October 19: The Frog in the Pot

Jeremiah 33:1-34:22

1 Timothy 4:1-16

Psalm 89:1-13

Proverbs 25:23-24

"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

"Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal My people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.  I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before.  I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against Me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against Me.  Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it."

I've done many silly things in my life, but I've never verified firsthand that a frog placed in a pot of water gradually brought to a boil will die without trying to jump out.  As the water boils gradually, it just does not realize what is happening to it.  Perhaps the comfort of the warm water to a cold blooded creature dependent on its environment for warmth makes it oblivious to the danger.

In my life, sin has been like that.  A lot.  While some sin is readily apparent, I find habit, denial and justification render me incapable of recognizing sin, turning sin into a "great and unsearchable thing I do not know".  Foul language is one such example - how easily do I forget to watch my language, justifying profanity because it's a tough work environment, and that's how people talk?  Unkind and uncharitable thought is another - how readily do I justify condemnation of someone simply because of his beliefs, forgetting that even saying "raca" is committing murder?  Here's a good one God's shown me recently - a lack of faith.  I continue to believe hard work at school will lead to a good college, a great job, financial success and, finally, security and happiness - what a complete and utter rejection of the only One who can provide what I so desperately seek for my children.  I can only imagine how many sins, persistent and habitual, there are in my life - great and unsearchable, things I do not know and, consequently, things that will boil me to death without my knowing.

This is why today's reading from Jeremiah was so encouraging to me.  He knows I don't know I'm in the pot...all I have to do is cry out to Him, and He will tell me all that need to know.  Even better, after He helps me out of the pot, He will heal my burns and give me an abundance of the peace I thought I had when I was in the boiling water.  He will show me the futility of trust placed in schoolwork and education and employment and money...and give me and those I love an abundance of the security and happiness we seek.  Wow.  

Thank You, God, for both Your perfect wisdom and Your perfect generosity.  Please teach me to call to You always.