Lamentations 1:9

Lamentations 1:9 - Her uncleanness is in her skirts; She did not consider her destiny; Therefore her collapse was awesome; She had no comforter. "O LORD, behold my affliction, For the enemy is exalted!"

It is absolutely true that those who does not consider their destiny is bound for a great and unexpected fall. The people of Israel at that time were consistently flooded with an ambience of tranquillity and prosperity. Their prophets were preaching "Peace, peace" to everyone, and the citizens believed them (Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11). They had the economical and political results to support their claims, and thus none of them considered the future, or the words of God's prophets. When Jeremiah sounded the alarm in the Temple, he was rebuked and mistreated. The blindness of their sins truly made them ignorant of the signs to God's accumulating wrath. Instead, they were giving much thought to their own ambitions - everyone according to their hearts desires (Isaiah 53:6). 

No wonder at the first blow from Babylon, the hearts of many fell! They were shocked (How could the 'people' of God be afflicted such?) They were confused (Where is God?)! They were angry (How can God leaven them?)! It is sad that they heeded not the Scriptures which told them the repercussions of their rebelliousness, many years in advance. 

Deuteronomy 28:36-37 - "The LORD will bring you and the king whom you set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods--wood and stone.  (37)  And you shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations where the LORD will drive you.

Are we living in similar days? I believe that we are. It is sad that so many people (ourselves included) have not considered our spiritual destiny and what happens if we are not responding to it properly. The Day of Judgement WILL come upon us suddenly. Will it be a shock, an awesome sight that will signal our failure to heed God's warning? Will we collapse unto the ground regretting that we had thrown whatever privilege we had of responding properly to it? Time will tell. The clock is already ticking!