It’s Not God’s Fault
Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good things from you. ~Jeremiah 5:25
Have you ever known people who feel like everything bad happens to them, but it’s everyone else’s fault? In reality, you can look at the situation and say, “You wouldn’t be in this mess if you had made better decisions.” Although some would say that outright, those who don’t would at least think it.
It is easy to see other’s flaws while thinking I am a pretty good person and yet Scripture says that there is none righteous, no, not one (Romans 3:10)! If you are in a bad situation, it is not God’s fault, nor is it your elderly mother’s fault. Quite possibly, it is yours.
I do not want to guilt trip everyone who is going through a hard time right now. God allows us to go through trials in order to test our faith and draw us closer to Him. And sometimes things just happen because we live in a fallen world. But if you take time to listen to yourself talk and you can’t think of anything positive that has ever happened to you, you might want to seriously ask God why. Are there idols in your life that are hindering your walk with Him? Did God ask you to do something years ago and you told Him no? He may still be waiting for you to surrender.
In Jeremiah 5, Jerusalem was going through a time similar to America. People who had once known the Lord and seen His hand at work now ignored Him. Sure, they gave Him lip service, but He no longer held their hearts. He had brought them out of Egypt and given them “a land flowing with milk and honey,” but they went back to a life of sin. Because of this, God declared that He would devour them (v. 14). Wow. Doesn’t that make you shudder?
In Exodus, the people repeatedly asked Moses, “Did you bring us into the wilderness to die?” In Jeremiah, God made it clear that it wasn’t Him that was to blame for their judgement; it was themselves. I often wonder what it will take for America to turn to God. It seems like when things are going well, we feel pretty good about ourselves and what we have accomplished, but when things go bad, it’s all God’s fault. In reality, the opposite is true. God loves you immensely. I expect that He has done a lot to try to get your attention. Maybe the pit that you have fallen into is a large part of that. If you are at the end of your rope and you don’t think you can sink any further, I exhort you to cry out to God. Read the Prophets. See how merciful the Father is and yet remember that He is also a God of judgment. Don’t let sin become a barrier to your finding true relationship with a loving God.
Sony:
What a wonderful article. I needed this.
The Bible does state the we will reap what we sow.
Many times God will forgive us for our sins, but we have to reap because of sin.
At other times he will be merciful and rebuke the devourer after we repent.
I have lived long enough to no the results of not obeying God.
Thank God for his mercy and his forgiveness.