"ECHO SYNDROME"

Jeremiah 5:20-25         (KJV)
"20 Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; WHICH HAVE EYES, AND SEE NOT; WHICH HAVE EARS, AND HEAR NOT.
22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?
23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.
24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you."


I often write about one of my "puppies", an almost five year old mix breed named ROME.  But very seldom have I mentioned "ECHO", our other "puppy", an Australian Shepherd mix breed who is hard of seeing and hard of hearing.  We did not know for sure he was hearing and seeing challenged for about the first six months we had him.  While at a veterinarian visit one day, the Doctor said that many predominantly white Australian Shepherds are euthanized because of their seeing and hearing difficulties.  But ECHO is as loving a pet as you could ask for.

The "house of Jacob" was suffering with the "ECHO SYNDROME"!  They had rejected the voice of GOD for so long, that they no longer heard HIM.  They had turned their eyes upon their own accomplishments so frequently, that they no were able to see GOD intervening on their behalf.

The United States of America was founded by fallible, yet humble men, who knew that GOD ALMIGHTY would bless them if they blessed HIM.  Regrettably, our nation has tuned GOD out, for the most part, in recent years.  Just as the "house of Jacob" did, we have rejected the voice of GOD, so much that we cannot hear HIM any longer.  We have begun to rely on our accomplishments so much, that we can't see GOD sustaining us, even in our heathen ways!

The problem with the USA begins with me.  I don't do a lot of things that most people consider to be sinful.  But I don't do some things that real warriors of faith in history have done effectively.  I don't PRAY as much as I should.  I don't minister to others as much as I should. I don't display other traits of CHRIST often enough in my life.  I live my life so fast at times that I fail to have time to listen for GOD'S direction, or hear HIS gentle voice!

Sometimes I have to slow down and remind myself that except for the grace of GOD, I would be one of those with the "ECHO SYNDROME"!  The enemy loves to make us so busy, even doing good things, that we don't have time to "hear" and "see"!  I need to LISTEN for GOD'S direction and SEE what HE has blessed me with.