Receiving God's Mercy

Good Friday Morning! This week sure went by quickly, and I need to wind up the week with a little more study of Jeremiah.
Chapter 6: 19 - 21 - " Hear O Earth: I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not listened to my words, and have rejected my laws. What do I care about incense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please me. Therefore this is what the Lord says: "I will put obstacles before this people. Fathers and sons alike will stumble over them; neighbors and friends will perish".
The book of Micah, found near the end of the Old Testament tells us in 6:8 "He has shown you O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you. To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly before your God".
That's the message in today's passage from Jeremiah. God doesn't want our sacrifices - unless they are done with the right attitude of heart towards him, they are done in vain. He wants us to walk with him and to represent him to others on this earth.
In Psalm 51, King David had realized his sin with Bathsheba, and poured out his heart in repentance to God and he says in verse 17: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise".
Let us all come to the altar of the Lord today with a broken and contrite heart. Let us humble ourselves to him and receive his mercy - not continue in sin and receive the wages of them, which it says in Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord".
That death is spiritual death - complete and total seperation from God forever. And at times, continual sin can lead to an early physical death as well.
Choose the gift of life from the Lord, through Christ Jesus. He will renew your life, renew your spirit, and renew your heart from the past wounds that have kept you apart from him.
Have a blessed Friday!

Janelle