Oct 20 2008
Jeremiah 29, Shedding of Leaves, and Your Old Ways
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off you old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
(Ephesians 4:22-24, NIV)
This topic of the “shedding of dead leaves” (from the previous post) and of “departing from old ways” also holds great significance to Jeremiah 29 and the verses that we cling to so dearly. You see, long before Jeremiah ever wrote the words: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV) he had given the Jews warnings.
God warned the Jews through Jeremiah to depart from their evil ways. He warned them about the coming fall and about their captivity. But they would not heed those warnings. The Jews of this time were so comfortable with their current situations and lives that they wouldn’t hear God’s message. They wanted to be a people of God, but they wanted to do it their way. They didn’t want to upset their lives. Their complacency, neglect, and sin caused their own downfall.
Even when they were displaced and living in exile there were groups of them that still didn’t believe the prophecies. Jeremiah had already foretold that their captivity would last 70 years. The Jews chose to ignore this timeframe and to believe the words of the false prophets of the day. You see, the false prophets were preaching of a speedy return home. That message was exactly what the Jews wanted to hear and so that was what they chose to believe. God decided to address this very issue just prior to uttering the words “For I know the plans I have for you…” In Jeremiah 29, verses 8 and 9 we read the words:
Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.
In these verses, God clearly tells us who is in charge. The false prophets were telling the people exactly what they wanted to hear even though they had no authority to do so. That kept the false prophets popular with the masses as opposed to God’s true prophet, Jeremiah, who was often despised and viewed as a traitor. God was saying that He had a plan and that the Jews needed to listen to Him and not try to pursue their own plans.
Who are you in this brief story? Are you the captive Jewish people, relying on your own goals, methods, and plans, and clinging to your old way of life? Do you try to influence those around you to give you the answer or advice that you want to hear? Or are you like the false prophets? Do you tell people what they want to hear because it keeps you popular or out of conflict? Do you help others pursue plans that are not good for them?
You see, its actually a matter of will. Whose will do you choose to pursue: your will or God’s will? When we choose to pursue our own will, we will interpret the signs in our environment in light of our own plans and use the signs to justify our desires. When we seek to fulfill His will, the Holy Spirit will help us to correctly interpret the messages and signs that God is giving us so that we can fully live out God’s plan for us.
Once again, in this Fall Season I ask you to shed the leaves of your old self, the leaves of pursuing your will first and to prepare yourself to put on new leaves, the leaves of following God’s will for your life. Then, and only then can you fulfill your purpose in this life and reap the benefits of it in the next.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:15,16, NIV)
