I will empty myself and God will totally fill me

From: June 9 – 15, 2009

Pastor: Edith Cruz

Study: # 595- Church in the House TOPIC: “I will empty myself and God will totally fill me” Jeremiah 42:20 -22

Many like to consult God to make their decisions. And it is convenient to have God’s voice for every step we take in life. But, it is necessary to keep in mind that God is clear, fair and firm when he responds to our petition. He is not going to change his plans because of our caprice or desire. He will always have the best for us although the path that He shows us seems to be the most difficult. It is useless to ask God for directions if we have intentions and made decisions beforehand. Then, to ask for God’s voice and direction we have to be willing to hear what He tells us, to accept that word and to obey it. But how?, by emptying ourselves of all prejudice, of all human voice, of our own opinion and early decisions. Men cry a lot so that God may speak to them and guide them. Those who receive or listen to the voice of God receive a word that penetrates them, and there isn’t anything or anyone who can take it away from them, nor fatigue or state of spirit, nothing. Then, we want to tell the whole world that we move according to God’s advice, to walk in His will. But, as I said before, the only way we are able to receive a word from God and act according to the word is to empty ourselves completely. Then the Lord will fill us of Him and of his words. If we listen to the voice of God and obey, it would be really tremendous. But, men do not like to be directed by God because of their concupiscence. When you know that you have to make a decision and you have already made that decision deep inside your heart, please do not call others to consult God. If this is the situation, it is best not to ask or consult anything. Because many seek and listen to God’s advice, but finally they don't accept it, they do as they please even if they fail. The biblical story that continues will illustrate this. In Jeremiah 42: 20-22 a group of Israelis that remained in Jerusalem after the captivity looked for Jeremiah who was the prophet in those days, the man whom God had called to proclaim the message to the people. They came to look for Jeremiah so that he would speak to them on God’s behalf. Jeremiah 42: 2, 3 Jeremiah told them: "Very well, I will consult God". When we are going to consult God, in occasions He speaks immediately, but in other occasions He takes longer. We can see it in this case where it took God 10 days to answer. Johanan was the leader but he was full of arrogance and had already made his own decisions. He had already thought of what he was going to do. Jeremiah 43: 1, 2 They had gone to Jeremiah pretending to be submissive, "almost meek". Johanan and that group wanted to appear to be men who were seeking God’s advice, but it wasn’t as it seemed, because in them there were only pure lies. They went to Jeremiah with their own thoughts, everything was an appearance. Jeremiah 42: 20, 21

I ask you, how many honest people can you find nowadays? Because they seem friendly, but all of the sudden they deceive you, they have double intentions. They request from us, but the detail is that our life is too important to mix with them. They would have to be meek and it is unlikely to find meek people, because the meek lower their head and obey, they don't resist. For this reason, let us seek God’s advice in meekness and do well to others. We cannot do God’s work when we are full of ourselves. Many seek their own well-being, but not the well-being of others. If we weren’t seeking our own well-being, Jehovah would give out directions and from Heaven move His hand. But this can only happen when we stop being ambitious. Life is transitory and will not go on forever. We think that we can get by easily. We think that we are too wise but it is not this way. If as Christians, our desire is to truly seek Jehovah’s direction; for sure we will have it. The direction of Jehovah for the meek is by faith, it is what cannot be seen, nothing that will produce you security or emotions. Simply, it is a belief to the great and powerful God who called us. God cannot be seen and for this reason we have to believe in Him, wait and mature. It is not the great plans that we have made. Jeremiah had to be empty so that God could fill him day by day. In God it is necessary to wait and in occasions this produces desperation. Jeremiah knew their intentions but he accepted their petition to pray for them. They said that they would obey God’s word regardless if it was good or bad. But that was a lie because they were not going to obey. How difficult it is when the voice of God commits us! There’s a lot we can say and we can have many reasons and have everyone happy, but it is necessary to be obedient to understand and to listen to the voice of God. Jehovah told those men that He would edify them, that they would not be destroyed. They would be planted and couldn’t be pulled out. He made promise after promise and told them not to worry about the king from Babylon because Jehovah was going to take care of him. He gave them the last great promise that He would return them to their land. Did Jehovah speak well or not? They had many fears but they became disobedient, they discarded the Lord’s promise. God gives us promises and makes a commitment with us, He wants us to rise in Him, and He wants to plant us. Then, why should I fear if I have everything to gain with God? But we don't want to choose the promises because we are full with fear and we are disobedient. For this reason we walk too fast and we trip with ourselves. God told Jeremiah: "If they don't obey and they leave for Egypt in disobedience thinking that the hunger, the noises of war and the sword won't be there... Jeremiah 42: 15, 16 We are this way, looking for securities in Egypt and not in Jehovah. Egypt is a typology of the world seeking refuge where it doesn’t exist. Let us not allow our fears to destroy us or the lacks of faith suffocates us and make us speak as infidels. Let us not make the wrong decisions and give our back to God like nothing, forgetting Jehovah who has delivered us from evil. If you run and escape to Egypt, do you believe that the sword, the pest and the hunger will not reach you? Do you believe that Jehovah has to support you when you leave to Egypt? Why seek rest in someone who cannot help you? Why leave God whom we have believed? We don't have to leave to escape anywhere, but have an encounter with the Lord, because there is no one else. Jehovah told

them clearly: “Do not go to Egypt". Why consult Jehovah if he is not going to be obeyed? There are many like those who refuse to listen, because Jehovah did not tell them what they wanted to hear but rather He spoke the opposite. Because many want to hear something that will make them great and powerful before mankind. Human beings can betray us, but God is faithful. The fate of those who disobey like Johanan will end in sword, hunger, pestilence and wherever they go they will die. But, we do not seek men’s glory but rather we struggle each day to remain faithful to the one who loves us and saved us by grace. In the world there is death but those who obey live for God, make their lives in God, move in God, work for God, he surrenders to God and will SEE ALL HIS PROMISES FULFILLED. Amen.