Celebrate God's Grace - but Never Presume Upon It

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 14:11–16:15 
1 Thessalonians 2:9–3:13 
Psalm 80:1-19 
Proverbs 25:1-5

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Jeremiah 14:11-12 "The LORD said to me: 'Do not pray for the welfare of this people. Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.'"
  REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Over and over in Scripture, God is said to be loving and patient. He reaches out to the sinner and calls him back to Himself.

But, it is a fair question to ask: "Does God's patience ever run out? It is ever too late to come back to Him?"

Just read our Verses for Today for the answer:

"The LORD said to me: 'Do not pray for the welfare of this people. Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.'" (Jeremiah 14:11-12)

This attitude by our Heavenly Father is very rare in Scripture. We don't see it often. We read about it on Mt. Sinai when God told Moses He was going to destroy the rebellious people of Israel and create a new nation. But, Moses prayed and God relented. 

More times than not, God's patience seems to be endless. In fact, we may presume upon it. We go off, once again, into sin because we are convinced that God will once again cleanse us and bring us back into fellowship. 

But the truth of Jeremiah 14:11-12 is a very sobering, helpful reminder. If we are saved, we can never lose it. But, it is quite possible that someone could offend God so many times that He no longer listens to their supposed prayers of repentance. In fact, there are times when someone's sin could so offend Him that He decides to cut their life short (1 John 5:16-17).

I have to admit that I don't fully understand this topic. I don't fully understand God's patience or what it looks like when it runs out or what it takes to reach that point of no return. I simply know what I have seen in Scripture. And it's enough to sober us up and cause us to celebrate God's grace - but never to presume upon it.