Jeremiah 41-44: People often ask do I counsel. My answer is it depends on the situation. lol. If the person really wants to make changes and find answers to what is hurting them I am more than willing to be a lay counselor. However if the person is not willing to make changes and work through what is going on with them the answer is no, I don’t do that kind of counseling. lol. (Insert smile here) I wonder if that is not how Jeremiah must have felt as he attempted to “lead” the children of Israel where God was leading them. Listen to what they said in Jeremiah 44:
44:16“As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you.
If you go back and look at the context they wanted God to help them but they were giving their offerings to the queen of heaven, an idol. I read that and my heart hurts for their blindness. They want God to bless them but they are not willing to honor Him.
As I prayed through this passage I wept for my own nation. We sing God bless America and yet we don’t honor Him. We kill our unborn, we condone behavior He calls deplorable, we hear what His pastors, leaders and teachers say about following Him but we go our own way. God disciplined Israel and He will use whatever He feels best to discipline us. My heart breaks for our choices that lead us into these hard times. I also take heart in knowing though that God did see those who were faithful. He did call for them to repent and turn back. He was and is willing to receive us if we turn from our sin, ask for forgiveness and follow Him. The option is ours. Don’t be like those who come for counsel, hear what they need to do and walk away unchanged. Look at your life and confess any known sin, turn from that sin back to Christ. Then know that no matter what happens around you, God sees your faithfulness and will take care of you. This “counselor” is walking this path right beside you trying her best to stay faithful as well.