Jeremiah 14:1

 Jeremiah 14:1 says, The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth.  God's word came to Jeremiah, and it was about the coming suffering of the people of Judah because of their failure to keep their covenant with Him.  Verse two adds, Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.  God said that the people of Judah were going to be mourning because Jerusalem was going to be left desolate.  They would be mourning not for their sin though, but for the loss of material blessings.  If we find ourselves suffering today we need to make sure that we have examined our live and have no unconfessed sin in it, and we should mourn more for the loss of a close spiritual relationship with God more than we do for the loss of any material blessing.  Verse three states,  And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.  The nobles sent their little ones, most likely referring to their own children instead of the servants they would have once sent, to get water but they found none.  The nobles themselves still did not go.  If we find our self spiritually thirsty, we must go our self to the source of the Living Water.  We cannot send someone else for us.  Verse four adds,  Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.  God said the earth would be chapped, or extremely dry, because of the sins of the people.  Sin corrupts everything, even if people do not want to admit it.  Verse five declares, Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.  Cows would desert their new born claves, because there was no grass to eat.  Verse six adds, And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.  Even the wild donkeys, who usually could find enough to eat, would be left without enough grass for a meal.  The people of Judah were still denying that they were going to have hard times come to them, but God told Jeremiah to tell them that the hard times were indeed coming.  We as Christians need to make sure that we do not allow material blessings to become the standard for proving that we are following God's will.  Verse seven declares, O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.  Jeremiah prayed for the people as they should have prayed for themselves.  He acknowledged their sins and asked for God's mercy.  We cannot attain forgiveness for the sins of others, but we can pray for them and that they will ultimately ask for forgiveness themselves.  Verse eight adds, O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?  Jeremiah acknowledged the fact that God was the only One Who could save them, just as we must today.  Verse nine continues, Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.  Jeremiah said that God was in the midst of them, who were called by His name.  It is not enough to be called by God's name and to realize that He is in our midst if we do not obey His word.  Verse ten states, Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.  God answered Jeremiah by stating that those who were called His people no longer followed Him.  It is not enough to be God's people in name alone and not follow His commandments.  Follow the commandments does not save us, but following God's commandments is a requirement to show our love and obedience to Him.  Verse eleven adds, Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good.  God told Jeremiah to no longer pray for the people of Judah.  We need to pray that we as a nation or even individually never reach the point of having God say that prayers for us will do no good because it is too late.