Key Verse: Jeremiah 12:2b 

“You are near in their mouth but far from their mind.” 

In Jeremiah 12, the author asks God a sincere and honest question. Why do the wicked prosper? I’m sure that is a question you have probably asked at some point. God answers Jeremiah and reminds him that the wicked have a great calamity heading their way, and we do well to remember this. However, I want to take a few moments to look closely at how Jeremiah describes these wicked people. He says, that You, referring to God, are near in their mouth, but far from their mind. What exactly does this mean? It means that there were many in Jeremiah’s time who had a verbal profession of faith in God. They went to the temple, they had their worship services, and if asked, yes they were a follower of God. Does this sound familiar? It should. Unfortunately there are a great number of people like this in churches all across the world. They talk a good talk but walk a poor walk. They rarely think deeply about God. They never allow God’s commands and character to dictate the decisions they make on a regular basis. This proves that God is near to their mouth, but far from their mind. 

I wonder how many of us are guilty of this? Speaking from personal experience I know how easy it is to drift into word only Christianity. We claim Christ, but don’t exemplify his character well! This is a characterization of the wicked that God tells Jeremiah will face sudden calamity! IS God on your mind, or just on your mouth. If He’s on your mind consistently your life choices will show it!