August 5, 2001
Listen to me, O LORD; hear what my accusers are saying!
Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me.
Remember that I stood before you and spoke in their behalf
to turn your wrath away from them.
But you know, O LORD, all their plots to kill me.
Do not forgive their crimes or blot out their sins from your sight.
Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger.
Jeremiah 18:19-20, 23
The people whose hearts (and sin) were revealed by Jeremiah's message plotted to discredit and destroy him before the people. Here we see Jeremiah's not so righteous appeal to God... raw emotion, pain poured out.. he is hurting and he wants God to avenge him. He asks that ultimately God would not forgive these people. Certainly not the heart of God but what I see about God is that despite the fact that his prophet had a heart that wasn't righteous at times - God could, and still did, use him. This gives me great hope for my life! God isn't looking for perfection, he wants people who have a heart for him; who though they sin soften and repent and work to have God's heart for people!!