5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways.
He repeats this phrase twice so I'm guessing he means it. He is clear that neglecting their relationship with him has caused their hopes to come up short.
But my take away is back to the phrase itself. If it were easy for us as humans to follow God's instruction this chapter wouldn't be needed. He is helping us recognize our sinful nature and telling us you need to be careful to follow his instruction its not easy. When I think careful I think deliberate, studying the instructions and moving more slowly to ensure no mistakes--each move is intentional.
Study the bible in detail to understand his instructions, then work very deliberately to ensure my actions match his instructions. Measure twice, cut one.
knut
I was struck by how many times he repeated that line too. I was guessing where you were going while I was reading it.
ReplyDeleteI had another take from this as well. God doesn't just want our hearts and our minds....but I think there is a part of him that just wants to be visibly honored. I think that's partially why he's upset that the temple was laying in ruins. It made me literally think of my house and where I'm physically honoring him there. Are there signs? Or is it devoid of any symbols of God and his Lordship over my household?
hmmm