Your Choices Show Your True Character

Jeremiah 40:5-6 -  However, before Jeremiah turned to go, Nebuzaradan added, "Go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the towns of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please." Then the commander gave him provisions and a present and let him go.  So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.

 

The Babylonian king had searched Jeremiah out among the captives. He declared the truth of Jeremiah’s prophecies and gave honor to God for the victory of his army.  Then he set Jeremiah free.  Jeremiah could have gone anywhere.  He was even offered a comfortable place in Babylon…protected and cared for by the king.

 

Jeremiah chose to go back to a hard life with the remnant of poorest Jews that had been left to care for the land.  The king gave him provisions…and extra money to serve as a gift…then told him to search out the commander he had left in charge in Judah.  I am sure that he was not welcomed back with tears of joy...but rather looks of judgment and concern.

 

Jesus modeled for us this concept too.  When the easy choice was to run and hide from the nails that would help him save the world…he chose to let his father’s love give him the courage and strength that he needed to finish God’s plan for his life.

 

It is a reminder to me that the choices we make in the hardest times of our life show our true character. The easiest choice is not always the right choice.  Sometimes it is the harder path that shows our loyalty to God.  Jeremiah chose to continue to be loyal to God…..even though the life he would have would be full of new doubts and concerns. He resisted a cushy life of ease …cared for by the king… at a time when I am sure he prayed for rest and peace.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that loving you means always considering what is right over what is comfortable and easy. Forgive me for the times that I let my tiredness and confusion make my decisions.  Help me to always consider what you want me to do…then give me the strength and wisdom to carry through with your plans. Amen.

Live By Faith...Not By Fear

Jeremiah 39:16-17 -   "Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite, 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes.  But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be handed over to those you fear.

 

The prophecy of God came full circle and the city wall was breeched.  The city was destroyed…and the king was made to watch all his family die.  Then they blinded him and carried him away to be held captive in Babylon. God saved Jeremiah by having the Babylonian king put a protective order over him…as Jeremiah carried one last message to the Ethiopian who had saved his life.

 

Jeremiah…who lived a life of persecution and much trouble….was saved by his great faith and obedience to what God told him to do. He was allowed to live out the remainder of his life with the few poor Jews that had been left in Juda to farm the land for the king. The richest were all carried away to Babylon….a sort of poetic justice.

 

The king was destroyed by his own fear. He let fear so consume his heart that he never once considered that Jeremiah’s words from God could save him. In fact…he did everything he could to disprove them. His end happened exactly the way God had said it would…oh how he must have wondered how different it would have been if he had listened before it as too late.

 

Many of God’s hardest prophecies have yet to come.  The end of the world as we know it is closer than it has ever been. Those of us…that allow fear to drive our actions….will find those fears playing out even worse than we imagined them.  Those of us that choose to live by faith…and stand strong as Jeremiah did…will eventually be saved by our obedience to God. It won’t always be easy…but it will pay off in the end. 

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you have made a way for me to escape the darkest hours of the world. It will get worse before God lets his plan to completely end evil come full circle. Forgive me for the times that I have let fear overcome my heart and let it prevent me from doing what you needed me to do. Help me to live more by the faith you planted in my heart when you saved me….let it grow and take over when life gets rough and threatens my faith in you. Amen.

God's Plans Are Not Meant To Win Popularity Contests

Jeremiah 38:19-20 -  King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me."  "They will not hand you over," Jeremiah replied. "Obey the LORD by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared.

 

The king had led his people into a great time of confusion.  He had no real direction in his life…so the people had none in theirs either. He didn’t want to believe the one person who really knew the direction God wanted him to take…so he began to do anything anyone brought to him as an idea in hopes that something would work.

 

Jeremiah caught the brunt of the people’s frustration…and ended up at the bottom of a cistern full of mud. But a good Ethiopian pleaded for his life to the king and even comforted his removal from the deep well by sending some old rags down with the ropes to pad his arms.

 

Here’s what really impressed me about Jeremiah’s faith at this time in his life when he was constantly attacked and saw little or no fruit from the messages God had him deliver.  When confronted in a private …protected time with the king….he continued to tell the whole truth.  He even tried to comfort this ‘wishy washy’ king who could not make up his mind what to do.

 

There are times when we will want to please those that seem to have the greatest influence on our futures….but that is not always the long term answer to our problems. Sometimes we have to choose to follow the will of God…even if the outcome doesn’t look like the 5 year plans we had mapped out for ourselves. Sometimes….and if we are really honest…God’s plans will not win us any popularity contests…or earn us any world fame.  But they will benefit the most people in the long run…where God’s plans to save the most people he can from a life of eternal suffering are really what matters. And what is really cool is that God will protect us and cover us throughout any storm that we have to walk through to do his will.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I only need to worry about pleasing you. Forgive me for the times I have let the call to be politically correct make a decision that was not your will.  Help me to be more like Jeremiah...and let my confidence in your word lead me to do what is right in your eyes….so you can help more people to understand the love you have for all of us. Thank you for all the times you have covered me…and given me strength…even when I made the wrong decision.  Help me to focus more on you so I can determine your will more quickly. Amen.

Your Relationship With God Is Full Time

Jeremiah 37:2-3 - Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the LORD had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.  King Zedekiah, however, sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah with the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah the prophet with this message: "Please pray to the LORD our God for us."

 

God had been telling them for a long time that the only way to stop Babylon from taking over the city was to repent and begin to worship him again.  They had turned a deaf ear to everything God had told them…and continued to do whatever they wanted. But when things got really bad…they sent a message to Jeremiah to pray to God for them.

 

Jeremiah was told to tell the king that things had not changed…and Babylon was still going to take over the city.  Then he left Jerusalem to go visit some of the tribe of Benjamin. The king called him a traitor…believing he was going to go join the Babylonians. He refused to believe Jeremiah and had him thrown in a dark dungeon under an official’s house.

 

Even in the dungeon…the king continued to ask Jeremiah in private….what God’s new messages might be. But Jeremiah still told the truth…knowing that he might end up being thrown back in the terrible dungeon.

 

The king in the story reminds me of how I get sometimes.  My selfish nature takes over…my Bible study time shortens…life distracts me from taking time to really pray in a focused way about anything other than what is brought to my attention that day. I let life make more of my decisions than I do God…and when I finally realize how long it’s been since I had had a good …long….talk with God….things have gotten a bit out of control.

 

We want all of God’s blessings…but we don’t always want to do anything to have them. We conjure up in our heads that following his complete will is crazy…or radical….or too much work. Instead of using faith to just go ahead and do what God has told us is right…we let life direct us to long in the wrong direction.

 

I am realizing that it takes more strength and energy to turn around and fix the mistakes I made than to have just gone ahead and done it the way God wanted in the first place. How many times have I made God gently shake his head at my disbelief…and ignored his words that I need more faith. I need to be more like Daniel….the boy he raises up later in this story.  God told him in Daniel 10:12… “Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.” God is right beside me…he has been there since the day I asked him to live in my heart. He has a plan…and I keep messing it up.  I need to just let go and let him do what he needs to do…so he doesn’t have to keep forgiving me for messing it up.

 

Father…thank you for reminding me that I need to be more consistent in my relationship with you. Forgive me for letting life unfocus my heart and mind off of your purposes and plan for me. Help me to find a way to let you direct my ways more than the worries of the day I experience. Show me how to use my time more wisely to search for you and do the things you have planned for me to do to help others. Take me deeper into your word than ever before…and let my prayers take longer and be more focused on asking  you to intercede for the needs of others around me. Amen.

God's Word Will Never Be Destroyed

Jeremiah 36:26-28 -  Then the king commanded his son Jerahmeel, Seraiah son of Azriel, and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah. But the LORD had hidden them.  After the king had burned Jeremiah's scroll, the LORD gave Jeremiah another message. He said,  "Get another scroll, and write everything again just as you did on the scroll King Jehoiakim burned.

 

Jeremiah had been told to write down all the things God had told him about the future. God wanted everyone to hear the complete recording…to help them see the bleak future they would have if they did not repent so God could forgive them. Jeremiah picked his friend and secretary Baruch to write it all down as he dictated the words he had heard from God.

 

When they were through….Jeremiah picked the fasting period of December when the Temple would be full of worshipers….and sent him to there to read it.  Many officials heard it and were so frightened they decided the king should hear it too.  The king was so frightened…he burned it piece by piece in his fireplace after it was read.

 

God had hid Jeremiah and Baruch from danger and simply had them record the messages again…and even add some harsh new words for the king who had dared to burn God’s words…thinking that burning them would keep them from coming true.

 

It is a reminder to me that God’s word will stand forever…no matter what man does to try and alter it…lessen its message…or prevent others from seeing the truth. This truth is recorded more than one place in God’s word. Psalm 119:89 says…. “ Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”  1 Peter 1:25 says …. “but the word of the Lord endures forever." And this is the word that was preached to you.”  These claims are based on Isaiah 40:8 which states…. “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever."

 

It is also a reminder to me that when I am doing God’s will he will protect and cover me. My job is to be obedient…he will take care of the rest. He can use me in locked up prison…he will send me a secretary if I cannot read or write…and he will give me the wisdom to know how to do everything he asks me to do and the resources to do it with. I can run like Jonah…but eventually he will work out his plan…whether I choose to be a part of the blessing or not.

 

Father… thank you for the reminder that your word cannot be destroyed.  Forgive me if I have ever tried to ignore or discount what you have said.  Help me to have the courage and faith of Jeremiah…and allow you to use me like Baruch….to simply speak what you want spoken. Help me be one of the few people who listen to your words and always ask your forgiveness when they speak of things I have done wrong.  Help me rest in your protection and love when you ask me to do something that only I understand. Amen.

Say No...With Love And Kindness

Jeremiah 35:5-7 -  I set cups and jugs of wine before them and invited them to have a drink,  but they refused. "No," they said. "We don't drink wine, because Jehonadab son of Recab, our ancestor, gave us this command: 'You and your descendants must never drink wine.  And do not build houses or plant crops or vineyards, but always live in tents. If you follow these commands, you will live long, good lives in the land.'

 

Jeremiah had been told by God to invite a clan of people to the Temple and serve them wine. He knew that these Recabites had taken a serious oath to never drink….and had kept their promise for hundreds of years… through several generations.   God wanted to use their obedience and faith in the promise of God as a model for the rest of the Israelites. He wanted them to know that it was possible to make a promise and keep it forever.

 

When we take God into our heart…he changes the passion we have for things that are not his will. The basic ten commandments are written on our heart…and we are supposed to use them to make all our other decisions. Our relationships with others should change and be less selfish.  The passion he planted deep within us to keep those rules…should power our ability to say no to the things we know are not his will.

 

The road map he gave us is clear…our heart just has trouble staying focused in a world where everyone hasn’t made the same promises to God. We have dissected the Bible…and twisted the rules so many times that even for the strongest Christian…they seem blurry and imprecise. Sometimes the problem isn’t saying no…it is what to say no too. Sometimes the problem isn’t always what to say no too…it’s how to say no without hurting someone else’s feelings….or telling them you think their theology is not in line with the Bible.

 

The story reminds me this morning that love must rule everything we do. The Racabites did not go into a frenzy on Jeremiah for having wine in the Temple.  They did not try to force their promise onto him.   They politely said…no thanks…and explained why they could not join him in a drink. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 says…. “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud  or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.”

 

Father…thank you for reminding me to revisit the promises I made to you in my lifetime…and make sure that I am keeping those vows to you pure.  Forgive me for all the times that I have broken my promise and help me to search deep in my heart for the ones I need to ask you for a do over.  Thank you also for reminding me that I was the one who made the promise…that when I say no thank you…my words must model your love and patience with others who have not made the same vows. Show me how to be less condemning and more patient and kind.  Amen.

No Take Backs

Jeremiah 34:15-16 - Recently you repented and did what was right, following my command. You freed your slaves and made a solemn covenant with me in my Temple. But now you have shrugged off your oath and defiled my name by taking back the men and women you had freed, making them slaves once again."

 

The king had finally got it…and took Jeremiah seriously.  The city was under attack…they saw no other way to save themselves but give in and obey God. And God rewarded their obedience by lessening the pressure they felt by the war with Babylon. They became so confident in themselves again that they took back their word and began to disobey God again.

 

The problem was that their change of heart was just a surface feeling.   It was a move of the heart just to ease their situation.  It did not change the core of what they believed…. it just scared them enough to make a concession for a short while.  In the Temple they were all…I’m sorry and I will change…but at home and at work they did what they wanted.

 

The changes that God wants to make in us have to be permanent. We can’t let the reward of good times in our lives allow us to think that we can live the way we used too.  The altars we make promises to God on our knees are not to be left at the church.  God wants those promises to become permanent parts of our lives that change our behavior everywhere we go…..every day of our lives….forever.

 

Father…thank you for reminding me that my commitment to you was forever. Forgive me for the times I have let the goodness of life tempt me to let my promises to you slip in importance.  Help me to wake each morning with a sense of how everything I am is because you saved me….and let that love keep me more in tune with what you need me to do for you that day.  Amen.

God's Greatest Promise Is Yet To Come

Jeremiah 33:1-3 -  While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the LORD gave him this second message: "The LORD, the Maker of the heavens and earth -- the LORD is his name -- says this:  Ask me and I will tell you some remarkable secrets about what is going to happen here.

 

Jeremiah…lifelong servant and prophet of God….sitting in jail for being obedient…still listened intently to the words of God that came to his ear.  God continually restored his hope in the future with tidbits of goodness throughout the time that God allowed him to be confined. 

 

It must have brought so much hope to his heart to know some of the secrets of what was to happen in the future.  So much of Jeremiah’s life was filled with delivering words of judgment and sorrow ….that these words during his imprisonment must hast been like rain after a long drought. God shared with him some of the amazing things that God had in store for rebuilding Jerusalem.  He shared with Jeremiah in a small way the plans he had for saving the whole world.

 

It reminds me that no matter how bad things get in our life….we are promised new hope for the future if we keep our eyes on God. It reminds me that God always entertains the question… “Ask me and I will tell you some remarkable secrets about what is going to happen here?”

 

I call those moments ‘God Winks.’  They come in God’s perfect timing….a glimpse of the good we have done…or the life we may have touched for God. They may be an unexpected compliment.  They may be a comment on a post that touched someone…that you thought had no meaning.  They may be the student you didn’t teach at all recognizing you while shopping and telling you how wonderful they heard you were as a teacher. They all bring a smile to your face…and deposit just enough strength and joy to keep you going till God has brought you through the struggle you are facing.

 

Revelation is full of the greatest ‘God winks’ of all.  The best is yet to come!  God’s greatest promise has yet to be brought into being.  He is coming back…and if I finish my race here on earth before he comes back I will meet him in heaven and get to watch it from the best stadium ever built.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you are planning the best future for all of us who chose to believe.  Forgive me for letting  life sometimes weigh me down with things that really don’t matter.  Help me keep my eyes on you and run my race like Paul…just to finish….and make you proud of the times I have gotten it right.  Help me to get it right more often….so I notice more of those ‘God winks’ you send to show me the good you help me do when I am listening.  Amen.

Nothing Is Too Hard For God

Jeremiah 32:14-17 - "The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take both this sealed deed and the unsealed copy, and put them into a pottery jar to preserve them for a long time.  For the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Someday people will again own property here in this land and will buy and sell houses and vineyards and fields."  Then after I had given the papers to Baruch, I prayed to the LORD: "O Sovereign LORD! You have made the heavens and earth by your great power. Nothing is too hard for you!

 

Jeremiah had been put in prison for continuing to speak the words of God. The king couldn’t deal with the fact that he was going to lose his city…and thought imprisoning the prophet would shut him up while he fought off Babylon’s army.  But the city was quickly losing to Babylon…and Jeremiah’s prophecy was coming true.

 

God spoke to him in prison…and told him to buy some land inside the city from his cousin. God told him to protect the deeds and paperwork for the land in jars of clay….so they would survive the long period of time that Jerusalem would be run by Babylon. So Jeremiah did as he was told…even though the land would be worthless for the 70 years that it was owned by a foreign army.

 

Jeremiah trusted God enough to do what seemed to be a moot point. He obeyed quickly….bought the land…put it in the jars of clay just as he was told.  He trusted the words that God was going to bring back his people…and the land he was told to buy would still belong to him …or even his children…when they returned.

 

I admit that I have trouble following the things that I am told to do…even when I can see them.  But Jeremiah seemed to have no trouble following these orders…knowing that God was letting his newly bought land be controlled by someone else…for at least 70 years. He falls in line with the other greats from the Bible.  There was David…who was told as a child he would be king…but suffered and waited many years to take the throne.  Even the great leader Moses…had to wonder as he listened to God out of a burning bush...just how he was going to lead the people he left so many years ago to freedom with just a stick.

 

This story reminds me that nothing is too hard for God.  His plans hardly ever work themselves out the way our human mind places the scenario. I have to keep going …even when it seems useless to my human heart and mind…cause God will do what he says.  God has tucked something wonderful in a jar of clay for me to open ….when he decides it is time.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  There are so many parts  of my being that I do not understand…but you made each one for a purpose…even when I can’t see it myself.   Help me to trust you more…to cling to your promise…instead of always needing to see a glimpse like Thomas.  Help me to hear clearly what I need to put in my clay jars for the future that you have planned for me.  Amen

Let God Restore And Build You Up

Jeremiah 31:25-28 - For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing."  At this, I woke up and looked around. My sleep had been very sweet. "The time will come," says the LORD, "when I will greatly increase the population and multiply the number of cattle here in Israel and Judah.  In the past I uprooted and tore down this nation. I overthrew it, destroyed it, and brought disaster upon it. But in the future I will plant it and build it up," says the LORD.

 

Jeremiah had been sleeping… or perhaps it was just a short trance….a quick vision.  God had given him a picture of restoration….a time of building up all that he had used to discipline his people.  He woke with such a sweet feeling in his spirit…he felt renewed…unbothered by all the craziness that God had allowed in his life. He could feel the hope in his soul that God was bringing someday to the land.

 

He listened as God described the time when all would realize that God is the only hope. He listened as God described how all people would have a chance to come to know him and be a part of his remnant of believers. He listened as God renewed his promise of everlasting love…no matter what it took to accomplish it.

 

God described the coming of his son…the Messiah…who would give his life for the sins of the world. He described the time when all would have an opportunity to love and know him personally through the love of his son.  He described a time when all people would have an opportunity to feel the hope that Jeremiah felt.

 

There is just one thing. God’s hope cannot be felt by our heart until we grasp the truth that we are sinners and need to repent of every sin in our life. God’s hope is reserved for those that have promised to give their lives to God…and try to follow his perfect will with all their heart and all their soul…and all their mind.

 

It is then that God begins the long process tearing down all the habits and hurts and habits that WE used to live our lives.  He slowly…and sometimes painfully …removes the bad. Then he replaces it with all the things that we need to find and do his perfect will. He adds in a dose of his perfect peace…a bit of patience…and overdoses us with joy and restoration. It is then that even when he needs to remove something else from our lives…that we accept it…even if we haven’t gotten to the point that we understand.

 

What a great reminder that God has so much more planned for us than we could ever imagine. We just have to trust his decisions…his timing…and his soft voice as he gives us directions.  We have to accept the process of transformation….and just let God do what he needs to do to make us into who HE needs us to be.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I am only as good as I let you make me.   Forgive me for the times that I have whined and complained and asked way too many questions…with way too much of an accusation tone of voice. Thank you for not letting that stop you from chasing after me…and helping me see that it is my sin that holds me back from finding your restoration and joy. Help me to accept and trust the work you do in my life each day that is trying to get me where you need me to be. Help me listen and trust you more and more each moment to restore and give me the greatest joy…a joy that even my brain can’t imagine.  Amen.

Let God Work Your Puzzle....In His Timing

Jeremiah 30:22-24 -  You will be my people, and I will be your God."  Look! The LORD's anger bursts out like a storm, a driving wind that swirls down on the heads of the wicked.  The fierce anger of the LORD will not diminish until it has finished all his plans. In the days to come, you will understand all this.

 

Jeremiah had been told to write down all of the things that God had revealed to him about his people’s future. Even though many of God’s words had been words of punishment…these last words were words of restoration and hope. They gave the people a glimpse at the much different timeline of God.

 

Those last words….in the days to come, you will understand….stuck in my soul last night when I read them.  I thought of the words recorded in 1 Corinthians 13:12 …now we see dimly.  The King James version of the Bible reads… “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

 

We are just not supposed to know everything there is to know while we live on this temporary home.  God has the puzzle pieces…and he has the perfect plan for putting them all together. While we are asked to stay here on Earth….all we are supposed to do is ask him to help us find the next piece of the puzzle. And when we find that one…we need to ask him for the next one. 

 

I believe that if we follow that perfect will for our lives…and we find all the puzzle pieces in the right order….that when the last one is put in place…we will receive our call to come join him in our permanent home. That crossing over…that moment of passing….will reveal all we needed to know.  In that moment that we get to shake God’s hand…or hug him personally for the first time….or fall at his feet in awe of his holiness…that we just won’t care about any questions we had before that moment.

 

The best that we can do on this Earth is ask God for a huge dose of that peace that surpasses all understanding that Paul talked about in Philippians 4:7.  I love the words of the New Living Translation the best…. “Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” 

 

This peace….God’s perfect peace is what makes the first few words of the prayer for Serenity so special and meaningful to me.  ……. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”  This helps me to live one day at a time…and make the days he asks me to live on Earth more meaningful and happy….till I get to experience supreme happiness with him. These words are what makes this moment the best moment I have …and to want to use it to share God’s love with others…every day.

 

Father…I thank you for the reminder that you have a plan…that your plan is perfectly timed…and I have no concept of what your timing really is.  Forgive me for the times that I run ahead of you….looked for puzzle pieces out of order…or tried to fit my own piece into a space you had reserved for something else. Help me to savor each and every day you grant me here on earth…to take them one day at a time.  Help me pray every day for peace….so I can accept….change…and use your love and wisdom to make all my decisions every day.  Amen.

God's Plans Are Always For Good

Jeremiah 29:10-13 -  "The truth is that you will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.  For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen.  If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me.

 

Most of the leaders and important figures of the city had been carried away to Babylon …but somehow Jeremiah had been left behind.  Even though he was not with them…God still continued to use him to deliver his words by letter. 

 

His words began with devastating news….at least 70 years of exile was ahead of them. But his message from God held a hope for good things.  For God’s plans…though long in the process….were to make them again a great nation….a nation that depended on God again with their whole being.

 

I read the whole story with the biggest smile last night….and I am still smiling this morning as I think of God’s plans for my own future.  I may have seen trouble in my 55 years…but this set of verses has been a favorite promise of mine for at least the last 5 years. It reminds me to keep my focus on God...to seek him with all that I have…so I can find him no matter what happens. Because at some point…if I don’t give up…God has plans to give me my heart’s desire.  

 

It is a great reminder to me each day that God wants us to move ahead in our lives….despite the struggles that he allows in our lives.  The struggles we go through are meant to make us stronger people…to train us how to help others.   He calls us to bloom where we are planted….not give up and let life shrivel our faith to nothing.  He calls for us to pray through our troubles…even praying for those that may have caused it….so our troubles can become a part of the past that shaped us…not the part of our lives that broke our spirit.

 

I admit that it is hard to wait on God’s timing.   I admit that I fail every day…at least once….to depend on God for something.  But then these verses come to my mind…and I am reminded look up for strength… to stop my pity party…and let God just do what God needs to do.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you have great plans for me.   Forgive me for the times that I try to manipulate your future for me…and get impatient. Help me to wait on you…to search for you with my whole heart….so you can give me the pieces of the puzzle that will eventually fit into the desire of my heart.  Give me new strength to wait…and use what I have in this moment to bloom where you have me right now…and learn the important things you need me to have to follow your perfect will.  Amen.

Be careful What You Believe

Jeremiah 28:7-9 -  But listen now to the solemn words I speak to you in the presence of all these people.  The ancient prophets who preceded you and me spoke against many nations, always warning of war, famine, and disease.  So a prophet who predicts peace must carry the burden of proof. Only when his predictions come true can it be known that he is really from the LORD."

 

A man named Hananiah….who claimed to be a prophet of God….rose up and gave the people words of hope.  His words promised that the captivity they would suffer would only last 2 years…and the holy things taken from the Temple would all be returned.

 

The words were wonderful words…and even Jeremiah wished they were true.  But Jeremiah wisely reminded him ….in the presence of the people ….that no one had proof he was telling the truth until his words came true.  Since God wasn’t there to confirm them…they would all just have to wait and see.

 

It wasn’t long before Jeremiah’s doubts were confirmed and God gave him a message for the false prophet Hananiah.  God had not sent him.  His words were all lies.  Hananiah would die as a punishment for bringing false hope to a people that God had other plans for.

 

The lesson for me this morning is to be very careful with what others say to me.  Though many may offer advice and wisdom….not all people have been given these words from God. There is nothing wrong with wanting someone’s words to be true….but sometimes only time will reveal the truth of the matter. I need to always take the advice I am given and place it before God….to ask him to confirm it…or help me see its falsehoods.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder to be careful with the advice I receive from others.  Forgive me for the times that I have not spent time checking what they have said with you…and moved to fast into what I thought was the right thing to do.  Help me to always stop and pray….and seek confirmation through your word for any plans I make for my future. Show me …like you did…Jeremiah…what is the truth quickly so I can always stay in the center of your will.  Amen.

The Truth Can Be Hard To Say Sometimes

Jeremiah 27:4-6 -  Give them this message for their masters: 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says:  By my great power I have made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose.  Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.

 

Jeremiah had to deliver a message that seemed very out of place.  God was fixing to hand over all the nations to king Nebuchadnezzar….a foreign king that ruled Babylon. God was going to use this foreign king to punish his people for not keeping their covenant with God. Jeremiah’s words seemed to be completely crazy.

 

Many false prophets were telling the people exactly what they wanted to hear.  They spoke in God’s name…..and told complete lies. They were easier to believe…and allowed the people to keep justifying the sin that had crept into their lives. Instead of accept Jeremiah and his true words from God… let his words transform them….they called him crazy and believed the lies of the false prophets.

 

Jeremiah was the brave one…who told the truth…..the truth that most people did not want to hear.  It is a reminder to me to always tell the truth…even when it is not what my friends want to hear.  It is a reminder that a true friend never buffers a situation with a lie…just to make it more bearable.  A true friend tells the truth…so the pain can be dealt with….so God can begin the healing…so God can give them the strength they need to transform and get rid of the sin that separated them from God in the first place.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to always make sure that I have asked you what the truth is. Forgive me for not always seeking your counsel in prayer…researching an answer in your Bible…or asking those that have known you longer than I for advice.  Help me to stand on the truth that I find…even when it goes against what the majority says….even when false teachers have said otherwise.  Amen.

Worry Less....Help More

Jeremiah 26:12-13 and 24  -  Then Jeremiah spoke in his own defense. "The LORD sent me to prophesy against this Temple and this city," he said. "The LORD gave me every word that I have spoken.  But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey the LORD your God, he will cancel this disaster that he has announced against you.

--- Ahikam son of Shaphan also stood with Jeremiah and persuaded the court not to turn him over to the mob to be killed.

 

It was one of Jeremiah’s darkest times.  He had done exactly what God had told him….spoke every single word he had been told to say.  But the crowd went haywire…formed a mob…and began to make plans to kill him. They would rather kill the messenger than change their lives.

 

The outcome looked grim for Jeremiah until some of the wiser elders of the church reminded the people that God had used Micah long ago to speak much the same thing.  Then a single man named Ahikam stood with Jeremiah and finally persuaded the mob to not kill him.

 

It is a reminder to me that when we are obedient…God will send us someone to stand with us and give us the support we need.  If he asks us to do something…and we do it….he will always provide what we need to get it done. God simply wasn’t through with Jeremiah yet….so he sent Ahikam to be his shield.

 

It’s also a reminder to me that I might be called to be an ‘Ahikam.’  God can give me the courage and strength I need to stand up for what is right when I see an obvious injustice around me. I might be the only one around some poor soul at his worst…to show the light of God….to give them just enough support to keep going till God has worked all he wants to work in their life.

 

Father…thank you for this reminder that you will always send to me exactly what I need…when I need it. Forgive me for the times that I have given up and not waited for you to work you bigger plan. Help me to be less worried about when and how you are going to help me…so you can use me to help others more often.  Amen.

Let Trouble Cultivate A New Faith

Jeremiah 25:4-5 -  "Again and again, the LORD has sent you his prophets, but you have not listened or even tried to hear.  Each time the message was this: 'Turn from the evil road you are traveling and from the evil things you are doing. Only then will I let you live in this land that the LORD gave to you and your ancestors forever.

 

Jeremiah said what God told him to say for 23 years.  The message was always the same….turn from the evil they had fallen into and return whole heartedly to God. God even sent other prophets too….but they never listened.  So God was about to put them in captivity for 70 years.

 

It would be a time for them to relearn what it meant to be a child of God. God would use this time of oppression to strengthen and form the faith he needed them to have as his people. He would use this time to teach them what being his child was really about.

 

70 years….7 decades….long enough for the oldest to die and the youngest to grow into these adults places.  Long enough for young men like Daniel to show the king of Babylon just what following the rules of God would do to strengthen the body mind and soul of those who worshiped him.  

 

The strength of these young men under Daniel’s leadership changed the nature of all the people.  They learned to cling to God under bad circumstances….and let God be the one in control. Because of Daniel’s faith…..mighty miracles were once again shown to declare the power of God.

 

I need that kind of faith.  I admit that I sure don’t have it….and don’t want to be put in captivity for God to cultivate it in me. Perhaps if I look at Daniels model of prayer…how Daniel cared for the health of his body….and declare to use a stronger resolve to say no to the things I know will lead me down the wrong path…God can make me as strong as this young man was.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to cultivate a stronger faith in you.  Thank you for recording the stories of Jeremiah and Daniel to give me great examples of perseverance and resolve. Forgive me for the times that I have given up just before I got the lesson you needed me to get…and help me to persevere till I have learned what you need me to learn.  Help me love you so deeply that I can say no to anything that might pull me away from that love.  Amen.

Trouble Can Be A Blessing

Jeremiah 24:6-7 -  I have sent them into captivity for their own good. I will see that they are well treated, and I will bring them back here again. I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not uproot them.  I will give them hearts that will recognize me as the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly."

 

God had given Jeremiah a vision of two baskets of figs at the Temple doors.  One basket was the perfect ripeness…perfect fruit in every way. It was ready to nourish anyone who ate it.  The other basket was rotted….molded…and would make anyone sick that ate it.  God told him that these represented the two groups of people that said they followed God at that time.

 

It goes without saying that the rotten basket of figs represented the people that had left God’s care.  They knew who God was but did not follow his ways anymore.  They even ran to Egypt and hid from him.  God was going to let these leaders and all the people who had followed them to rot like those figs in their own bad decisions.

 

But the second basket of figs represented the people who had been taken into captivity in Babylon.  God allowed them to be strengthened in this time….to come to know him as a provider again.  He used a young man named Daniel to show how an unwavering faith…prayer…and following all the covenant rules that Moses had given them….could bring them through this time of hardship.

 

Trouble can be a blessing if we let it teach us how to be stronger….if we call on God to help us through it…to provide for us the things we need to strengthen us. Just like God used the time in Babylon to teach his people to follow him with their whole hearts…he can use our times of struggle to teach us to depend completely on him. Jesus told us himself in Matthew 22:37 the secret to an unwavering strength in him..  …. “Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

 

Father…..thank you for the reminder that when I think I am in trouble…you are allowing something in my life to make me stronger in you. Forgive me for the times that I threw my hands up in despair and let go of your hands.  Help me to hold even tighter…like Daniel…and learn what you need me to learn from the struggle you have allowed in my life.  Teach me how to believe in you with all my heart and soul and mind.  Amen.

We Are All Leaders...Think Responsible

Jeremiah 23:1-2 -  "I will send disaster upon the leaders of my people -- the shepherds of my sheep -- for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for," says the LORD. This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds: "Instead of leading my flock to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them.

 

Jeremiah was sent to speak some harsh words to the leaders of God’s people who had led them the wrong way.  They had the people believing that God condoned adultery…wasting the land for pure profit…worshiping idols…sacrificing their children to gods like Baal…and just plain being dishonest to gain an advantage over anyone that had what they wanted.  God’s words were clear…he had had enough…they would be judged harshly.

 

At first reading I thought of the crazy world of politicians and how things haven’t changed much. The world is still filled with people who would rather get ahead and earn a buck…than keep the promises they make to get our vote.  Integrity is hard to find in most leaders…they all have dirty laundry that someone can dig up.

 

But then I just happen to look in the mirror…and I began to think that this message wasn’t just for the ‘named’ leaders of a country…of a city….of a building of any kind…..for we are all leaders in some way of others.  The question quickly formed in my mind …. “who has God placed in my leadership….and have I been responsible in leading them the way God wants them to go?”

 

I know my path crosses daily with many adults….but the majority of my time is spent at school….with pre-teens that live in a very confused world.  This message is a great reminder to me to be more careful what I say….and how I say it…so I am not leading any of them astray.  The words of Jesus were very strong in Matthew 18:6….  “"If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

 

Jesus warned us many places about false prophets…they are the ones that take scripture out of context….like we are warned in 2 Peter 3:16…. “ speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters around to mean something quite different from what he meant, just as they do the other parts of Scripture -- and the result is disaster for them.”

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to be more careful to study your word and ask your will before I decide to share anything about your way with others.  Forgive me for the times that I jump into discussions because I think I know...then stumble because I don’t know your word strong enough.  Help me to retain the great truths you are revealing to me each day as I read your Bible…and help me recall the parts I need to help the people that you lead me to the truth. And God…bless me the most when I am in that classroom that you asked me to teach in….help me to shine  your love and ease some of the pain and confusion they bring to my room.  Amen.

A Beautiful Home Does Not Make A Good Christian

Jeremiah 22: 14-15 - He says, 'I will build a magnificent palace with huge rooms and many windows, paneled throughout with fragrant cedar and painted a lovely red.'  "But a beautiful palace does not make a great king! Why did your father, Josiah, reign so long? Because he was just and right in all his dealings. That is why God blessed him.

 

God sent Jeremiah out to the king of Judah to warn him one more time of his greed and selfish attitude.  God wanted him to know that it was not the things around him that made him blessed….that he needed to develop a love for others …and have a passion inside his heart for justice to all.

 

He used Josiah’s life as an example of one who understood the position of king….and used it to help others. He was just…he did what was right….he used his resources to help others.  He made it clear that Josiah’s blessed life was not a result of all the beautiful things he had around him…it was because he used the beautiful things God blessed him with to make sure everyone was treated fairly.

 

A beautiful house….an expensive car….a closet full of clothes and shoes….name brand purses…or money in the bank is not how God measures our heart.  It is what we do with that house….where we go in that car….or how we use any of the things he blesses us with to help others know as much about God’s love as we can tell.

 

I needed the reminder this morning….to keep my attitude carefully in check….to keep that selfishness that tries to escape me so often completely under God’s control. When our Youth Service center says it is running low on clothes…my task that night should be cleaning out my closet. Then I should open my heart and let my ears hear the hints that God will send my way how to help others….the bigger the sacrifice on my part….the bigger the blessing to others.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that one way to keep selfishness from creeping into my heart and life again is to constantly use what you have given me to help others. Forgive me for the times I have walked with my ears and heart closed…and missed the hints you sent me to help someone.  Help me to keep my relationship and time with you so focused that I know where you need me to show your love to others.  Control my tendency to be selfish with what you have given me and always share what I have with others.  Amen.

God Is Not A Temporary Resource....Just When We Need Him

Jeremiah 21:1-2-  The LORD spoke through Jeremiah when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malkijah and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, the priest, to speak with him. They begged Jeremiah,  "Please ask the LORD to help us. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has begun his attack on Judah. Perhaps the LORD will be gracious and do a mighty miracle as he has done in the past. Perhaps he will force Nebuchadnezzar to withdraw his armies."

 

King Zedekiah realized he did not have enough forces to withstand an attack from King Nebuchadnezzar’s army….  so he sent his priests to ask Jeremiah to intercede for them to God.  He somehow expected God to be gracious…and perform some miracle to protest and save them from destruction.

 

Jeremiah was quick to relay God’s words of finality to them…that because they had not decided to follow God’s ways…and turn back to him…God would not help them this time.  God was going to let them make a choice….stay in the city and die from the effects of the war….or give themselves up to the Chaldeans and live in captivity for a time.

 

It is a reminder to me to keep my relationship with God growing ….to ask him for his help all the time…and not wait till I am in a mess to call out his name.  To never go back to the time in my life that I left God behind….and went my own direction.  I loved him….I knew who he was….but my visits with him were surface at best….and many days apart. I waited….like the king….till things were so bad I had to call out his name for help.

 

Here’s the thing that is so cool about God.  He did help me….he took me back with open arms as soon as I confessed that I had messed up…and promised to try harder to keep him first in my life.  All the consequences of my self-made problem did not disappear…but God is helping me to work through all of them and turn them into new strengths in my character.

 

God gives each of us a choice every day.   To live the way the Bible guides us….to come and meet with him in prayer and study more than once a day.  To call on him for every choice we have to make and stay in his will…..OR risk stepping out on our own and making another mess of things.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need you all the time…not just when things get really bad. Forgive me for all the times that I have left you out of my life…and gone my own selfish way.  Help me to find new ways to talk with you throughout my day…and keep your thoughts in the front of my brain…so I will make more of the right choices that will keep me in your will. Show me how to strengthen my relationship to you so that you become a part of everything that I do. Amen.