Walk and Talk with God #17

We noted yesterday that the times of the Kings were a downhill run when it came to walking and talking with God. First the northern kingdom of Israel, then the southern kingdom of Judah came to ruins. During this time there were many men who did walk and talk with God, then tried to bring the people into the conversation. We call them prophets. One of them who saw the final fall of the walls of Jerusalem was Jeremiah. Here is one of his conversations with the Lord: 

21 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. 22 For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. 23 But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ 24 But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. 25 From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day. 26 Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers. 27 “So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you. (Jeremiah 10)

God was tired of people going through the motions, pretending they believed in Him, by going through these meaningless rituals. He told Jeremiah as they walked and talked that even though his calling was to challenge the people to listen, they would not. Spiritually they were going backwards instead of forward. Even then, even when no one else around us seems to be listening to God, or us, we are to keep on talking with Him, because the rest of our lives through, God still has something for us to do. Don't be stubborn: come, walk and talk with God today; listen and obey; turn and head the right way.