But seek His kingdom, and all these things will be given to you as well. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:31-32.

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him. Nahum 1:7.

When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. Psalm 56:3 ESV.

There is a help that stands ready to comfort, to strengthen, to nourish as we turn to Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. Life is not easy and made more difficult as we turn away from spiritual truths. And that is what the book of Jeremiah is all about. In our chapter, Jeremiah 5, God tells Jeremiah and us what He told Abraham about Sodom. “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through the squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city. Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ still they are swearing falsely.” v. 1-2. God wants our lies to end. The more I see the problems of this broken world, the more I appreciate and thank God for His truth. And Jeremiah answers. Lord, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; You crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. I thought, “These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God.” But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds. v. 3-5. As though God’s truths for us are yokes or bonds. What truth do you believe? Does your truth stand true for all people and all of creation? Can we not see the truth of the last two verses of this chapter…A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and My people love it this way. But what will you do in the end? v. 30-31. God asks that of each one of us.

This morning in our Friday Retreat we shared blessings received and they included the hardships and attacks of life – but as we want more of God Himself – we are changed. God’s unfailing help, His comfort, His blessing for life that is abundant because we live it with Him, takes hold and grows deep, an unshakable foundation because it is in Him. These chapters in Jeremiah are long and go deep to the heart of us so in need of more of God Himself. They are worth reading in full. His words always are worth reading. And to have more of God Himself means to turn to Him and invite Him in to your life. You will never walk alone. He’s here. Always. He helps us to see what is true. And the beautiful thing is, the more we see, the more we long for Him.