I was introduced to the music of a young man that really impressed me.  He grew up here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P.), in Ishpeming.  He is a pop singer and quite good! His name is Adam Whittington. It made me think of all the young people that I know who make "joyful noises." 

The congregation of Zion Lutheran, Skanee, where I serve, loves music. We have two annual music fests every year, both fund-raisers for other non-profit organizations: St. Vincent DePaul and Toys for Tots. In the tiny community of Aura, MI where I live we also have an annual Fiddler's Jamboree with people flocking from all over the mid-west to join in the music, either playing or just enjoying.  We have a lot of musically gifted people right here in the local community.  I especially enjoy hearing the young people.  There have been some extraordinarily gifted young people who have contributed gifts of music to these various Music Festivals - making joyful noises, singing to the LORD, proclaiming His love for us through their music.

Some of them, like Jessica Dakota, have grown up and have moved out of the area. She was/is a number one fiddler, as well as pianist and flutist. Although, a member of another congregation, she was always willing to play at our special activities and at the Jamboree.  After she left for college, I lost track of her, but I still listen to her Native Flute CD. 

Courtney Clishe has been singing praises to God for as long as I've known her, probably about 14 years and she is still a teen! What an awesome voice she has!  She also plays piano and guitar.  She volunteers at both of our music fests every year to help support the local charities.  More than once, have I visited a Nursing Home and she was there singing to the residents. 

Lately, we've had a young lady, Kinsey LaFernier, singing special music for Worship with her mother, Missy LaFernier, as well as solos as a member of our youth choir at our Music Festivals. She's also been singing at the Aura Fiddler's Jamboree for a few years.  She too, is awesome! 

We have some tremendous musical gifts given to our young (and older) people here in this area. They work hard at their craft. I mention just a few.  They use the gifts that God has given them to "sing to the LORD a new song." (Psalm 98:1 NIV).  God indeed has done marvelous things through them!

As I read Psalm 98 this morning, I thank God for all the young people who are willing to share the gift of music that God has given them, making joyful noises, proclaiming all the deeds that He has done, proclaiming His Holy Name.

^"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—shout for joy before the Lord, the King." (98:4-6)

 

God's Peace - Pr. J