In Jeremiah 13, the prophet, Jeremiah, warned God’s people living during Old Testament times about their arrogance and disobedience. They were not giving glory to God or acknowledging Him in their hearts, but instead had refused to listen to His guidance and directives. Heavenly Father warned them that they would be brought down to horrific lows and suffer manifold devastation if they did not wake-up and pay attention to their relationships with Him. Those that had been their allies would become their rulers, and they would be pillaged, and stripped bone dry of resources. Heavenly Father wanted them to make a change, to turn from iniquity and cling to Him so He could keep them safe in His care. Jeremiah 13:23 expresses the severity of their state. It reveals they were so stone-cold and dark in their hearts that the possibility of them changing was as empty as that of a leopard changing his spots.

The very people that God had handpicked to be His very own had abandoned holiness and turned their back on His goodness. It cannot be lost on us that the same thing can be said about many of God’s people today. They have been lured by the pull of worldliness, and no longer regard the state of holiness for it’s overwhelming and uncalculatable treasure. The price that must be paid for this is too drastic to quantify, and we must be so very grateful that God is giving us what some believe is our final wake-up call. He’s doing this so we will avoid paying a high price for not praying as diligently as we should have in the past, for not studying His Word, and spending quality time in His presence. We must turn this around and begin to make these a priority. We must focus on becoming spiritually mature in Christ, so we can avoid a catastrophic end.

God’s people that were living during Old Testament times didn’t have the gift of God’s Spirit living within them. They didn’t have access to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and leadership, and therefore, they didn’t have the capacity to become the image of Christ in the way that we do. Through His incredible grace and mercy, Heavenly Father sent them leaders and prophets to speak for Him, and He performed numerous miracles. He gave them signs and wonders so they could take comfort in the reality that He would never abandon them, and through their obedience, they could always count on Him for help. Instead of being motivated by the goodness God has shown them and clinging to Him ever so tightly, they did the complete opposite. They took His goodness for granted and used His grace to sin even more.

A leopard cannot change its spots, but we’re not leopards. We can’t allow it to be said that we did not acknowledge the goodness of God with a deeply thankful heart and change the error of our ways. Many are proclaiming and declaring the doom they believe is soon to come. I, on the other hand, see manifold promotions, elevations, and blessings on the horizon. I see God about to do something fresh and new and release a powerful anointing upon His people. Does this mean that times will not be challenging? No. We will see some difficult times ahead, but Heavenly Father will not abandon those who cling to Him. He will place a hedge around our lives, and we will be able to help those that have not yet come to Him.

We must open our eyes, repent of our sins, and prepare for what God has in store. Many of us will read or hear these words, and we will do exactly as we have always done. This would be a mistake. The times that are coming will demand that we have a greater level of faith, that we will have grown so adapt at hearing God’s voice that we recognize it instantly. Miracles will no longer be rare but common place, and those that were looked over before will carry mantles of great spiritual authority in the body of Christ. A tornado is a formidable force. It can cause great damage, but it also has tremendous cleansing ability. It uproots things that have refused to move and grow, and it puts in their place a seed of newness that will bloom at God’s appointed time. The pandemic has been very challenging, but we must never make the mistake of thinking that God isn’t still in control. His purpose will prevail, and we must do all that we can in this current season to prepare for what comes next. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

 “Can A Leopard Change Its Spots?” written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.