TUESDAY 24TH JULY 2018 MORNING JEREMIAH 2:4-13
Jeremiah 2:4-13 New International Version (NIV)
4 Hear the word of the Lord, you descendants of Jacob,
all you clans of Israel.
5 This is what the Lord says:
“What fault did your ancestors find in me,
that they strayed so far from me?
They followed worthless idols
and became worthless themselves.
6 They did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord,
who brought us up out of Egypt
and led us through the barren wilderness,
through a land of deserts and ravines,
a land of drought and utter darkness,
a land where no one travels and no one lives?’
7 I brought you into a fertile land
to eat its fruit and rich produce.
But you came and defiled my land
and made my inheritance detestable.
8 The priests did not ask,
‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who deal with the law did not know me;
the leaders rebelled against me.
The prophets prophesied by Baal,
following worthless idols.
9 “Therefore I bring charges against you again,”
declares the Lord.
“And I will bring charges against your children’s children.
10 Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and look,
send to Kedar[a] and observe closely;
see if there has ever been anything like this:
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods?
(Yet they are not gods at all.)
But my people have exchanged their glorious God
for worthless idols.
12 Be appalled at this, you heavens,
and shudder with great horror,”
declares the Lord.
13 “My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
Footnotes:
- Jeremiah 2:10 In the Syro-Arabian desert
Through the prophet Jeremiah God questions His people Israel. God reminds them of His goodness to them. He asks why they have rejected Him the true and living God and source of all life and instead turned to worship false gods and idols made with human hands.
Have we been guilty of something similar? Do we value the creation above the creator? Are certain people or possessions more important to us than God? Are we truly putting God first in our lives?
JUMANNE TAREHE 24 JULAI 2018 ASUBUHI
YEREMIA 2:4-13
4 Lisikieni neno la Bwana, ninyi nyumba ya Yakobo, na ninyi, jamaa zote za nyumba ya Israeli.
5 Bwana asema hivi, Baba zenu waliona dhuluma gani kwangu, hata wakafarakana nami, wakafuata ubatili, nao wakawa ubatili?
6 Wala hawakusema, Yuko wapi Bwana, aliyetutoa katika nchi ya Misri; akatuongoza jangwani, katika nchi ya ukame na mashimo, katika nchi ya kiu na ya kivuli cha mauti, katika nchi ambayo ndani yake hapiti mtu, wala haikukaliwa na watu?
7 Nami nikawatia katika nchi ya shibe, mpate kula matunda yake na mema yake; lakini ninyi mlipoingia katika nchi ile, mliitia unajisi nchi yangu, na urithi wangu mliufanya kuwa chukizo.
8 Makuhani hawakusema, Yuko wapi Bwana? Wala wana-sheria hawakunijua; wachungaji nao waliniasi, nao manabii walitoa unabii kwa Baali, wakafuata mambo yasiyofaidia kitu.
9 Basi, kwa ajili ya hayo nitateta nanyi, asema Bwana, nami nitateta na watoto wa watoto wenu.
10 Maana, vukeni mpaka visiwa vya Kitimu, mkaone; tumeni watu waende Kedari, mkafikiri sana; mkaone kwamba jambo kama hili limekuwa wakati wo wote.
11 Je! Taifa wamebadili miungu yao, ingawa siyo miungu? Lakini watu wangu wameubadili utukufu wao kwa ajili ya kitu kisichofaidia.
12 Enyi mbingu, staajabuni kwa ajili ya jambo hili, mkaogope sana, na kuwa ukiwa sana, asema Bwana.
13 Kwa maana watu wangu hawa wametenda maovu mawili; wameniacha mimi, niliye chemchemi ya maji ya uzima, wamejichimbia mabirika, mabirika yavujayo, yasiyoweza kuweka maji.
Mungu anaongea na watu wa Israeli kupitia nabii Yeremiah. Anawakumbusha yote mema mbayo amewatendea. Anauliza kwa nini Waisraeli walimwacha yeye Mungu wa kweli na kutafuta miungu ya uongo na sanamu zilizochongwa na binadamu.
Sisi je! Tunamwabudu Mungu wa kweli au kuna watu fulani au mali yetu ambayo tunathamini kuliko Mungu? Mungu kweli ana nafasi ya kwanza katika maisha yetu? Tujichunguze.