Telling it the way it is
Jeremiah 7: Do what I command so that your lives will go well.
The original sin of the Garden of Eden is committed by human beings who decide that what God says isn’t right. Adam and Eve either doubt the wisdom or the honesty of God who commands them to avoid the fruit of a certain tree because to eat it, he says, will result in death. As I read from Jeremiah I hear the Lord insisting that his orders are for our own good. “If you do what I say your lives will go well” he says. If I’m not careful, I translate this to mean, “Do it the way I say and I’ll go easy on you, do it your own way and I’ll go hard on you.” However, that isn’t his message. The idea is that God not only has my best interests in mind, but he knows what will help me and what will harm me. If I say to my 5 year old, “honey, don’t play with electric outlets” I’m not just making a random rule. Rather, I’m speaking out of both good will and superior knowledge. The Lord tells me that if I obey him, he’ll be my God and I’ll be his son. He says that as I abide in that relationship I’ll have a better life than I would have otherwise. Really, this isn’t mystical or theoretical stuff; it’s just the way it is.
Take Away: The Lord’s way is the best way.