Jeremiah 6--Peace, Peace, when there is no Peace
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From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. 14 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.”
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When it comes to spiritual growth, one of the most dangerous pitfalls is easy, cheap grace. Spirituality never comes quickly or easily.
Jeremiah railed against those who dealt with spiritual needs of his people as if a quick band-aid would solve the problem. They say, “Peace, peace,” but there is no peace. They are worse than an enemy. They are spiritual liars.
Our lives are packed with things that leave us full but unsatisfied. It is as if we enjoy a steady diet of cream soda and marshmallows. We are so full we are about to burst, and so empty we are about to die.
Inevitably, there are those who offer to fill that emptiness with something easy and quick. If you Google, “Vision Quest,” you will find 435 million web results. It only takes 1.35 seconds to find them. Most of those web sites offer quick and easy ways to inner truth.
But it took Jesus Christ 40 days of intensive fasting and praying to face his demons. Do we really believe we can accomplish it faster than that? Are we so addicted to ten second sound bites that we have forgotten how to listen to God?
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O Creator, my needs are too deep for a surface treatment.
Forgive me for seeking easy healing,
and touch me from the inside out.
Give me strength and patience for the journey.