Does what I do matter to God?

I have read the book of Jeremiah many times.  But this time, when I started reading, God brought a particular passage to my attention.  The prophetic ministry of Jeremiah was between 629 and 585.  The southern kingdom of Judah had not learned anything from the fall of Israel.  They did not understand that it was the Lord who gave them over to the Assyrians because of idolatry, harlotry, and dishonesty.  Judah also committed the same sins but thought that the Lord would not destroy them because the Temple was in Jerusalem. God sent prophets to warn them to repent because Babylonian captivity was round the corner.  Jeremiah 5:1 says, "Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city."  The Lord was willing to forgive Judah and avert the impending disaster, even if one person was doing what is right.  

In Ezekiel 22:30, we read that the Lord looked for a man to stand in the gap on behalf of the land so that He will not destroy it, but He found no one.  What the Lord says in Jeremiah 5:1 is that if He can find one person who will be honest and truthful in all his dealings,  He will forgive the nation, which means the Lord will not allow them to be captured by the Babylonians. Sometimes when we hear and see things that are beyond our control, and we feel overwhelmed. The world has seeped into the church, and we find every possible vice amidst those who call themselves believers.  Will the Lord punish us just as He punished Israel and Judah long ago? Will the persecution increase?  These are some questions on the top of our minds. But there is good news for us today. You and I, who fear God, can change this situation because God is still looking for that one person who deals honestly and seeks truth in daily life.  God is ready to forgive, and swift to show mercy but will He find that one person?  That is the million-dollar question!

My friend, what we do matters to God.  Honesty in all our dealings in our personal as well as public life matters to God.   We can be that one person because of whom the Lord will forgive our nation.

---