Jeremiah 4:3-4
3For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem:


        “Break up your fallow ground,
        And do not sow among thorns.
        4Circumcise yourselves to the LORD,
        And take away the foreskins of your hearts,
        You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
        Lest My fury come forth like fire,
        And burn so that no one can quench it,
        Because of the evil of your doings.”



                         


contemplate…… think…. meditate… set your minds on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ Who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory!


This has been a theme of my life as of now.  Been trying to get this ol’ mind renewed. Pray the scripture, memorize the scripture, write the scripture.  The Word is it!”

I typed this out sometime In march and now I can see just how hard it has been for me to do this very thing.  When I did first write it I began to wash my mind violently with God’s word through memory and meditation but the last couple of weeks have been the absolute worst in regaurds to my walk with God and getting my mind renewed.  Although as I look back I can see no defining moment where I truly and seriously just gave up meditating on the word there is a definite difference now that i have not been.  All i remember is that I gradualy became more “busy” and entangled in the affairs of this life.  First work, then junior college, then the car, the stress and heartache of a pastor of 42 years just walking away from the church, not to mention family problems.  These are by no means excuses to justify sin but the evidence of how the enemygradualy baited me away from the “One Thing” or should I say Person who mattered most. Until I got to the the point where I was “entangled so much with the cares of this life” and all sorts of evil that I was almost completely overcome.  The whole while I was a miserable wretch.  So one day out of desperation I called upon God for forgiveness and cleansing and afterwards He gave me this word.


1 Samuel 12:20-25
20Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. 21And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. 22For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people. 23Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way. 24Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. 25But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”


This encouraged Me alot but I contined In my backslidden ways until I once again called out to God.  The Next thing God spoke to me was:


Jeremiah 4:3-4
3For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem:


        “Break up your fallow ground,
        And do not sow among thorns.
        4Circumcise yourselves to the LORD,
        And take away the foreskins of your hearts
,
        You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
        Lest My fury come forth like fire,
        And burn so that no one can quench it,
        Because of the evil of your doings.”


I feel that In this lies the key to my freedom.  two night ago I stayed up until 5:44 in the morning and wrote a reflection, in my personal Journal, of how my life had recently been and after looking back at the long entry i read a frightening but true quote that I wrote.  And this was it:


” My heart had grown so glossed over and hard that I could no longer see the beauty of God.  All i had were faint memories of the splendorous Face of some distant Being who once had my heart.”


Please pray for me brothers and sisters.


-V-