RED MARKING PENCIL

Today's reading: Jeremiah 9-11

"So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle..." Jeremiah 10:24 NLT

Remember when you were in school and would receive a graded paper back from your teacher.

He/she would usually hand them to you face down, and you would gingerly turn them over, looking pensively for the red letter at the top of the page--denoting your grade on your attempt.

For those of us with great teachers, not only would there be a letter at the top of the paper, but also a note of encouragement or words of cheer.

But for those of us with the exceptional teachers, littered among the paper were also notes written in red ink that led us to see where we could improve, what we could have done in a neater fashion or what we might have left out completely--in my case, run-on sentences almost every time!

Constructive criticism.

Teachable moments.

Those scribbled addendums led us to know the paper had actually been read, its words digested and its content surveyed. Not just in an effort to look for errors but in hopes of helping us better our skills.

The prophet, Jeremiah, is asking God to do that in his life.

He's asking God to get out His red marking pencil and ever so lovingly make notes as to where he needs to make changes, confess of sins and put away idols.

What a prayer for us!

We all need to ask the same of God.

God, please correct us. Do it gently, Lord, but do it, please!