The Erosion Of The Heart

Have you ever wondered how people, or even entire nations, can drift so far from God? Have you eroded?

Frankly, to be the “United” States of America, we need to unite on a common foundation. It’s our only survival.

As I read the book of Jeremiah, I wonder how Israel and Jeruselum drifted so far from God that He stepped in and allowed their destruction. How does that happen?

It rarely happens in an instant. It starts with small steps. A little neglect here, a small compromise there.

Just like a marriage that slowly cools, it begins when gratitude fades. You stop saying “I appreciate that”. The “thank yous” grow shorter. The hugs last less than a second. The conversations lose warmth or stop all together. What once felt close and alive becomes distant and quiet. And before you know it, the drift, the affair, and the divorce.

Sin works the same way. You stop thanking God at meals. You skip church once or twice. You pray less and scroll more. You forget your Bible for a day, then a week. It feels harmless - until your heart grows dull to the things of God.

That’s what happened to Judah and Jerusalem in Jeremiah’s time.

Jeremiah felt the ache of a broken nation. He watched people who still looked religious, who still went to the temple, said their prayers, and made their sacrifices, but whose hearts had turned away.

They wanted God’s blessings but not His boundaries or obedience. Their lives were filled with lies, injustice, and idolatry. Very similar to today.

God had been patient. He had warned them again and again through His prophets. But the people refused to listen.

Eventually, Jeremiah told them what God said:

“But I am full of the anger of the Lord, and I am tired of holding it in. Pour out my anger on the children who play in the street and on the young men gathered together. A husband and his wife will both be caught in his anger, as will the very old.” (Jeremiah 6:11 NCV)

That’s not the sound of random rage. That’s the cry of a grieved Father whose love has been rejected. God’s anger is never petty , it’s protective.

He saw His people destroying themselves and couldn’t hold back any longer. Sin had infected every layer of society - the married couples, even the children and old people. Every generation had normalized rebellion.

And just as God warned, Babylon came. The city burned. The temple fell. What had begun as slow spiritual drift ended in complete destruction.

But God’s story never ends in destruction, it ends in redemption if we will confess, repent and seek forgiveness.

Even after His judgment, His mercy called out. “The Lord says, ‘Come back to me, you unfaithful people, and I will forgive you for being unfaithful.’” (Jeremiah 3:22 NCV)

That’s His heart, then and now. God still calls us back. “Come near to God, and God will come near to you.” (James 4:8 NCV)

“The Lord is kind and shows mercy. He does not become angry quickly but is full of love.” (Psalm 145:8 NCV) But He can become angry …

So maybe it’s time to ask ourselves, have we drifted? Have we stopped saying thank you? Have we stopped drawing close? How are you doing in walking close to the God that gives live, love and blessing?

If we have walked away, we are never too far gone.

The same God who was angry at sin is the same God who sent His Son to save sinners. Jesus took God’s wrath upon Himself. His suffering, His death, and His resurrection were the payment for our sin.

Because of Him, we can be made whole, forgiven, and free. All we have to do is believe it, receive it, live it and love it.

LORD, please don’t let me drift. Holy Spriit, bring me home when I stray. IJNIP amen ♥️