WHY?
Today's reading:  Jeremiah 42-46

"And now the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, asks you:  Why are you destroying yourselves?.."  Jeremiah 44:7 NLT

God's chosen people, the Israelites, had turned from God.  They had taken up idolatrous practices.  They had allowed their hearts to wander away from their Lord.  They had failed to bring up their children in the fear and admonition of the One True God.

This was a long time ago, you say.

Couldn't He be saying the same things to us today?  His people?  His church?

We are destroying ourselves by allowing our hearts to be divided.  The charge of the Lord and the lure of the world are constantly battling for our attention.  The twenty-four hours He allots us each day, are we using it more for Him or for personal pleasures?

We are destroying ourselves with pent up hate, stored up unforgiveness and internal bitterness.  Yes, even us Christians.  We have issues against other Christians.  We hold grudges.  We bicker amongst ourselves.  We take up sides on issues having no eternal value.  We allow the past, how we've been wronged, overlooked or mistreated, to fashion our attitudes today.

We are destroying ourselves with our schedules.  We have fifty places to be in any given day.  We rush from one appointment to another.  We shuttle ourselves and family members to an assortment of 'good things'. And we fall into our beds exhausted.  And our kids' childhoods are being whisked away.  And our families no longer sit at the dining room table.  And our homes are falling apart.  And we wake up realizing we no longer have children, but well-traveled, horizon-broadened worn out offspring.

So, I ask you, are you destroying yourself?  And who might you be dragging down with you?