Tuesday, January 31: Jeremiah 30- Good news, bad news, incomprehensible news.

God has not forgotten His covenant. Israel and Judah will be restored! Those words must have been like salve on a wound. The destruction, the exile, pain and dying and confusion of Nebuchadnezzar’s annihilation of Judah must have sent heads spinning. What is God up to? Why?...

Then comes this word of hope. Like the first crocuses popping through a snow sprinkled field, these were a sign that things will change. God will forgive and restore…

But the restoration of Israel and Judah signals destruction for their enemies and oppressors… bad news for some.

Life can be like that, what is good for some is not for others…

I mused as I read and then came the last verse and in particular the last sentence of the last verse. In days to come you will understand this (24b).

These words brought comfort and recognition... recognition that I don’t know everything and in fact some (many (?)) things of God I do not understand. Isaiah was right - God’s ways are higher than my ways (Isaiah 55:9). I don’t understand why some believe and others do not.I don’t understand why hurricanes typhoons and tsunamis happen.I don’t understand why God choose me or why God’s plan of salvation was that Jesus would die in my place. God’s ways are higher than mine!

I listened again to 24b, In days to come you will understand this. Some day I will understand. Alleluia. Some day my confusions and questions will be gone, answered by the Almighty.

Until that day, I accept by faith that God is in control, that He knows things I do not and all things are working toward His ends.

Augustine said (loosely translated) “The heart is wrestles until it finds its rest in Thee.” I find my rest in You, Lord God Almighty, in You.

Lord I have many questions and confusions, this is true. But by Your grace I also have faith… Faith in You, faith in Your ways, faith in Your absolute sovereignty, faith in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. In this I do rest. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

Tuesday, January 31: Jeremiah 30- Good news, bad news, incomprehensible news.

God has not forgotten His covenant. Israel and Judah will be restored! Those words must have been like salve on a wound. The destruction, the exile, pain and dying and confusion of Nebuchadnezzar’s annihilation of Judah must have sent heads spinning. What is God up to? Why?...

Then comes this word of hope. Like the first crocuses popping through a snow sprinkled field, these were a sign that things will change. God will forgive and restore…

But the restoration of Israel and Judah signals destruction for their enemies and oppressors… bad news for some.

Life can be like that, what is good for some is not for others…

I mused as I read and then came the last verse and in particular the last sentence of the last verse. In days to come you will understand this (24b).

These words brought comfort and recognition... recognition that I don’t know everything and in fact some (many (?)) things of God I do not understand. Isaiah was right - God’s ways are higher than my ways (Isaiah 55:9). I don’t understand why some believe and others do not.I don’t understand why hurricanes typhoons and tsunamis happen.I don’t understand why God choose me or why God’s plan of salvation was that Jesus would die in my place. God’s ways are higher than mine!

I listened again to 24b, In days to come you will understand this. Some day I will understand. Alleluia. Some day my confusions and questions will be gone, answered by the Almighty.

Until that day, I accept by faith that God is in control, that He knows things I do not and all things are working toward His ends.

Augustine said (loosely translated) “The heart is wrestles until it finds its rest in Thee.” I find my rest in You, Lord God Almighty, in You.

Lord I have many questions and confusions, this is true. But by Your grace I also have faith… Faith in You, faith in Your ways, faith in Your absolute sovereignty, faith in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. In this I do rest. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

Monday, January 30: Jeremiah 29- Letters a lost art.

Funny how God highlights unique things each morning I spend with Him and His Word. Today I found myself contemplating letter writing, something I do not do often or well. The chapter begins, This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon (1). It was Jeremiah’s writing of the letter that stuck to me.

Letters can serve many purposes; ‘Dear John’ letters, legal letters, love letters, ‘what’s going on in life’ letters, and so on. Jeremiah writes a letter to encourage the exiles in Babylon.

By and large letter writing is a relic of the past. We email, text, Facebook and tweet others, maybe call. Few of us write letters. I suspect our culture has lost something. The world changes…

My thoughts were about the power of an encouraging word. Jeremiah’s letter must have set the exiles at ease. It didn’t remove the strangeness of the situation, but certainly knowing how to be faithful in exilic times must have eased the fears of those who believed Jeremiah to be God’s prophet. Apt words have incredible power. A simple word, no matter the medium of communication, can lift the down-hearted and propel the light-hearted to even greater heights. Such is the power of encouragement.

I flopped from Jeremiah’s day to mine and wondered, who could use a ‘pick-me-up’ word?

Whether I ultimately use email, text, Facebook, phone call or even, yes, a letter sent by snail-mail to convey my words, it is the words that have power to encourage…

Who might I encourage today?  That’s my take-a-way from this wonderful chapter in God’s Word.

Another thought – isn’t it wonderful that God put His Word in writing? Another powerful aspect of the Written Word is that we can go back to it again and again to gain more insight and repeated encouragement… What a great and thoughtful God we serve.

Lord, thank You for Your Word and Your Word to me today. Show me who could use a note of encouragement, appreciation and love today. And as I write, may my simple words encourage just as Your Word has encouraged me today. In and through Jesus, the Word become flesh, I pray. Amen.

 

Monday, January 30: Jeremiah 29- Letters a lost art.

Funny how God highlights unique things each morning I spend with Him and His Word. Today I found myself contemplating letter writing, something I do not do often or well. The chapter begins, This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon (1). It was Jeremiah’s writing of the letter that stuck to me.

Letters can serve many purposes; ‘Dear John’ letters, legal letters, love letters, ‘what’s going on in life’ letters, and so on. Jeremiah writes a letter to encourage the exiles in Babylon.

By and large letter writing is a relic of the past. We email, text, Facebook and tweet others, maybe call. Few of us write letters. I suspect our culture has lost something. The world changes…

My thoughts were about the power of an encouraging word. Jeremiah’s letter must have set the exiles at ease. It didn’t remove the strangeness of the situation, but certainly knowing how to be faithful in exilic times must have eased the fears of those who believed Jeremiah to be God’s prophet. Apt words have incredible power. A simple word, no matter the medium of communication, can lift the down-hearted and propel the light-hearted to even greater heights. Such is the power of encouragement.

I flopped from Jeremiah’s day to mine and wondered, who could use a ‘pick-me-up’ word?

Whether I ultimately use email, text, Facebook, phone call or even, yes, a letter sent by snail-mail to convey my words, it is the words that have power to encourage…

Who might I encourage today?  That’s my take-a-way from this wonderful chapter in God’s Word.

Another thought – isn’t it wonderful that God put His Word in writing? Another powerful aspect of the Written Word is that we can go back to it again and again to gain more insight and repeated encouragement… What a great and thoughtful God we serve.

Lord, thank You for Your Word and Your Word to me today. Show me who could use a note of encouragement, appreciation and love today. And as I write, may my simple words encourage just as Your Word has encouraged me today. In and through Jesus, the Word become flesh, I pray. Amen.

 

Saturday, January 28: Jeremiah 28- Speaking the truth.

It is one thing to stand up in a friendly crowd and declare the truth. It’s another to correct a publically miss-spoken word.

In one community where I served as pastor, the local churches hosted a 7-Words from the Cross service on Good Friday. Local pastors would share a 10-minute thought on one of Jesus’ statements as he hung on the cross. People from the town and various churches would attend all or part of the service community. One time when our church hosted the service and I was not present, one of the local speakers spoke something egregiously incorrect with regard to scripture and orthodox Christian faith. (Occasionally but not very often these services were used as a forum for something other than Good Friday thoughts.)

In my absence our elder, who was MC-ing the service, calmly walked to the mic and before he introduced the next element of the service, simply said something like this, “Thank you, sir, for your words. However, I would like to add that we, at this church, do not hold such a position. Instead we hold to the faith passed down through the apostles in the Scriptures which we believe to be the inspirited Word of God.”

In less than two minutes and without rancor or argument, our elder set before the worshippers the orthodox faith. I was exceedingly proud of our elder, his demeanor, integrity and faithfulness to the Lord.

Jeremiah had such an assignment. Hananiah publically prophesied a lie.Jeremiah publically corrected him to his face and in the hearing of all the people.

There are times when duty calls us to stand and be counted. To speak the truth and correct some error, always spoken in love. These times and callings are never easy and typically come with inherent risk. And they come to most of us. It might be in a family setting, work or community setting. Will you, will I speak appropriately for the Lord God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

Think about it…

Lord God, give me the courage to stand and the wisdom to speak when You need a voice to correct an error or speak the truth. May I be Your mouthpiece and may what I say and the demeanor in which I say it, bring You Honor. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Friday, January 27: Jeremiah 27- Counter-intuitive thinking.

As I listened to God’s Word to Judah, I thought it must go against every thought or idea the leaders naturally have. Give in to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and live. Resist and die, resist and watch Jerusalem and the temple destroyed.

God’s way takes faith, belief that God is leading. God’s way takes obedience. God’s way does not allow Judah to trust in itself, its strength, cunning or whatever.

The way of faith is like that… it requires us to lay aside our ways and follow God’s ways. The author of the letter to the Hebrews but it like this. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). And from that statement the author of Hebrews takes us on a journey showing time and again Old Testament heroes believing and following God. Often they needed to set aside basic human wisdom to follow God… Noah building an ark, Abraham believing he would have a son, and so on.

Faith does not mean we turn off our minds.  It means we seek the mind of Christ and when His direction is different than our natural wisdom or instincts, we follow God’s leading not ours.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Lord, give me the faith of Abraham and Noah and the heroes I read about in the Old and New Testaments. Help me to grow to be a man of faith, worthy of Your name. In and through Jesus, my Lord and Savior, I pray. Amen. 

 


Friday, January 27: Jeremiah 27- Counter-intuitive thinking.

As I listened to God’s Word to Judah, I thought it must go against every thought or idea the leaders naturally have. Give in to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon and live. Resist and die, resist and watch Jerusalem and the temple destroyed.

God’s way takes faith, belief that God is leading. God’s way takes obedience. God’s way does not allow Judah to trust in itself, its strength, cunning or whatever.

The way of faith is like that… it requires us to lay aside our ways and follow God’s ways. The author of the letter to the Hebrews but it like this. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1). And from that statement the author of Hebrews takes us on a journey showing time and again Old Testament heroes believing and following God. Often they needed to set aside basic human wisdom to follow God… Noah building an ark, Abraham believing he would have a son, and so on.

Faith does not mean we turn off our minds.  It means we seek the mind of Christ and when His direction is different than our natural wisdom or instincts, we follow God’s leading not ours.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Lord, give me the faith of Abraham and Noah and the heroes I read about in the Old and New Testaments. Help me to grow to be a man of faith, worthy of Your name. In and through Jesus, my Lord and Savior, I pray. Amen. 

 


Thursday, January 26: Jeremiah 26- One more chance.

Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the LORD: "This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD's house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. Say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth'" (1-6)

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace, but there comes a day!

With all the finality of judgment that God has recently spoken in the preceding chapters, I was totally surprised to read these words. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent…

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace…

God’s heart beats for Judah (God’s heart beats for us) and He holds out one more opportunity to turn and return to Him. That’s the God I have come to know, love and serve. To a thief dying on a cross, moments left before he is judged and sent to an eternity in hell, Jesus offers grace. And once Jesus’ grace is accepted, Jesus says to the dying thief, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace…

But there comes a day when God’s grace-offer expires. That is the day of judgment. If you do not listen to me and follow my law … then I will make … and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace, but there comes a day!

There was a second thief dying on a cross. He, too, hung with Jesus but he refused to accept Jesus’ grace. Instead this second thief continued to heap insults on Jesus (Mt 27:44). He received no words of salvation. Sadly he died in his sin to face God’s judgment.

Judah in Jeremiah’s day chose not to accept God’s grace-appeal to turn and return.  Many died and the rest went into captivity in Babylon.

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace but there comes a day!

Have you accepted God’s offer of grace…???

Oh, Lord, thank You for grace. I pray for those who have not accepted it. I pray that they come to their senses and turn or return to You through faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

 

 

Thursday, January 26: Jeremiah 26- One more chance.

Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the LORD: "This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD's house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. Say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth'" (1-6)

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace, but there comes a day!

With all the finality of judgment that God has recently spoken in the preceding chapters, I was totally surprised to read these words. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent…

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace…

God’s heart beats for Judah (God’s heart beats for us) and He holds out one more opportunity to turn and return to Him. That’s the God I have come to know, love and serve. To a thief dying on a cross, moments left before he is judged and sent to an eternity in hell, Jesus offers grace. And once Jesus’ grace is accepted, Jesus says to the dying thief, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace…

But there comes a day when God’s grace-offer expires. That is the day of judgment. If you do not listen to me and follow my law … then I will make … and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace, but there comes a day!

There was a second thief dying on a cross. He, too, hung with Jesus but he refused to accept Jesus’ grace. Instead this second thief continued to heap insults on Jesus (Mt 27:44). He received no words of salvation. Sadly he died in his sin to face God’s judgment.

Judah in Jeremiah’s day chose not to accept God’s grace-appeal to turn and return.  Many died and the rest went into captivity in Babylon.

Grace upon grace… grace upon grace but there comes a day!

Have you accepted God’s offer of grace…???

Oh, Lord, thank You for grace. I pray for those who have not accepted it. I pray that they come to their senses and turn or return to You through faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

 

 

Wednesday, January 25: Jeremiah 25- A few brief stops.

My wife and I have driven Blue Ridge Parkway through Shenandoah National Park and portions of the Pacific Coast Highway in CA. Spectacular, both are incredible drives, the kind where you stop multiple times and take in views and maybe snap some photos…

Today’s reading was like that for me. There were a number of places where I paused to ponder a thought, a statement, something. I hope you find this morning drive through chapter 25 enlivening…

Verse 3: For twenty-three years … the word of the LORD has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. Twenty-three years! I thought about all those years of hard service, unfruitful ministry (no one listened) and still Jeremiah was faithful to God never wavering from his calling… That thought was worth the stop!

Verse 7: "But you did not listen to me," declares the LORD, "and you have provoked me with what your hands have made, and you have brought harm to yourselves." God gave ample opportunity for people to turn or return to Him. They refused. As I stood here and gazed into the text, I thought, “At the end of the day, we are responsible for our lives and what we do or don’t do with them…” You have brought harm to yourselves, says the Lord.

Verse 9: my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon…. My servant, Nebuchadnezzar? Certainly this pagan king did not believe in Yahweh. Then it hit me. Nebuchadnezzar was God’s servant because God was using him to be the instrument of God’s justice against Judah. I pondered the absolute sovereignty of the Lord who can use even pagan kings to do His bidding! Wow, we serve an amazing God!

Verse 12: But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt," declares the LORD, "and will make it desolate forever. God’s people get 70-years, Babylon desolate forever. It struck me this was the difference between discipline of His people and destruction of those who will not revere God as God. This opened many more vistas of contemplation. Too many to write here…

And so I spent a few minutes in many places. God speaking with and to me at each stop.

Lord, thank You for today’s journey. Varied and full. Lord, I never cease to wonder at Your greatness and Your variety. Each day with You is something new…a treasure, a delight and sometimes, often times, a correction.

Praise be to You, my Lord and my God! In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

 

 

Tuesday, January 24: Jeremiah 24- A prayer for those who have strayed.

My heart latched on to the imagery of good figs interpreted in verses 4-7: Then the word of the LORD came to me: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

God keeps His word. His people are His people. Yes, justice necessitates that judgment be rendered. Israel has strayed so far from the Lord that they don’t know where ‘home is.’ But even in judgment God keeps His covenant. Listen to the promise God makes to those bound to Babylon. My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

That is my prayer for all who stray… that God will bring them back, build them up, plant them [in the faith] and give them a heart to know the Lord.

There is a prayer for anyone who has a loved one or friend who has drifted from the Lord. Pray that God will bring them back, build them up, plant them [in the faith] and give them a heart to know Him and enjoy Him forever.

Oh, Lord, this morning we pray for fill in names of those you know. They have drifted from You. Lord, please bring them back to You, build them up, plant them in You and give them a heart to know You, Lord.

This is my cry and prayer, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

 

Monday, January 23: Jeremiah 23- Be careful how you live.

Verse 23-24: "Am I only a God nearby," declares the LORD, "and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD.

While Jeremiah was speaking God’s Words against the religious leaders –namely the prophets- the above two verses grabbed my attention. I was reminded of God’s absolute sovereignty. No one can fool God or hide from God or do things that God does not see.  No one, and that includes you and me. The prophets of Jeremiah’s day were living lies, but God knew.

As I sat and stared at these verses and spent my devotions, these words spoke to me. My life, 24/7/365 is known to God. I might be able to fool others, even fool myself, but I can never dupe or fool God. God knows who I am, what I think, what I say and do! God knows. And some day I will stand before God and give an account… an account that will include every careless word I have spoken (Matthew 12:36).

The Spirit’s reminder… “Be careful how you live…!!!”

Lord, as I sit today the passage reminds me how great a blessing the gift of forgiveness and mercy and atonement has been given in and through Jesus Christ. Thank You, Jesus, for Your life, death on the cross and resurrection. You have saved me and I rejoice…! Praise You. In Your name, I pray. Amen.

 

 

Saturday, January 21: Jeremiah 22- How your life foundation?.

Josiah was a good and faithful king, unfortunately his sons didn’t follow in his ways. Their evil ways led Jerusalem and Judah to destruction by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Today’s chapter is God’s judgment of Josiah’s sons. (I have attached a summary of the OT Kings to provide an overview of the men who ruled over Israel.)

In the midst of these judgments God spoke a word to Shallum which sparked my meditation for this morning. Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen work for nothing, not paying them for their labor (13).

Through this verse it felt like God was saying to me Woe to him who builds his life by unrighteousness, who makes his living by injustice.

This fall inaugurated the 2012 presidential race, particularly among Republicans seeking the party’s nomination. It has been a game of attrition. A number of the would-be front runners were knocked out of the race because life issues and integrity issues surfaced. Woe to him who builds his life by unrighteousness.

The last few years have seen too many monetary meltdowns often due to illicit, imprudent or down right illegal practices. Woe to him who makes his living by injustice. The Word from the Lord gives me pause to evaluate my life and my foundation…

Integrity or unrighteousness…?

Injustice or fairness…?

Shady business dealings or honesty…?

Selfishness or genuine care for those in need…?

As I set my course for 2012, there is much to evaluate and ponder here…

Oh, Lord, may my life and my dealings –large and small- be honorable before You who sees all things. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Friday, January 20: Jeremiah 21- Are you walking with the Lord?.

I hear it from many people, “God is a God of love. He won’t judge anyone. Everyone gets to heaven…” We so desperately want to believe everything turns out well in the end for everyone. We like happy endings. And of course we want to believe that everything will be okay for us and our loved ones, no matter how they have lived or what their mouths have professed during their lives.

Today’s reading should put an end to that kind of thinking ….

Asked by the king if Jerusalem will survive the impending attack of Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah responds on behalf of the Lord, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city. I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in anger and fury and great wrath. I will strike down those who live in this city--both men and animals--and they will die of a terrible plague. After that, declares the LORD, I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion' (4-7).

The essence of God’s response is “No, Zedekiah, I am going to destroy Jerusalem. Jerusalem will not receive my mercy. Instead this is the time for my judgment.”

As hard as it is to read these words and think about what they mean, they give me pause because they show there will come a time when God will judge the sins and wrongs and evils of our lives.

Before you close your time with the Word, spend a few minutes assessing your life. Are you walking with God or not? There will come a day when you and I will stand before the Lord God Almighty and answer to Him. Think about it…

Jesus, my Lord and Savior, save me from the day of God’s wrath. Cover me in your righteousness so that I will live. Help me to proclaim Your name all the days of my life so that others will know that faith in You is the way of salvation. In Your name, I pray. Amen.

 

 

Thursday, January 19: Jeremiah 20- Ticked at God.

Interesting, interesting thought I. “This is God’s Word?” came a second thought. Much of this chapter is a complaint, a whine from Jeremiah, against the Lord. Why?  Because what God has compelled him to do has brought hardship and insult. Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long (8).

When it comes to ministry callings Jeremiah drew the short end of the stick. And the pain and hardship that he is encountering as he lives faithfully and discharges the duties God has laid upon him have him at a breaking point. And so he wails, and cries out against the Lord… O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me (7).

I find it intriguing that Jeremiah vents, and yet this time God does not respond. God remains quiet. I peeked at the next chapter; Jeremiah is back living faithfully….

Hmm, thoughts and emotions swirl. Some of my observations and thoughts:

1- Sometimes the call and life God has for us is filled with pain and hardship. Just because we are living in the center of God’s will does not mean life will be swell. This is a difficult concept for me and many Americans who are surrounded by and strive for prosperity…

2- I am reminded that the potter chooses the use and function of the clay pot… not the clay itself.

3- Venting to/at God is apparently okay when done appropriately. Jeremiah does not vent publically. He didn’t bring reproach on God’s name. But in his ‘bedroom’ he cried out honestly. Jeremiah is not hiding from God.  He is honest and real with the Lord.

4- God listened but didn’t respond. Sometimes no response is necessary. One thing my wife has taught me is that many times what she needs is a listening ear, not a response or my attempts to help. Just listen sincerely. God apparently did that…

Lord Jeremiah’s difficulties and pain are rich in meaning for me today. Thank You, Lord, for including Jeremiah’s complaint in Your Word. As for Your Word, it is powerful and helpful. Bless You, Lord God, for Your Word. Amen.

 

Wednesday, January 18: Jeremiah 19- Sacrifices.

Having had the opportunity to stand in Jerusalem and walk from the Temple Mount (the location of the Temple of Jeremiah’s day) down into the Hinnom Valley (where the sacrifices to Baal and the Tophets were offered), it struck me how close these two locations are to one another. Only a couple of minutes walk from one to the other…

I pictured the juxtaposition of these two sacrifices… on the Mount they sacrificed to Yahweh and in the valley a few minutes away they sacrificed to Baal. This became, for me, a picture of our two natures… on the one hand we serve the Lord and yet on the other, we have these pockets of sinfulness and selfishness.

Juxtaposed, sanctified, and sinful…

Oh Lord, I need Your help and mercy and grace. Help to overcome this pockets of sin in my life. Mercy for the sins I commit regularly and grace to move on and to grow and be transformed into the likeness of Jesus.

Praise be to You, Oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.

 

 

Tuesday, January 17: Jeremiah 18- The Potter's House.

I am captivated by the image of the potter working the clay. This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him (1-4).

Years ago a potter came to our church and preached while he turned a pot. He explained the process and demonstrated. It was a powerful moment for me and for most of us. After reading this chapter I went to ‘YouTube’ to find a potter/pottery video. I found this one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OJyPjSn5Ow). It runs about 6-7 minutes, no talking only soft background music while a potter throws a bowl. If you can, take the time to watch it…

Then the word of the LORD came to me: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it (5-10).

As I watched the video I thought the clay is me… the firm hands of the Lord are shaping me (you). He makes what He chooses… a pot, an urn, a cup… tableware, cookware, a urinal or a washbasin. The potter chooses, not the clay. And although this video didn’t demonstrate it, at any point in the process the potter can say, “I don’t care for what it is becoming”, so he presses the clay down to start over.

I sat and pondered me being formed in God’s hands, a video rolled in my mind…

Lord, thank You for forming me… whatever You make with me Lord is Your choice.

Lord, if I might ask one thing… make me useful. Make me to be something used, something needed to be helpful in building Your kingdom, Lord. I would rather be used, dirtied, worn, chipped, even eventually broken for Your kingdom’s sake than to be a curio in a cabinet, protected and safe but never handled and used.

Use me, Lord… use me.

Through Jesus my Savior, I pray. Amen.

 

Monday, January 16: Jeremiah 17- Personal Responsibility.

A few verses gave me pause to ponder. There was verse 4:

Through your own fault you will lose the inheritance I gave you. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for you have kindled my anger, and it will burn forever."

And verse 9:

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Another was verse 10:

"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

I could only write on one, since the words that jarred me most are the opening words of verse 4: Through your own fault you will lose…. The idea of personal responsibility is not a given these days. It seems everyone is attempting to find someone else to blame for almost everything. In traffic accidents it always seems to be “the other guy’s fault.” Doctors pay thousands and thousands for malpractice insurance. One miss-diagnosis and patients seek huge settlements. In my town, people were sledding down a town owned hill into a park. They had done it for years. That is until one dad with his son ran into the baseball field backstop, which had always been there at the bottom of the hill! He sued the town and won a 6 or 7 figure settlement for a broken leg and lost wages. I think he might have been a doctor. I guess he is not responsible for steering properly or maybe he should have moved 50 feet to the right so the backstop wasn’t in his path?

I could go on…

What I hear in this verse is that there will be none of this with the Lord. We will have to take responsibility for our lives and what we do with them, with respect to our walk and relationship with the Lord. God will hold us personally accountable for our lives and faith…

Hmmm… something to think about…

Lord, help me…

 

Saturday, January 14: Jeremiah 16- .

Are there worse words to hear than what the Lord said to Jeremiah regarding Judah? I have withdrawn my blessing, my love and my pity from this people (5). When my eyes lit on this sentence, I stopped reading for a moment, stunned by the weight of these words! I have withdrawn my blessing, my love and my pity from this people. Withdrawn blessing and love… my heart stopped. I cannot imagine a worse condition!?!

Oh, God, may it never be so in my life. May it never be so…

What grievous action would cause the Lord to do such a thing to His beloved covenant community? God anticipated people asking. "When you tell these people all this and they ask you, 'Why has the LORD decreed such a great disaster against us? What wrong have we done? What sin have we committed against the LORD our God?' then say to them, 'It is because your fathers forsook me,' declares the LORD, 'and followed other gods and served and worshiped them. They forsook me and did not keep my law. But you have behaved more wickedly than your fathers. See how each of you is following the stubbornness of his evil heart instead of obeying me. So I will throw you out of this land into a land neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor' (10-13). Generational rejection of the Lord…

But this is not God’s last Word. Immediately after the above, God offers hope… "However, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when men will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' but they will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' For I will restore them to the land I gave their forefathers (14-15).

God cannot and will not withdraw from His people forever. Days are coming," declares the LORD… My take-a-ways for today,

1)      If I remain faithful, I will not need to feel the fury of God’s withdrawal…

2)      Even when God punishes me for my sinfulness, days are coming when He will restore His hand of favor and blessing upon me.

Oh, Lord, I bow to You, my Lord and my God. I stand in awe that You have revealed Yourself to me and I confess my allegiance to You now and forever. I love and serve You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.

 

Friday, January 13: Jeremiah 15- A conversation with God.

Reading this chapter, it became clear that Jeremiah and the Lord were having a conversation about Jeremiah’s situation and the people to which he was called. Jeremiah complained, God listened and answered, Jeremiah responds, and then so does God.

It struck me… Jeremiah and God were having a conversation… People in the church talk about having a relationship with God and here we see evidence of one. The Almighty didn’t dispense with Jeremiah because he was merely a creature or because he complained about what God was doing to him. No, the Lord engaged Jeremiah. They dialogued.

Too often we think we have to be perfect before God.  However, Jeremiah complained and he whined. I hate it when my kids whine.  There is no sense in the text that God ‘approved’ of it. God eventually called Jeremiah to repent. But God didn’t dismiss Jeremiah because he spiraled into self pity either. God allowed Jeremiah to speak his peace as he could. God received it and dialoged with Jeremiah, eventually calling Jeremiah to his senses. So God didn’t approve but God allowed Jeremiah to work it through and God never stopped loving him in the process. That’s RELATIONSHIP!

I realized as I thought this through that the Lord offers the same to you and me. He offers us a relationship. We don’t have to be perfect (we can’t and won’t be!). God simply invites me to be real and honest. God can handle my foolishness and my sinfulness and my whininess and selfishness. As I am honest with God about the things in my life, God can move me –through love- to better places, more faith-filled places in my life.

Wow, that’s wonderful! God loves me and accepts me for who I am…

That’s a muse to ponder more throughout today.

Thank You, Lord God Almighty, for inviting me into a RELATIONSHIP with You. Thank you for inviting me to be real in that relationship. I don’t have to be a plastic “Christian” who lives as if I deny feelings and emotions as I live with You. No, You invite me to be honest. Thank You!

(Take some time to be honed with God right now…)

I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen

 

Thursday, January 12: Jeremiah 14- Are you listening.

We think of drought as a weather phenomenon, but for Israel and Judah rain was directly tied to their covenant with the Lord. Lush fertile soil fills parts of Israel, and yet there is no mighty river to feed these crops. The Jordan is actually a small river. Israel is dependant upon rain for crops to grow.  God promised, as part of His covenant with them when He brought them into the land, that if they were faithful He would provide the rain they needed. Deuteronomy 11:13-14 reads: So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today--to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul-- then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. So for Israel, drought was not merely a weather phenomenon, it was God speaking to them. Drought equaled God’s discipline.

This is important background for reading today’s chapter.  A severe drought, like they are experiencing, carried God’s Word of judgment. As God said about them in verse 10, "They greatly love to wander; they do not restrain their feet. So the LORD does not accept them; he will now remember their wickedness and punish them for their sins."

We do not have a covenant with God like ancient Israel did. We cannot say, “Oh, my a drought! What have we done to displease God?” But we have other ways to know what God expects of us. First and foremost we have the Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible. Also, God has given to all His people who follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit who is God with us, the comforter and counselor and empowerer of God’s people.

It is clear that Judah did not pay attention to God’s speaking to them through the drought. The Spirit’s whisper to me concerns paying attention, too. Am I (are you) paying attention to God’s Word and the nudges of the Holy Spirit or are we disregarding God’s communications to us like Judah did? Good question…

Lord, as I move through today, please help me to listen and pay attention to Your leadings and guidings. Help me to honor and live true to Your Word… In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Wednesday, January 11: Jeremiah 13- The danger or pride.

I first noticed ‘the word’ in verse 9. Something caused it to be highlighted as I read that verse, maybe because it appeared twice in one verse. The word popped up again in verse 17. The word is ‘PRIDE.’  

I was reminded of the Proverb 16:18: Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Unchecked pride can be a real spiritual problem.

Apparently pride was Judah’s problem. This is what the LORD says: 'In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem (9). Reading this chapter and remembering the proceeding ones, it seems that Judah had grown pride-full of her place with the Lord. Even though she was living faithlessly, she believed that the Lord would not let harm come to her. As God had protected her in years past, like when Assyria attacked under Hezekiah, God would protect her now.

Writing this it seems to make no sense but I have seen it. People become so ‘satisfied’ with a skill or ability or a relationship that they assume it means they are impervious to problems. Drivers become so secure in their ‘good driving’ ability that they grow careless and the next thing you know boom (!) an accident.

I see it in churches where people assume, ‘Hey I’m a member. I professed Christ x-years ago’. And yet their present living reflects no relationship with the Lord. I’ve seen people like this drift from regular worship. Membership on a roll is no a guarantee of eternal security.  Only a living relationship with Jesus Christ and the life of faith that results, is.

Pride was a significant part of Judah’s fall…

And so the Spirit whispers to me, “Bill, how’s your pride? Is it unchecked, growing too much? Remember, Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Lord, help me keep my pride in check… in and through Jesus, I pray. Amen.

 

Tuesday, January 10: Jeremiah 12- Is there mercy with God?.

Is there no mercy with God?

Day after day God’s anger has raged against Judah. Would God abandon His people forever? That thought haunted me. If I sin and deserve punishment will God’s rightful discipline last for ever?

Like a refreshing stream of cool water during a long arduous hike, the closing words of today’s chapter refreshed my soul.

This is what the LORD says: "As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the house of Judah from among them. But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to his own inheritance and his own country. And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, 'As surely as the LORD lives'--even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal--then they will be established among my people. But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it," declares the LORD (14-17).

To both Judah and her false-god following neighbors God says, after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back … And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, …then they will be established among my people.

There is mercy with God, if we, if anyone, turns to Him.

Turning to God brings mercy… that’s what I hear. Repenting and calling out to the Lord opens flood gates of compassion. Ahhh, my heart rejoices.

John, in his first letter in the NT, says this: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9).

Turn or return to God and find mercy…

Confess your sins to the Lord and find forgiveness…

Praise God from whom all blessings flow… Praise You Father, Son and Holy Spirit because Your love endures forever and Your mercy is without end. Praise You because You always welcome home the prodigal daughters and sons. Praise You for Jesus and His gift of grace and pardon and righteousness… when we turn to Him in faith. Ahh, my heart is refreshed this morning. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

Monday, January 9: Jeremiah 11-Personal Cost.

Throughout the last chapters I have wondered about Jeremiah and the emotional cost he experienced having to bring word of judgment after word of judgment. I could imagine that a call and task like that would bring heavy emotional toll. What I never considered was death threats and plots against his life. Toward the end of today’s reading, God reveals to Jeremiah that his life was in danger…

Because the LORD revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying, "Let us destroy the tree and its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more." But, O LORD Almighty, you who judge righteously and test the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause (18-20).

Reading this, I was struck by the tremendous toll on his life that obedience to God’s call required!

I want to follow the Lord, but I don’t really want it to be hard. I want people to respect me and like me but that is not always the case, and I live in the United States. I have friends serving Jesus around the world where cultures are hostile to Jesus and Christians and their lives are even in danger.

All of this musing reminds me that there are costs to following Jesus and doing what God would have us to do.

My life is not Jeremiah’s. God has not asked me to speak words of judgment to my nation. To the best of my knowledge, my life is not in danger but costs abound. I know people think that my beliefs are foolish. I carry strains with some in my denomination over which I may have to make certain stands that may not be understood or accepted and may cost. Following Jesus costs…

Lord, help me stand for You no matter the cost. This is my prayer today and every day. Lord, help me be faithful. I cannot do it on my own, help me be faithful. In Jesus’ name and for the honor of Your name, I pray. Amen.

 

 

Saturday, January 7: Jeremiah 10- The Maker of heaven and earth.

The Apostles’ Creed begins, I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth… For centuries followers of Jesus have affirmed this belief. Simple in language, foundational in content.

In this morning’s text God stakes His supremacy on the fact that He, God –the God of the Hebrews (and Christians), the Lord of hosts, the Lord Almighty, Yahweh, Jehovah- is the Maker of heaven and earth.

"Tell them this: 'These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.'"

But God made the earth by his power;

he founded the world by his wisdom

and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;

he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.

He sends lightning with the rain

and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;

every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.

His images are a fraud;

they have no breath in them.

They are worthless, the objects of mockery;

when their judgment comes, they will perish.

He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,

for he is the Maker of all things,

including Israel, the tribe of his inheritance—

the LORD Almighty is his name. (11-16)

I settled in and meditated on the Lord as Creator.  It truly is powerful and foundational.

The God who has called me, whom I serve and love, is the Maker, Creator of heaven and earth… all that is visible and invisible.

Why would I want to serve any lesser being/person/thing? Whom else would I want to serve?

Lord God Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, all that is seen and unseen, I gratefully and unreservedly serve You. Thank You for the privilege of knowing and serving You. I pledge myself to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.