#soap # Jeremiah 44 ## Title: Why Do We Destroy Ourselves? ## Scripture: (Jeremiah 44:7) “So now the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, asks, ‘Why will you do such great harm to yourselves? Why should every man, woman, child, and baby of yours be destroyed from the midst of Judah? Why should you leave yourselves without a remnant? (NET) ## Observation: When my girls were little, we would set up opportunities for them to earn rewards. This was so they could learn that work yields rewards and the value of earning their way. It would be simple. We would say that if they cleaned their room, they would get an allowance of money or a fun night. We would also say that if they did not clean their room, no gifts were coming. They would eagerly agree with the terms of our agreement. Since we have two kids, we would also warn them about not finishing their task. We would tell them that we would still reward their sister if they did their job well. Can you tell what would often happen? Many times, one of our daughters would clean her room and the other would not. We would say, “Please, clean your room. Don’t miss out on the fun. It’s going to be great. If you don’t, you’re going to hate the consequences.” Still, she would not want to. We would even go into this child’s room and help her come up with a plan and steps to get it done. We would do everything we could to remove obstacles. The only thing she had left to do was actually pick up her toys. When the deadline would get close, we would say, “Please don’t do this to yourself. You’re going to hate not getting to enjoy the fun. Just pick up the toys.” Still, she either thought we wouldn’t really leave her out or that it was not that important. As a parent, it hurt my heart for her because it was a tough lesson she was bringing on herself. She didn’t enjoy the consequences. That’s what is going on in this text. God has opened doors and offered help over and over. The people have decided to do this to themselves. ## Application: Let’s never have the Lord ask us, “Why are you doing this to yourself?” ## Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for giving us a way out, over and over again.