Re: Verse reading – Jeremiah 21:1-10, 38:1-6 (day three)
“I myself will fight against you.” Are you sure you’ve set yourself against the thing that you should be fighting? Our capacity to think we’re right is mighty deep. When we measure events by our discomfort instead of the righteousness of God—the actual righteousness of God, mind you, not our interpretation of the righteousness of God—we tend to mark unpleasant things as coming from anywhere but God. Mark Twain said it well: “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” Gamaliel, speaking in Acts 5:39, said it even earlier: “But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
Month: April 2014
Perhaps is the wrong prayer
Re: Verse reading – Jeremiah 21:1-10, 38:1-6 (day two)
“Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders of us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us” Jer. 21:2
Perhaps?
How are you treating your conversations with God? Do you approach him with fear and reverence or on the off chance that it might “work” to ask? There is more history involved with this story of exile and captivity, but much can be gleaned from the callow way the people treated the Lord. They acknowledged that God had indeed performed great and mighty deeds for them in the past, but they were unwilling to concede that their hearts were hardened. Don’t treat God like a last resort, it may keep you from exile and captivity in the first place.
Unanswered prayers
Re: Verse reading – Jeremiah 21:1-10, 38:1-6 (day one)
“Please inquire of the Lord on our behalf, for King Nebuchadnezzar is making war against us; perhaps the Lord. . . will make him withdraw from us. Thus says the Lord . . .’I myself will fight against you’ ” (v 2, 5) With apologies to Garth Brooks, there are some unanswered prayers for which we will NOT be thankful. Moments when God will say “no” to us in the strongest of terms. After years of warning from Jeremiah, the army of Babylon has actually come. Siege walls are being set up. The situation is desperate. Now the King, who for years has ignored the Word of God, is interested in the help of God. It is too late. The time for repentance has passed. There will be better days in the future. God still has mercy. The request, however, that will not be granted is for God to make years of unbelief consequence free. That prayer will go unanswered.
Seventy years
Re: Verse reading – Jeremiah 29:1-14 (day seven)
“It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of a living God.” (Hebrews 10:3) It is not a place I want to be–led by my own stubbornness into a time of God’s discipline. Read Hebrews 12:5-11. Once begun, the discipline of God will run its course. Short or long, the Lord will decide the duration and I will have no other choice but to endure. 40 years in the wilderness for the Exodus people. (Numbers 14:34) 70 years in exile for the unrepentant people of Judah. (Jeremiah 29:10) 3 days of pestilence for the nation because of David’s sin. (2 Samuel 24:13) The anger of God is nothing to trifled with. Even this “opposition” to us (Numbers 14:34) is an expression of His loving desire for us to share His holiness. (Hebrews 12:10) It is, however, very painful and costly for those who experience it. “Do not be DECEIVED, God is not mocked; whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)
God’s welfare program
Re: Verse reading – Jeremiah 29:1-14 (day six)
“Build houses. . .plant gardens. . .take wives and become fathers. . .pray to the Lord (for the city). . .for I know the plans that I have for you, plans for (your) welfare.” (v 5-7, 11) We tend, I fear, to separate God’s ultimate plan for our good from the intermediate steps. God has a plan for our welfare. Hurray! It is, however, a bit more demanding than we sometimes imagine. His plan includes industry. Building houses and families. Planting gardens. As the people of Judah did this work, God promised to bless and protect them. His welfare program also includes industry of a spiritual kind. Prayer for their captors. Patience. Carefully cultivated hope. Seeking God with whole hearts. (v 12) Who knew? God’s welfare program assumes as a condition the presence of ACTIVE FAITH. Belief in God is not an excuse for inaction. It is our motivation for active obedience and our assurance of His help when we do.
Family
Re: Verse reading – Jeremiah 29:1-14 (day five)
It’s worth noting that God’s hope-filled Word of encouragement and challenge to His people in the midst of exile in Jeremiah 29 has great regard for the family. “5Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. 6Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease.” He points to family life and the hope and mission that can be in operation in each home. Seems to reverberate the command given in Deuteronomy 6. So… Fathers, mothers, sons and daughters- is there hope (The love, goodness, strength, and power of The Living God) being taught, talked, and celebrated in your home? It is the task of each family to lead out in worship and discipleship. It is the task of the church to partner with moms, dads, kids, and grandparents to equip and encourage.
With All Your Heart
Re: Verse reading – Jeremiah 29:1-14 (day four)
Verse 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” The key word in this verse is ‘when’…when you search for Me with all your heart. God will not accept halfhearted attempts at prayer. He will not accept less than our all. Often, people are told that all they have to do to be saved is to accept Jesus…one prayer and we are saved for life and eternity. Not so. Jesus expects not only our repentance from sin, but He wants our life! Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Our life is not our own…when Christ comes into our heart, we are completely His!
Track
Re: Verse reading – Jeremiah 29:1-14 (Day Three)
“Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.” If it’s good, it’s from God. If it’s bad, it’s from…God? Can it be? It’s not uncommon to call things bad if they cause us discomfort. But our comfort has never been the gauge that God uses to determine whether or not something will benefit us. When things go bad, it’s often for our good, and this cannot be overstated. God has not lost track of you, even in the deepest recesses of difficulty. It is often God who in fact carried you there. And because he has not abandoned you, hope lies ahead.
The Welfare of the City
Re: Verse reading – Jeremiah 29:1-14 (day two)
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. (Jeremiah 29:7 ESV) This passage has brought me much strength as I have studied it. We often quote 29:11, and most of us truly believe that God has hope for those who trust in him. Isn’t this commission a wonderful challenge? We may be walking in exile; deliverance may be years off; the world around us may be very dark indeed. Fear not! God has an assignment while we wait. Plug in. Get involved. Make a difference where you are. Stop waiting for that “someday” to arrive and get on mission now. What a great passage for us as we consider how to minister to this community. As we seek to go and foster healthy relationships with our city, we are helping to create the foothold that the Lord will use. What a privilege to serve, even in the midst of an exile.