Poor Follow-Through

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 43

Scripture Focus: So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces and all the people did not obey the voice of the Lord, to remain in the land of Judah. (Jeremiah 43.4)

Devotional Thought: If I've seen good intentions in courtrooms, I've also witnessed poor follow-through.  I've listened to many defendants stand before the judge making excuses for the court-ordered steps which they had failed to complete.  Perhaps they had had good intentions when they had asked for the court's forbearance, but their follow-through was atrociously lacking.  I have seen many long-suffering judges become hard-hearted when facing defendants who did not follow through.

In Jeremiah 42, Jeremiah had given Johanan, the leader in Jerusalem, a prescription for deliverance: Stay where you are and trust the Lord.  Though Johanan had good intentions, we see in Jeremiah 43 that his follow-through was lacking.

Why did he exhibit this poor follow-through?  He was...

·       Insolent (v. 2).  Johanan's poor follow-through was augmented by his attitude toward Jeremiah.  He didn't like what the prophet was saying, and he let him know it.  It's easier to rescind our intentions when we withhold respect and cast aspersions on our leaders: "You're lying!"

·       Incredulous (vv. 2-3).  When the answer didn't suit Johanan, he refused to believe the very one that he had approached for help.  Instead, he became suspicious and accused Jeremiah of corroborating with Baruch: "God did not send you... but Baruch has set you against us, to deliver us into the hands of the Chaldeans."

·       Intractable (vv. 4-7).  Johanan not only refused to obey the Lord, he also forced others to go along with his poor follow-through.  He seemingly did not care that his rebellion influenced others to disobey along with him. 

The Bible says: "The one who ... perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing" (James 1.25).  Do you follow-through on your intentions?

Prayer: Lord, help me to be not a hearer, but a doer.  I don't want to just know what is right and to express my intention to follow it.  I want to fulfill my intentions before you.  In Jesus' name, amen.

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 122.1-5

1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord! ”

2 Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!

3 Jerusalem— built as a city that is bound firmly together,

4 to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

5 There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.