August 14

Jeremiah 34:15-15 Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight... But now you have turned around and profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. At home, I have a Roomba, a robot vacuum cleaner. It's a small round device that moves across the floor, cleaning as it goes. When it bumps into a wall or a piece of furniture, it changes direction. This continues until the entire floor has been covered. There are times when our dog Sawyer gets in the way! If the Roomba bumps into him, it will again turn and go in a different direction. (I must admit that when I first heard of this robot, I thought it was silly, but now that I have one, I think it's amazing!) The Israelites in this passage are a lot like the Roomba, going in one direction and then another. Despite their long history of disregard for the Law, somehow they felt inclined to follow God's instructions when it came to setting slaves free every seven years. They realized that what they were doing was wrong and obeyed God by granting their slaves freedom. They started to go in the right direction. Unfortunately, this repentance was halfhearted and it didn't last. It's easy to imagine that as soon as the Israelites had work pile up (in other words, "bumped into a wall"), they regretted their choice and took back the slaves that they freed. It's frustrating to see them waiver in their faith like that, knowing that we suffer from the same kind of halfhearted repentance in our own lives. We desire to do the right thing and change directions, but we easily get caught up in the same sin we tried to leave behind. If you find yourself continuing to move in different directions, ask God to help you stay on the right path. Even if an obstacle gets in your way, He will give you the strength to stay on the path of wholehearted repentance. (Credit to F. LaGard Smith for these insights)