Jeremiah 28 & 29

Do you want to hear from the Lord? Maybe you are in or have been in a situation in which you do not know what God wants you to do. What do you do in situations like this? If you are anything like me you would talk to someone about it and seek advice about your situation. But what if the advice that they give you is wrong? What if they lead in the opposite direction that you should be going? Maybe you should not be pursuing that guy or girl that everyone said you you should go out with. It is easy to accept to advice that you want to hear.

In these chapters of Jeremiah something similar happens. A so-called prophet comes in and in front of all the people gives a message of hope. Why was this a bad thing? The people sure enjoyed hearing the news. Even Jeremiah in 28:6 admits that this would be great news, if it were true. It was a false prophesy. Hananiah told the people what they wanted to hear instead of the truth.

Believe it or not, your friends and family are capable of doing this too. Sometimes we even go to people for advice that we know will tell us what we want to hear. If you wanted to date someone that was not a Christian it would be easy to go ask someone you know would not care instead of your Christian friends or parents. So who should you get advice from?

The very first place we should go is to God in prayer. Ask the Lord for wisdom and insight. Then go to His word, the Bible. Do a study on what the Bible says about your situation. Then go to your parents and Christian friends that you know will give you Godly advice. But know matter what anybody else says, always test it by what the Bible says.

In chapter 29 Jeremiah writes to all the people telling them what the Lord really has in store for them in the future. He sets the record straight and reveals the lies that have been told to the people by the other “prophets.” There will be a good end for the people of Judah but it was not going to happen until way later than what the other prophets said.  Jeremiah is a good example for us to follow. We need to direct people to God and what He wants for them. Granted, God does not usually speak to us in a direst audible voice but He does speak to us through His written word. So next time somebody comes to you for advice, point them to the Bible.

Daily Devotion – Jeremiah 14

Things are not looking good for the people of Judah.They are in the midst of a massive famine. There is not water to drink or rain to water their fields and therefore food is hard to come by. The people are crying out to God and telling Him of their pain and problems. Why was this happening? Was this really the promised land that God spoke about?

In an effort to appease God and gain His favor Jeremiah acts as the voice of the people and confesses their sin. Though Jeremiah meant this from the heart and he was really concerned for the people, this was not true repentance. I’m sure Jeremiah got some of the people to confess their sin but all they wanted was relief from the famine. It was not about pleasing God but about relieving discomfort. They were acknowledging their sin with their mouths but in their hearts they had no intention of stopping. It’s like when God said to them through the prophet Isaiah “this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13)
If they had really changed in their hearts would God have forgiven them and brought blessing on them and stopped the famine? I think so. But God saw what was happening in their hearts. And God see’s what is in our hearts as well.

You may be facing consequences or punishment for a sin that you have been caught in. Know that God corrects and disciplines the ones that he loves. So this it is not happening because God hates you. He hates the sin but He does not hate you. He wants you to turn from your sin and turn to Him for forgiveness and strength. But, if you are like the people of Judah and you confess your sin to God but do not turn from your sin don’t count on God’s forgiveness. God see’s your heart, you can not fool Him.

Are you more concerned about living a life that is pleasing to God or getting out of facing the consequences for your sin? Sin can have some major consequences. The hard part is that you don’t get to choose what those consequences are. Instead of trying desperately to get out of facing consequences try actually repenting. Turn from your sin and rely on God. That will not only lead a life that is pleasing to God but it will bring blessing on your life as well.

In verse 11-12 God tells Jeremiah not to pray for the people anymore. Why would God do this? 1 John 5:16 tells us to pray for those who are sinning that they might come to (true)repentance but there is a sin that leads to death and we are not to pray for that. Do not get to the point in life where it will do no good to pray for you anymore. Don’t let yourself get so caught up in sin that God would say to us “don’t pray for them.” Repent today.

If you have given you life to Christ but are still struggling with one or multiple areas of sin, repent and turn to God. If you have never asked Christ into your heart click here!

Jeremiah 10

Jeremiah 10:6 says, “There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might.”

In this chapter the Lord speaks to Jeremiah about idols and how He is the only God. We see God speaking from the very beginning about what an idol is, a man made god which they decorate and bow down and worship. He responds that these idols cannot speak, they cannot walk, and they do not know what is good and they cannot do evil (vs 1-5). Judah was guilty of worshiping these false gods and displacing the place where God should be in someone life.

We have idols in the land too. It may not be a wooden statue that you put in your closet and pull out and bow down to. Instead, the idols of today are money, people, things, music, abilities. It is anything that you love more than God. It is easy to say I have no idols as we may not have the idols that Israel fell too but we do have things we decorate and put above God. A good question to ask yourself is, “How will I respond when this thing is taken away from me or if something happens to it?” We think joy, happiness, and the purpose in life is in things, but that is far from the truth. Stop right now, and pray to God. Ask Him to reveal what has been an idol in your life. Ask him to show you what you have been putting above him. What do you love more than God? Then, ask God to forgive you and to help you not to put anything above Him.

I can recount many different conversations I have had with young people throughout the years that they realized that they have put different things above God such as a boy or a girl, playing sports or an instrument as well as the things listed in the previous paragraph. What you and I need to do is guard against idol worship

Guarding against idol Worship

If you love God more than the other things than you are at a good place. In this chapter we see some great attributes of God. Verse 6 shows that nothing can compare with God, He is unique. Verse 10 says he is the Living God and King. Verses 12-13 shows his power in creation. We need to humbly view God and then we can realize we have sinned and put others and other things above him. We need to realize sin keeps us from having a proper and right view of God. Realize that God is what satisfies, fulfills and is full of grace and mercy. Nothing of this world can save us from sin, we have God’s grace for that. Here are some thoughts that can help. 1) When you go to God ask for forgiveness of sin. 2) Ask God to reveal any sin that you are unaware of. 3) Ask God to forgive you of any idols you have placed above him. 4) Then reflect on the greatness and might of the Lord. 5) Think of the goodness of God and how nothing can compare with that. Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man that takes refuge in him.”

Jeremiah 9

Jeremiah 9:23-24 “Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,”

Right after Jeremiah get through talking about the sin and coming judgment on the people he reminds the people that they have nothing to boast about. The smart guy, the jock, and the rich kid have nothing to boast about.

From a very early age people will boast about how smart they are. In kindergarten they kids will boast about how many stars or smiley faces they got. And when people get older and think they know everything, they will never say “I don’t know.” They think they have all the answers. For the Apostle Paul’s response to the “wise people” see 1 Corinthians 1:20, 23-25. The people with the highest grades have nothing to boast about!

The same is true for athletic people. It’s all about how much you can lift, how far you can throw, or how big your biceps are. Here is the apostle Paul’s response to those who boast like this in 1 Corinthians 1:25 “…the weakness of God is stronger than men.” The most athletic people you know have nothing to boast about.

What about all the rich people? It seems like they don’t have a care in the world and they can do whatever they want. They boast just as much as the wise guy and the athlete but do they have a reason too? riches do not last and you can not take it with you when you die. So what do the rich have to boast about? A nice coffin for their body to be buried in? The rich have nothing to boast about.

Jeremiah 9:24 “but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

You as a human being will boast at some point. You were created to boast but we were created not to boast of ourselves but to boast in the Lord. Boast about the understanding and knowledge of God. Not the knowledge that you have gained but what God has revealed to you in His Word and His world.

Philippians 2:9-11 says “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. That is something to boast about! The Lordship of Jesus Christ is the Christians best boast.

Have you ever boasted about Christ and His love and what He accomplished on the cross? Here is my challenge for you; go one day without boasting about yourself at all and boast to as many people as you can about Christ! It’s a tough challenge but this is what we are here for!

Jeremiah 8

Jeremiah 8:4 “You shall say to them, Thus says the LORD: When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return?”

Here the Lord has asked 2 very simple questions. When someone falls down don’t they just get back up? When someone goes off the path, don’t they go back to find it? These are no brainer questions. When a young child is learning how to walk and he falls for the first time, does he give up? No, he tries again until he eventually gets it. When you learned how to ride a bike, did you give up the first time you fell? You got back on the bike and learned how to ride.

Jeremiah was amazed at the people of Judah. They had fallen in their sins and they were not getting back up. The problem was not that they could not get back up, it was that they wouldn’t get back up. This was unnatural and Jeremiah could not explain it.

The second question asked makes a similar point. Have you ever been in the car with someone who did not know where they were going and all they have for directions is a napkin with some lines and street names on it? When(usually not if) the driver gets lost what is the best way to find your way? Ask for directions, call someone who knows the area, or turn back go to where you initially got lost and get back on the path. It’s pretty simple.

But again, Jeremiah was confused as to why the people were not doing what was natural; getting back up and finding their way back. Whats even worse is that they were completely ignorant to what they were doing. In verse 6 they even ask the question “what have we done?” And in verse 7 God compares them to birds. Even birds know when it is time to migrate or to come back but the people of God don’t know how to keep the rules of God. That’s a pretty sad verse.

Where are you at today? Is your life right with God? Maybe God is trying to tell you to get up today, to return home. The people of Judah ignored the word of God but you don’t have to. We live in a day and age where the Bible is available to anyone who wants it. We have commentaries and handbooks that help us understand it. We have no excuse to be like the people of Judah. But sadly in America today the majority of the people don’t know what the Bible says. Don’t be like that! Study the word of God.

In verse 9 the Lord says that the “wise men” have rejected the Word of God. To that God says “so what wisdom is in them?” The “wise men” had rejected the only source of wisdom. Have you rejected the Word? Study the Word of God!

Jeremiah 7

Three times a year Jewish men were required to go to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast’s and what happens in this chapter could have been one of those times because the Lord is speaking through Jeremiah to the men at the gates of the temple. The message that Jeremiah was teaching to these temple(church) goers was that religious duties without obedience does not save. In fact, that is the kind of religion that brings judgment. You see these men would go in and offer sacrifices only to go and worship other gods and do shameful things.

What they failed to realize was that God did not just wan them 3 times a year to worship Him. God did not want them to worship when it was convenient for them. God wanted obedience from them. He wanted them to worship Him and trust in Him and live according to His Word all the time. This has huge meaning for us today.

Going to church does not mean that you have a relationship with God. Worshipping God does not mean that He accepts your worship. Even praying to God does not mean that you are going to Heaven. The real issue and the issue that the Lord is most concerned about is your heart. Where is your heart when you go to church, worship, or pray to God? Do you even think about God at all? Are you more concerned about looking spiritual to others? Isaiah says “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;” Is your heart committed to God? That is what God wants from us. He want’s us to turn everything over to Him and worship Him in Spirit and in truth. He want’s us to be obedient to His word.

How do you know that you are saved? How do you know that you have a relationship with Christ?  Jesus said in Matthew 12:50 “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” You know that your heart is on the Lord if you are doing to will of God; if you are obeying what the Bible says. This does not mean that you are saved by what you do because salvation is completely a work of God. But your salvation is proved by what you do; which is the point of James 2:20.