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DAY 213 OR AUGUST 1 LEARN FROM OTHER PEOPLE'S MISTAKES

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Our thoughts today are rooted in Jeremiah chapter 3 verses 6 and 10.

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Have you seen what faithless Israel has done?

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She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery

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there.

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In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me.

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And now the big picture surrounding these verses.

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Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet, but when you consider the times he lived in,

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it's not a surprise really.

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He spent almost 20 years prophesying to his fellow Jews when they were threatened by Assyria

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and Egypt.

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During the following 20 years or so, he warned them about Babylonia.

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Not only did they take little notice of him, but the authorities threw him into prison

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and banned him from the temple, even though he was from a priestly family.

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He condemns the willful sinning of the people of Judah, who refuse to change their ways,

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even though they see their relatives in the north are punished as the Assyrians invade

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to carry out God's judgment on them, as promised.

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And now today's action step.

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We are all too ready to point out the errors of others, but we rarely learn from them personally.

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We have a tendency to think of ourselves as exceptions as the people of Judah did.

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We do.

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Where accidents are concerned, we say they only happen to other people.

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Where illnesses are concerned, we say they only afflict others.

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Where sinning is concerned, we say others sin, but we are victims of character weaknesses.

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Despite knowing about Israel's sin and judgment, Judah does the same.

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Remember that God will treat you the same as all his other children.

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He has no favourites.

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And forget that when you point at someone, three of your fingers point back at you.

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Remember that our actions are all mimicked by others, so be sure you keep reducing the

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bad examples and increasing the good ones.

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You're always an example as long as you breathe, so be careful.