Adventurous Living - The Meadow Springs Community Church Podcast

It's 70 years after Israel's exile to Babylon and now that once powerful empire has itself collapsed. Everything is ruined but the hope and determination of a few folks seems to suggest a renewed sense of purpose. But how should the people focus their efforts? What happens when there is, again, a prevailing attitude of discontent among them?

Witnessing continued injustice, violence and idolatry causes the prophet Habakkuk to cry out to God, lamenting evil and wondering if God is indeed good. How can such EVIL be any part of God's goodness? How can God USE evil to bring about good? How much of 'Babylon' do we see in our world today? Believers, take heart! Darkness and chaos are temporal but God's justice is eternal.

Get up and go', God said. Jonah was to go and give the residents of Nineveh some pretty bad news. They'd blown it and God was going to pronounce judgement on them and their wickedness. Jonah ran the opposite way and chaos ensued… and finally Jonah obeyed. But would the people decide to repent? Would God have mercy on them?

"O Israel, if you would only listen!" Psalm 81:9 - God has given his people all the assurance in the world that He would take care of them - keep them safe, carry their burdens and provide everything they could ever need. "But no, my people won't listen." Instead, they followed their own blind and stubborn way. It bears the question, "How's that working out for you?"

"The day of the LORD is an awesome, terrible thing. Who can endure it? That is why the LORD says, 'Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts.' Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful. He is not easily angered. He is filled with kindness and is eager not to punish you." After all of Israel's unfaithfulness, idolatry and evil… THIS. This is our God!

Is a pattern becoming clearer? Israel rebels, God brings some terrible consequences but His love and mercy are more powerful than Israel's sin. Like Hosea with Gomer, God proves Himself to be a faithful husband to Israel.

The books of Ezekiel and Daniel take us through a series of unfortunate events that lead to the Babylonian captivity of Israel. The faithfulness of a few key people, despite immense persecution, can fill us with hope for the present day. We likely will never face a fiery furnace or be dropped into a cave with a lion, but our world is imperfect and our tenure here will be filled with suffering. But God's word offers hope - to us as his children and to our fallen world.

Lamentations is the result of Israel's 'bad acts'. God's people have repeatedly broken their covenant with Him and now things are just bad. Awful, in fact. They look around and see sorrow, death and God's anger at their disobedience. "I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss" they lament, "But the unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By His mercies we have been kept from complete destruction." We can all have hope in the LORD's faithfulness.

Jeremiah was called by God to be a prophet and warned Israel about their coming judgement. The people and their leaders, kings and priests again had broken the covenant with God - sin and injustice was rampant and idols were abundant. Jeremiah begged them to turn back to God and away from the chaos they had created. Will they ever learn? How will God heal their hearts and convince them to turn away from rebellion?

We're beginning Love This Book Part 3: The Prophets. Once again, the nation of Israel is declining at a rapid pace and turmoil abounds… even the best of the best leaders cannot pull the brake lever on this speeding train. The plea is for the people to STOP! Just stop, because judgement is coming… but so might future blessing?