Psalm 36:11 English Standard Version (ESV) Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.

My accountability partner posed a question recently about living in a world of sinners and being able to minister to them without being influenced by them. The issue of engaging in conversations with those who have opinions that oppose the gospel is a slippery slope. On one hand we can slip on the footfall of arrogance and what others do to draw us into their sins is the other.

Psalm 36:7 English Standard Version (ESV) How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Our refuge from falling is His steadfast love. If we walk in love, His love, we can expect protection.

2 John 8-9 English Standard Version (ESV) Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

The full reward John speaks of here is bringing the lost children back to God by means of the gospel.

Psalm 127:3 English Standard Version (ESV) Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

For us, in the world of lost sinners, we must first have learned of His steadfast love, learn how to abide in that love, and to be able to walk in the world without losing contact with His abiding presence. He is always there, He is always available but He will not respond to arrogance nor in joining sinners in those moments when we are to show a better way.

Jeremiah 3:16 English Standard Version (ESV) And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the Lord, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again.

This is the last comment about the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. No one knows what happened to the ark. Many have searched for it. It seems to be missed and remembered. Who is missing it and looking for it? What do they think they will accomplish by finding it? Will that mean the word of the Lord is not valid because they discovered it in some hidden place?

I think it is more important to understand why the Lord should remove the ark from history. Israel and Judah were accused of whoredom in this chapter of Jeremiah. There is even the mention of a bill of divorcement. God who is merciful offers one more time a chance to worship rightly.

Jeremiah 3:17 English Standard Version (ESV) At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart.

Now all the faith religions make their claims upon Jerusalem and to a greater degree Temple Mount. There is no more hotly contested land than the Temple Mount. When their focus was upon the Ark of the Covenant, they worshipped it like an idol. It was their most sacred relic. God took it from them and asked them to cleanse their hearts. Have they all traded one idol for another? Is temple mount now the focus of attention for hearts that cannot love as God intends?

Each religion by their own admission seek the presence of God in Jerusalem but ignore the call to remove evil from their hearts.