by: Dr. Allen Domelle
Jeremiah 42:2
“And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)”
After Jeremiah had warned the people not to flee to Egypt, they came to him and asked him to make supplication to the LORD for their deliverance. Their initial spirit was one that caught God’s attention. These people portrayed a spirit that they really wanted to do right and this caught God’s attention. We find out later that they changed their spirit because the LORD didn’t tell them what they wanted to hear; nonetheless, their initial spirit caught His attention.
Every Christian should desire to catch God’s attention. The proper attitude is always developed because of a proper spirit. If you have the right spirit, you will have the right attitude. The right attitude always catches God’s attention. The four attitudes of these people showed what type of spirit you must have if you desire to catch God’s attention.
First, you must have a prayerful spirit. They requested of Jeremiah to “…pray for us unto the LORD thy God…” You will never catch God’s attention without a prayerful spirit. Praying should be more than a time you set aside every day to talk to the LORD. Your spirit should be a continual spirit of prayer that prays before you do something for God’s guidance, while you do something for His help, and a prayer of thanksgiving after you have completed each task.
Second, you must have a humble spirit. The initial spirit of these people was evidently a humble spirit when they besought God to accept their “supplication.” Humility is always the attitude that catches God’s attention. 1 Peter 5:5 reminds us, “…God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” You will never catch God’s attention with the attitude that you can do it on your own. God will let you do it on your own when you have that type of a spirit. You will never have a problem getting God’s attention if you keep a spirit of humility.
Third, you must have a teachable spirit. These people asked God in verse 3 to “…shew us the way wherein we may walk…” The know-it-all attitude is representative of a proud spirit, but the teachable spirit is indicative of a humble spirit. When you have a spirit of humility, you will want God to show you what you should do. The teachable spirit never presumptuously starts a project without asking the LORD how to do it. The teachable spirit is always willing to learn from others so they can better please the LORD. You will catch God’s attention when you want Him to show you the way you should walk.
Fourth, you must have an obedient spirit. The people wanted the LORD to show them what they should do so they could obey. The Christian who is obedient to the voice of the LORD is the Christian who will have no difficulty getting His attention in their time of need. I ask you, do you have a spirit that constantly challenges what God asks you to do? You should have an obedient spirit that immediately obeys the LORD without question. An obedient spirit always catches God’s attention.
Do you have a spirit that catches the LORD’s attention? One day you will need God’s attention. Make sure your spirit is such that constantly catches His attention.