June 27

Jeremiah 21
I have been in the process of passing a kidney stone. Last night the pain was bad enough that I took one of the percocets which the hospital gave me night before last. This morning I feel awful. I don’t know which is worse the kidney stone pain or the after affects of the percocet. If the kidney stone pain doesn’t come back, there is no way that I will ever take another percocet. This sensation is dreadful. What will I choose if the kidney stone pain returns like it was on Saturday night? Most likely I will take the percocet. But the point is that I will have to make a choice. Which will be better, no kidney stone pain or no after affects of percocet.
The Lord sometimes deals with us in a similar fashion because of our sin. Listen to what He says in verse 8, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.’” The Lord was seeking to cure them of their idolatry. Nebuchadnezzar was sent by the Lord to discipline them and cause them to see their need for a cure of their idolatry. They had a choice. They could choose to submit to Nebuchadnezzar, or they could be killed or taken captive by him. Neither option sounded desirable. It would have been far better to never have pursued the idols in the first place.
Why do we pursue idols when we can walk the infinite Creator? He lays the choice before us, the way of life and the way of death. The choice is ours. Lord, empower me to tear down the idols that I have already erected in my life, and keep me from submitting to any new ones. Lord, I choose life, Your life. In You there is no bad after affect. You are my glorious King! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john