Jeremiah 9:1

Jeremiah 9:1 says, Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!  Jeremiah was very distraught by what was happening to the the people of Judah.  He said he would cry day and night if he could.  We should be just as upset that people will not come to God today.  Verse two adds, Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.  Jeremiah said that he wished that he had a place to live in the wilderness so that he would not have to be around the adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.  I believe that he was speaking more about their spiritual condition than their physical one.  At time, we may feel that we are surrounded by treacherous people and only want to get away from them all, but this is not what God called us to do.  Verse three states, And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.  Jeremiah said that he felt this way because God had revealed to him the true nature of the people.  He did not just make this determination on His own.  If we judge others to be guilty of sin. it must be because God has led us to that knowledge.  We are not called to judge others, but we are called to apply God's word to the way people live their lives.  Verse four declares, Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders.  Jeremiah warned the people of Judah to beware of their neighbor, because they all walked in slander.  This was God's chosen people that Jeremiah was talking about.  We need to make sure that as followers of Christ that we do not deal falsely and speak in slander with other people.  Verse five adds, And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.  Jeremiah said that they had taught themselves to continually speak in lies.  There are many lies that are proclaimed as truth in the world today, but we as Christians cannot afford to be a part of those who spread the lies.  Verse six continues, Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD.  God said that the people lived in deceit and refused to return to Him.  If we find that we have bought into the deceit of the world today, we need to return to God if we are Christians.  Verse seven declares, Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?  God said that He would test His people to see if they really were His people.  God is not going to destroy those who are truly His.  Verse eight adds, Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.  God said that even though the people spoke of peace with their neighbor that they were really lying.  It is one thing to declare that we want only peace and what is best for our neighbor, but it is another thing to really mean it.  Our words and our actions and thoughts must be consistent with our belief in God.