Sincerely, Mike?

Best way to start a letter is to end it.

When you end a letter with “Sincerely,” what do you mean? Are you sincere simply about the specific  message, or are you sincere about … everything?

If asked, most of us would say we’re sincere. Certainly nobody wants to think they’re insincere. Perhaps it’s fair to say we all have our “moments.”

The people of Judah were sincere in their prayer for God to end their drought and famine. Their backs were against the wall and they were desperate. They needed rescuing. They cried out to God fervently.

But God saw right through them. They’d shown repeatedly they just wanted God for His blessings. But as soon as they were satisfied, they returned to their old ways. Finally God cut them off. (Jeremiah 14)

Sad, but surely the people were sincere when they begged God for mercy. They may have even thought, “I’ll be good, God! If you’ll just get me through this.”

Sound familiar?

The book of Jeremiah serves as a glimpse of the new covenant to come. It’s our restoration! God now puts his law in our hearts instead of on stone. We can know Him directly through Jesus!

It’s easy to sincerely desire God in the worst of times. Don’t wait for dire straits before coming to Him. Devote yourself to Jesus in good times and bad. Walk with Him daily. Watch out for traps that have snared you in the past. Keep going back to Him even when you fail.

Start and end your prayers with a note of sincerity. Reinforce your faith to Him regularly in the hours between.

Sincerely, Mike.