Jeremiah 16:16 “‘Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,’ declares the Lord, ‘and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks.’”
NOW WE’RE TALKING
When I first read this verse, I got all excited. I love to fish and hunt. I love being outdoors. I thought, “Alright, now the Lord is talking. Let’s go fishing and hunting.” But I misread the verse, as we often do.
In this verse the Lord is talking about sending men to catch and hunt those who have rebelled against Him, so they can face judgment. Does God really need men to find the rebellious? No, but He will use us to spread the Gospel which will, in turn, reveal people’s rebellion. All of this for one purpose, to convict people of their sin which will lead to repentance.
TEACHING MOMENT
Parents, you must expose your children’s sins. They must be taught that sin only leads to a life estranged from a holy God. He will not allow our rebellion to go unpunished. But He wants to forgive and forget our sins. He wants to restore us to fellowship with Him. He wants us close, but He cannot bring us into His presence when we reek of unconfessed sin.
Teach your children to leave all their rebellion. Teach your children to yield to God’s authority. Teach your children to trust Him to hold them close and direct them. Teach your children that confession of sin is a good thing and something they must do constantly.
What are you NOT confessing today? Come on, what is it? All sin that is unconfessed is a barrier between you and your Lord. Tear it all down through confession. You can approach the throne of God with a broken heart and watch what He does. There is no need to fear Jehovah God when you come to Him with that attitude.