Jeremiah 4:1-4

“If you will return, O Israel,” says the LORD, “Return to Me; And if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, Then you shall not be moved. And you shall swear, ‘The LORD lives,’ In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; The nations shall bless themselves in Him, And in Him they shall glory.” For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your fallow ground, And do not sow among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, And take away the foreskins of your hearts, You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My fury come forth like fire, And burn so that no one can quench it, Because of the evil of your doings.”
Jeremiah 4:1-4 NKJV

God calls His people to return to Him. They have done many wicked and evil things. They have been unfaithful and they have refused to do what God has shown them to be the wise things to do. Yet God calls them to return to him and asks them to put their abominations out of His sight. If they will put away their sins and stand with God, they will stand tall and strong. They will not be moved spiritually, they will be faithful and true to their God. They will not be moved physically, God will take away the destruction that awaits the wicked nation of Judah and the carrying away of the people to the captivity of Babylon. God will give them blessings and security in the land of His promise, if they will only turn to Him in repentance.
If they were to follow God's will for them, they could say 'The LORD lives' and they could testify that the LORD lives in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness. The Lord lives in truth because they would experience Him and His power in their own lives for themselves. The Lord lives in judgment because they would experience the forgiveness of their confessed sins and see the results of God's judgments on those who refused to believe. The Lord lives in righteousness because they would experience the happiness that comes from believing and serving God.
Two examples of how the people should relate to God are given. First they are compared to farming. They were to break up the ground and prepare it for the sowing of the seeds of life. They were not to just sow the seeds of God's words amongst hard and weedy ground that had not been plowed. They would prepare their hearts with confession of sin and with repentance. By clinging to sins they would not allow the seeds of God's word any place to sprout in their hearts. Satan would be able to snatch any good intentions and love away from their hearts and the seed of God's word would not be able to sprout or grow when any did sprout. They were also to make sure they didn't sow the seed amongst the thorns. They were not to allow the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke out the word of God in their lives, making them unfruitful. (Matthew 13:18-23.) The second comparison was to circumcision. The were to dedicate their lives to the Lord and push all the wickedness and uncleanness out of their hearts. Cherished sins would have to be cut away and destroyed. God was asking them for a spiritual circumcision with a true dedication to Him, in their hearts, and not just an outward speaking of words without living the words.

Lord,
Help me today to truly dedicate my life to You. Help me to prepare my heart for Your word with confession of my sins and true repentance. Teach me to hate sin and help me to love You with my whole being. Help me to love You and trust You with everything in my life.