Why Real Change Begins with Intimacy, Not Effort

Jeremiah 7:1–7

There is something about the turn of a new year that invites reflection. We pause, look back, and quietly ask ourselves what needs to change. The New Year can bring new resolve. We reset priorities, adjust plans, and adopt habits we hope will lead to different outcomes this time around.

Recently, while spending several quiet days near the Rio Grande River in Colorado, I found myself thinking about that familiar rhythm. Morning prayer walks, crisp air, and long moments of silence have a way of clarifying what really matters. And one truth kept pressing itself into my mind: the most important change we need is not better systems, improved discipline, or stronger routines. What we need most is spiritual renewal—renewal that flows out of intimacy with God.

Scripture consistently reminds us that God is always about the work of renewal. By His Spirit, He works to restore the joy we may have surrendered, the hope we may have lost through hardship, and the confidence we may have forfeited through failure. Renewal is not God’s reluctant response to our failures; it is His gracious invitation to return to him as our source.

Yet many of us miss it—not because God is unwilling, but because our understanding of renewal has been shaped more by culture than by Scripture.

Why We Misunderstand Renewal

We live in a self-help culture. We are told that if we change our mindset, optimize our habits, and strengthen our discipline, we can reach a better version of ourselves. Even spiritual growth is often framed as self-improvement.

But biblical renewal works differently.

In Scripture, renewal does not originate with us. It is not manufactured by effort or sustained by willpower. It is a work of God’s grace—one that we are invited to participate in.

That truth stands at the heart of Jeremiah 7.

When God Speaks to Worshipers

Jeremiah is sent to speak at a familiar place and bring an unusual message. God tells him to stand at the gates of the temple and warn those about to worship. Listen carefully to the message: 

“The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.’” – Jeremiah 7:1–3 (ESV)

The problem in Jeremiah’s generation was not a lack of religious activity. God’s people had not abandoned worship. They had simply brought their idols with them.

Outwardly, their worship looked sincere, but inwardly, their hearts were divided. They addressed the Lord while clinging to other gods. Their confidence rested not in faithfulness, but in presumption—confidence built on religious heritage, sacred spaces, and familiar language.

Over time, that confidence produced a casual spirituality and a loss of reverence for God. Through Jeremiah, God makes His message clear: religious activity cannot replace a genuine relationship. God does not share His glory with idols.

Shiloh: A Warning from History

To press the point deeper, God tells His people to look backward—to Shiloh.

“But go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh.” – Jeremiah 7:12–14 (ESV)

Shiloh was once the center of Israel’s worship. It was the place where God made His name dwell, where the tabernacle stood, and where His presence was known. The name Shiloh itself means “that which is the Lord’s.”

We learn from (1 Samuel 4:1–22) that over time, corruption crept into Shiloh. Spiritual compromise was tolerated there. Greed replaced worship. Prayer gave way to immorality. Eventually, God stopped speaking there altogether.

The Ark of the Covenant was captured. God’s protection was lifted. A child was named Ichabod—“the glory has departed.”

Shiloh still existed, but God had moved on.

The warning is sobering: sacred places can remain while intimacy with God is lost.

This is a lesson for us today. Just because we attend a nice building and call it our church doesn’t mean it’s the real thing. Just because a pastor has become famous or leads a large church doesn’t mean the ministry is successful in God’s eyes. The question is, does the church or ministry represent God correctly? Do its leaders function for the glory of God or selfish ambition? The lesson from Shiloh is that when God’s leaders or his people resist his invitation for repentance and intimacy long enough, God can and will move on. We may have big buildings, budgets, and bright lights, but God is not there. 

Jeremiah’s instructions for renewal: 

“Do Not Trust in Deceptive Words”

Why did God’s people ignore repeated invitations to return?

First, they trusted voices that told them what they wanted to hear.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. “Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’  – Jeremiah 7:3–4 (ESV)

False prophets assured them that their worship was acceptable, even while their hearts were divided. God, they were told, would accommodate their preferences.

The false prophets of Jeremiah’s day had no internet connection, YouTube channel, or podcast platform to spread their deception. But today’s false teachers do. There is a great need for discernment in the body of Christ. God’s admonition through Jeremiah is vital today. Don’t trust every word you hear from preachers, whether online or in the pulpit.

Today, many prominent preachers scarcely preach directly from the Bible. Many online Bible teachers have no formal or informal training in proper biblical interpretation or in rightly dividing the scriptures. Therefore, their messages are often nothing more than vain philosophies or platitudes with little direct connection to the actual context and meaning of scripture. Such preaching is often devoid of warnings against mixing idolatry with devotion to God. 

A large building, a well-known leader, or a polished ministry does not guarantee God’s presence. The real question is whether a ministry reflects God’s character, points to Christ, and brings glory to Him.

Renewal Requires Separation

True renewal never emerges from blending holiness with worldliness. It requires separation.

God confronts His people with a piercing question in Jeremiah 7:

“Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord.” – Jeremiah 7:9–11 (ESV)

The church should never look to the world to explain the holiness of God. When worship is shaped more by entertainment than by the statutes and standards of God, renewal is replaced by imitation.

As A. W. Tozer once wrote,

“The essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him.”

The Responsibilities of Renewal

Jeremiah outlines three responses for those who desire renewal.

First, reflect on what God has done in the past.

“But go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel.” – Jeremiah 7:12 (ESV)

Second, repent and return to practical obedience.

“For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm…” – Jeremiah 7:5–6 (ESV)

Third, remember the promise of a faithful God.

“Then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.” – Jeremiah 7:7 (ESV)

Renewal restores us to a place of nearness where life is once again ordered around Him.

The Question We Must Answer

As we step into a New Year, the question Jeremiah raises still confronts us: will we experience the renewal God desires, or will we become like Shiloh—where sacred structures remain, but intimacy with God is lost?

Renewal always begins the same way. It begins with restored intimacy. It begins when worship reflects God’s holiness, His character, and His glory.

And the good news is this: God’s invitation still stands. If we return to Him, He will welcome us back into His presence. Lord, we pray for renewal in our lives, in our churches, and in our land! 

Stay Strong In the Lord! 

Pastor Bob 

---

About Pastor Bob Moya, DMin.

Dr. Bob Moya has served as the lead pastor with his wife Candace at City Chapel in Arlington, Texas for over 25 years. He recently graduated with a doctorate degree in Spiritual Renewal and Leadership in the spring of 2024. When not serving at the church, you'll find Bob enjoying a good read at Barnes & Noble, sipping a nitro cold brew or black coffee from Starbucks, or spending time with his family.