God, I know you are here, I can feel your presence.
Good, Cynthia.
What should we talk about today God?
Did you want to talk Cynthia?
I wasn’t planning on it, but usually your presence it means that you have something to talk about with me, doesn’t it?
Well, Cynthia, I didn’t show up for me. I showed up because you were asking for me.
I was?
Yes, your soul was crying out tonight for some answers so I have come to answer.
My soul was crying out God?
Yes, Cynthia, it was.
I didn’t know, I thought I was just feeling down.
I call what you are feeling, being grieved. You are feeling grieved right?
Yes, I guess I am. I wasn’t sure what the feeling was but, yes, you are correct.
Yes, my Holy Spirit is sensitive to this grieving and that is why I have sent Him to comfort you. Cast your cares on Him.
God, it is not that easy tonight. You see I am not sad for myself. I am sad for my friends and family that are not able to feel your presence. I fell like so many of them are really hurting God, but it seems to them that they do not believe that you will help them. At the beginning of this thing, everyone was optimistic that you were going to do something to stop this but now everyone is starting to doubt that you can fix this. So many people have suffered, and it is getting to the point some are starting to think that you are not real.
Is that right?
Yes God, it is. I mean, I know you do exist, but I cannot blame them for feeling like there is not hope. I don’t understand why you have not helped us to get past this Virus. Why are you letting so many people die? Don’t you care that people are hurting? Don’t you see what the devil is doing? It is not just the Virus either. Don’t you see how he has made everyone angry? Don’t you see what is happening to the country because of social issues and politics? I just can’t help but wonder why you don’t help us. Have we made you this angry or something? Are we being punished? I just don’t understand…
So, Cynthia, when you ask ‘are WE being punished’, what do you mean by WE? Who is the WE you are referring to?
Well, I mean WE Christians, your people.
Ok, well let’s just back up a little bit here and talk about YOU first ok.
Ok, God. Am I being punished?
No, Cynthia. YOU are not being punished, but you are being trained.
Huh? Trained? You are kidding, right?
Cynthia, you know when I am being humorous with you. You know that I am not kidding, so why would you ask me that?
I thought that you must be kidding because there is some absolutely crazy stuff going on in the earth right now and it just does not seem like a teaching moment. People are dying from a stupid virus, families are being torn apart because of disagreements about things such as who they are going to vote for or if they should wear a mask or not, and people that I always thought of as good strong Christians are even deciding not to love each other because of differences of opinion. And that is the stuff that is taking place in the church! But, I know you can see all of this, right?
Yes, Cynthia, I see all of it. Believe me, I know exactly what is going on. I care deeply about what is happening. But this is not the first time that I have had to retrain my children. Yours is not the first generation that I have had to prepare for the housemen. Do you know that?
Huh? What are you talking about, what are the horsemen, and what does that have to do with what we are dealing with in the world today?
Cynthia, you may need to go and learn about what was happening in Jeremiah’s day. You are not the first generation to think that I should be doing something more for them. Tell me, what do you know about Jeremiah?
Well, I know Jeremiah 29:11, and it says that you have plans to give me a future and a Hope. But right now, I am having a hard time finding that future and that hope.
See, that is what happens when you read only parts of my Word and pick and choose what parts to hold on to. There is much more to Jeremiah’s story that is meant to support your favorite verse. Jeremiah 29:11 was speaking to a specific group of people. Perhaps you would like to take a moment and read ALL Jeremiah, then you should come back, and let’s talk about it ok?
Ok, give me a few minutes God.
Take your time…
…..
Ok, God, I have read it, but I am not so sure that I understand what you are trying to tell me.
Oh, I think that you do understand, but you don’t like what you understand. But ok, just tell me what you think it is about and we can take it from there. Just take a stab at it.
Well, I read all of Jeremiah, and it seems to me like you were very angry with your people for turning away from you, so you turned your back on them.
Now Cynthia, let’s get one thing straight. I do not forsake my people. Whenever there is a turning away in this relationship, it is because my people have turned away from me. And even then, I have provided clear instructions on how they can return to me but returning to me requires repentance and an acknowledgment of what they have done. But this is a stubborn generation in that they refuse to hold themselves accountable for their own wanderings. They prefer to blame the things that have come upon them on others, even though I have told them over and over that they are the authors of the things that happen to them by who they align themselves with their speech and in their actions. They prefer to think that it was me who made the decision to separate from them when they choose daily to speak in opposition to my promises to them and to align themselves with idols. Does this make sense to you Cynthia?
Yes God, it does. You did say that out of our own mouths we are receiving the issues of our lives. We have what we say we have.
That is correct Cynthia. You see, I have given you the promises in my Word to hide in your heart and keep in your mouth at all times because when you speak my Word from your heart, you build a fortress around your life from the inside out. Out of your heart, your mouth will speak.
So, is that what has happened to us, God? Have we stopped reading your Word for help?
Yes, Cynthia. You are correct. As it has been prophesied, there is a famine in the land for the hearing of my Word. My people have their favorite verses, such as Jeremiah 29:11, but they have failed to feed on EVERY word that I have given out of my mouth. They only want a bland diet of things that make them feel good. Instead of going to my Word, to see what I have to say to them, my people have taken to seeking out prophets to give them a quick fix, a pill that will make them feel safe for the moment. But these prophets care nothing about the people, they care only for themselves and they are lying to the people, they are not telling them that worse things are coming to those who will not repent.
Oh, wow, God! When you put it like this, I feel like I may be one of those people who are only telling people what they want to hear. I don’t like telling people bad things, and when I do, they accuse me of judging them. It is not easy telling people that they are doing something wrong. And even when I do, they just start ignoring me and avoiding me.
Well, Cynthia, I am glad that you brought that up because that brings me back to what I was talking about earlier with the horsemen. Can you tell me what is written in Jeremiah 12:5?
Yes, God. It says,
“If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?”
God, let me be honest when I tell you that I don’t quite understand what this means.
Thanks for being honest about not understanding, Cynthia, let me try to explain. You see, just as it was in the days of Jeremiah, the Word of the Lord has become a reproach to my people. They choose their culture and the things that they have learned from their fathers over the things that I have freely given to them. They choose their ancestor's wooden and lifeless gods, who could not save them, over the blood of my son who died to set them free. These are people who want to be given bread alone but refuse to feed on every word that proceeds out of my mouth. These, my people, are the footmen mentioned in Jeremiah 12:5. Are you with me so far?
Let me see God. Are you saying that the footmen are your own people? And if so, why would I be running from them.
Well, you are partially right Cynthia. To be clear, the footmen are my people who have turned away from the Word of God to follow after Idols. This is why it is considered the land of peace. This is when you are ministering among those that know the lord. The running in the passage is in reference to how much you are having to exert yourself to keep from caving into the opposition to the Word that is coming from them. Does that make sense?
Yes, it does. But God, I don’t know anyone who is openly worshiping an idol. I mean they are not bowing down to statues or anything, so what do you mean when you say they are worshiping other gods?
Let me tell you plainly Cynthia. Their gods are manifested in the way that they think and by the things that they make priority instead of me; it is all about their mindset and how they view the things that happen in their lives. Everyone who follows me, and feeds on my Word, has the mind of Christ. In fact, the Word of God is the Mind of Christ in that it will cause those that eat it to rightly discern between good and evil. These are the ones that are able to see when something does not line up with my way of operating. Also, without the Word of God, a person is NOT able to expose the evil intent of their own heart, so they are not inclined to repent. These people have rejected the Word of God, which is the fountain of living waters. They prefer to drink from the wells which their fathers have dug for them, wells fed from their limited human understanding. Don’t you agree that it is tiring, almost like running in a race, to try to reach these people with the truth?
Yes, God, I have to agree that is one of the reasons that I feel so grieved tonight. I feel like the more that I pray, and the more that I try to tell people to not give up on the promises in your Word, the more I see them turn to their own understanding and it is very frustrating. But that brings up another question…
I think I know what it is Cynthia but go ahead and ask.
Well if the footmen are those people that already knew you that have fallen away, then who are the horsemen?
Cynthia, I think that I would like to answer your question with a question of my own. If you are already tired out from having to work so hard among those that are supposed to be believers in me and my Son, those that profess to love me, how will you survive when you have to contend with those that have pledged allegiance to my enemies, those that openly confess to hating me?
Hmmm, I think that I am starting to get the picture now God.
I think that you are getting it, my daughter. You see many have erroneously thought that Jeremiah 12:5 was dealing about having to deal with the different levels of trials that come in life, but it is really about having to deal with the levels of opposition to the Word that the servant of the Lord, my ambassadors, my faithful remnant have to deal with. Remember that in Jeremiah 6:23 it says,
“They will lay hold on bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, As men of war set in array against you, O daughter of Zion.”
You see Cynthia, my enemies will hate you because they hate me. In fact, I came tonight to prepare you because the horsemen are already being assembled and my church is not ready because many of my people are drunk on the ways of the world.
Now I understand God, but please tell me what you want me to do to help.
Cynthia, get some sleep tonight, but in the morning be prepared to stand firm on the Word when contending with the footmen. Don’t be afraid to tell my people the truth. Compel them to repent so that they will be able to be effective in my army when it is time to contend with horses.
Ok God. Thank you so much for coming to talk to me tonight and caring enough to warn me to be prepared. You really are the best trainer God.
You are welcomed Cynthia; it really is my pleasure to give you the keys to the kingdom.
I believe that. Oh and God, one last question.
Yes, Cynthia?
Is it safe to say that this is what life looks like outside of the nursery?
{sigh and chuckle} Yes, Cynthia. I can assure you that you are no longer confined to the nursery. In fact, you have officially traded in your milk bottle for a plate of steak.
Wow! I guess I have.
Good night Cynthia. As always, I love you.
Good night God. I love you too.