They have not been humbled, to this day, nor have they feared; they have not walked in My law or in My statutes that I set before you and your fathers. Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will set My face against you for catastrophe and for cutting off all Judah.” (44:10-11)
Even though Jeremiah 44:10-11 specifically refers to Judah in the 6th century BC, it is hard not to think of our own nation today. Despite 9/11 and many other events in our nation’s history, we have not been humbled. We do not fear the Lord. And we are not walking in His ways. We have abandoned God and the consequences are not good. All we can do is plead for God’s mercy.
But it is too easy for me just to focus on our nation. It is too easy to say, “Our country has abandoned God.” The hard thing is to focus on my own heart. Have I abandoned God? How is my heart?
Jeremiah 44:10 identifies three things that mark off the heart devoted to God. It is humbled. It fears and reverences Him. And it walks in His ways. These three things are tied together. The humbled heart reverences the Lord and obeys His Word. It recognizes each day as a gift from His hand and submits to His leadership and love. Conversely, the prideful heart disregards God and His Word. It operates as if God does not exist and pursues its own ends and desires. Where is my heart today?
As we reflect on 9/11 today, it is good to pray for our nation and examine our own hearts before the Lord.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxieties. And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)