Hi everyone!
Sharing a devotional with you from Jeremiah 4:4 – Circumcise your Hearts
4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord,
circumcise your hearts,
you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire
because of the evil you have done—
burn with no one to quench it.
In this chapter, God’s been trying to warn His people of the imminent destruction if they don’t repent. He wants them to circumcise their hearts so that they may genuinely follow and love God by doing what is right. To love God is to serve Him. However, the people would not listen. God warns them over and over again that if they don’t return and repent, judgement is impending.
This reminds me of how the Spirit keeps convicting us of our sins as well. Our God doesn’t change. He is always calling us to repent. It makes me think why repentance is so important to God. I found out that repentance is the only way we can draw closer and deeper with God. Sin alienates us from God because He is Holy. If we keep doing the very opposite of who God is, it is no wonder we become more and more distant from Him. Repentance is essentially to turn back to Him. It is the circumcision of the heart where our heart is set apart and dedicated to the Lord. Our God looks into our hearts. That’s why repentance is so crucial in our relationship with God. It is no surprise why God has always been urging us to repent and to return to Him because He loves us and wants to have a relationship with us. Are our hearts dedicated and set apart for God? May we love God more and more as each day passes and heed His warnings when we are being led astray. Let us never forsake the best thing we can ever have and that is to have a loving relationship with God.
Blessings,
Kelsey