Blessed indeed are those who hear the word of God and keep it well. Israel as a nation frequently went against what she knew to be God's will - there seemed no limit to her wilful disobedience. All this was despite the fact that God had revealed Himself to her and showered His blessings and care on her. Yet, she remained obstinate, ignoring her responsibilities towards God in the Covenant He had made with her. She turned to other gods, allying herself with foreign nations that worshipped them instead of trusting her God who had called and led her out of darkness. Consequently she paid the price - destruction and exile - for not having heeded the warning of Jeremiah and others like him.

We too are often no different from Israel. We may indeed read our bibles daily, having it all on our finger tips but when it comes to the actual living out of God's word, we fall short. His demands seeme too great and our own way seems more desirable.

While we should not be fundamentalistic in thinking that evil will befall us as a direct result, we should nevertheless remind ourselves of the blessedness that stems from the fact that we know that our life is in consonance with what God wants of us. In this way, we will be able to journey on through life confident of God's care and protection despite the obstacles in our way.