Ripple!
We're going chapter by chapter through Jeremiah. These first 20 or so chapters speak about the people's rebellion and the Lord's call for them to return to Him.
As I've personally been reading, I've getting a glimpse of the season the Lord is bringing me through. Don't neglect the seasons God brings you into through His Word. When we read Scripture, we shouldn't simply look at the people in the story, we must allow the Word to examine our own hearts before an all-knowing God.
Jeremiah writes: ""I will surely consume them," says the Lord. "No grapes shall be on the vine, Nor figs on the fig tree, And the leaf shall fade; And the things I have given them shall pass away from them." '"Jeremiah 8:13
There is always a ripple effect to our decisions.
Our thoughts, the intentions of our hearts, and our actions all produce consequences, negative or positive. What happens in our hearts eventually makes its way into our lives, which often impacts those around us.
For Israel, the result was devastating: there was no longer fruit.
And that should challenge us.
Our fruit (or the ripple effect of our lives) flows primarily from our relationship with the Fruit Giver, Christ.
"Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."" 1 Corinthians 15:33
Who and what we allow to influence us matters.
As we spend time with Jesus, immerse ourselves in His Word, and live in fellowship with His Church, the ripple effect should be evident: greater love for others, deeper intimacy with Christ, and a life that increasingly reflects Him.
But the opposite is also true.
When we neglect Jesus, His Word, and the community He has placed around us, there will be a ripple effect too.
What kind of ripple is your life creating?
May we allow the Lord to examine our hearts, remove what is hindering us, and produce in us a heavenly love that reaches far beyond ourselves, a ripple effect that impacts others for generations for God's glory.
-To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.