Jeremiah 11:1-17

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 “Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 3 and say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD God of Israel: “Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant 4 which I commanded your fathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God,’ 5 that I may establish the oath which I have sworn to your fathers, to give them ‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’[a] as it is this day.”’”
And I answered and said, “So be it, LORD.”
6 Then the LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: ‘Hear the words of this covenant and do them. 7 For I earnestly exhorted your fathers in the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, until this day, rising early and exhorting, saying, “Obey My voice.” 8 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone followed the dictates of his evil heart; therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but which they have not done.’”
9 And the LORD said to me, “A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 10 They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers who refused to hear My words, and they have gone after other gods to serve them; the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.”
11 Therefore thus says the LORD: “Behold, I will surely bring calamity on them which they will not be able to escape; and though they cry out to Me, I will not listen to them. 12 Then the cities of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they offer incense, but they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble. 13 For according to the number of your cities were your gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to that shameful thing, altars to burn incense to Baal.
14 “So do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry out to Me because of their trouble.
15 “What has My beloved to do in My house,
Having done lewd deeds with many?
And the holy flesh has passed from you.
When you do evil, then you rejoice.
16 The LORD called your name,
Green Olive Tree, Lovely and of Good Fruit.
With the noise of a great tumult
He has kindled fire on it,
And its branches are broken.
17 “For the LORD of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced doom against you for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense to Baal.”
Jeremiah 11:1-17 NKJV

The Lord had established a covenant with His people when He brought them from slavery in Egypt and gave them a good land for their prosperity. God intended good things for His people. The Hebrews said they would obey Him and do as He commanded them and He promised to be their God and they would be His people. As is often the case with humans and God, they did not keep their part of the covenant. God wanted to bless them and give them what they needed and even more. With God giving direction and purpose to the nation Israel and guiding them and protecting them and blessing them with the rain and crops and livestock and peaceful homes, Israel would have been an ideal place to live. God knew what was best and shared that knowledge with the people. But the Israelites looked around at all the dysfunction of the nations around them and saw the shiny pretty things and the outward appearance of peoples enjoying life and decided they wanted to be like the nations around. So they went after the false gods and worshipped rocks and sticks. They asked for a king to rule over them like the kings of those nations around them. They turned their back on a King who was fair and just and who offered to lead them in righteous ways that ensured them everything they could desire. They turned away from Him, and yearned to have men rule them who turned out to be what one would expect, wicked and weak. They got what they asked for and ultimately they got what they deserved. How could the Jews be so blind as to what was good for them? How could they push away the God who would supply all their needs and bless them with peace and prosperity to follow after the worthless gods of the nations around? God had called them Green Olive Tree, Lovely and of Good Fruit. They were to be righteous and produce fruit to be a blessing on the nations around. Instead of clinging to their God and rejoicing in His love, they rejoiced in their evil. They followed the dictates of their evil hearts instead of letting God cleanse their hearts and heal their wounds. They ran after rocks and sticks to worship instead of giving allegiance and obeying the true God, their creator. Now instead of the blessing of the covenant they would receive a curse. Calamity and destruction would come upon them, their evil ways would be punished by the peoples they should have been a witness to of God's power. The blessing became a curse because they trusted in that which could not save.
In my life there are so many things that I am drawn to trust in that lead me away from God. So many shiny, pretty things and people that offer a false hope of happiness. God gives me the choice, ultimate freedom to walk with Him and obey Him or to walk away from Him and reject Him. Israel and Judah had the same choice, and they chose poorly. Which will I choose?

Lord,
Help me today to choose You and life over myself and death. Only in You can I have the happiness my heart desires. Help me to obey You and trust You and give my heart anew to You today. Help me to choose Your love over the world's pretty, shiny things that lead to an empty heart of selfishness.