Zechariah 11:15 Then the LORD said to me, “Take once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. For behold, I am raising up in the land a shepherd who does not care for those being destroyed, or seek the young or heal the maimed or nourish the healthy, but devours the flesh of the fat ones, tearing off even their hoofs. “Woe to my worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! Let his arm be wholly withered, his right eye utterly blinded!”
Lamentations 2:14 Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes, but have seen for you oracles that are false and misleading.
Ezekiel 13:3 Thus says the Lord GOD, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
Jeremiah 2:26 “As a thief is shamed when caught, so the house of Israel shall be shamed: they, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets, who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they say, ‘Arise and save us!’
Matthew 15:14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
We are given so many examples of the sinful nature we are born with and the consequences of it. I can’t recall the last time I have heard preaching/teaching warning us of the consequences of a life that is not fully committed to God. It seems as though all we hear is about God’s grace, mercy, love, and our place in heaven. These are all true and foundational in our reason for repenting and turning away from sin to God’s redemption. It seems as though through His great and steadfast love we come to Him for a moment in time and then live as though we are one and done on the decision to follow Him with our whole heart. We give no thought to what it means to commit with our whole mind, soul and heart and live each day to humbly serve, honor, follow and obey. Note the scriptures this morning -“As a thief is shamed when caught”….They know they have done wrong in their commitment to God. Note the choice made – “they have turned their backs to me not their faces but in time of trouble they say save us”. We are not to take our walk with God lightly. This walk requires constant time in His word, courage, patience, faith, hope, commitment, heart deep desire to hear and be led by God. Make God the first thing you commit to each day.