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Month: August 2024

2024 Day 234 – Jeremiah 46-48

2024 Day 234 – Jeremiah 46-48

In this section of scripture we read of God’s judgement on Moab. One of the things He had against them was their pride. “We have heard the pride of Moab (He is exceedingly proud), Of his loftiness and arrogance and pride, And of the haughtiness of his heart.” Jeremiah 48:29 NKJV James reminds us of God’s feeling on pride and the alternative attitude we should have. “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6 NKJV

Today’s reading: Jeremiah 46-48

2024 Day 233 – Jeremiah 41-45

2024 Day 233 – Jeremiah 41-45

Several times in the section of scripture we see the words, “thus says the Lord”. God was speaking thru His prophet Jeremiah. We do not have prophets today, but we have the perfect source of His words. “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;” (Hebrews 1:1-2 NKJV) He has preserved His word thru the Holy Bible so that we can know even today, “thus says the Lord”.

Today’s reading: Jeremiah 41-45

2024 Day 232 – Habakkuk 1-3

2024 Day 232 – Habakkuk 1-3

Thru the prophet Habakkuk God let the people know that His ways are more than we can understand.  “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.” (Habakkuk 1:5)  These works were punishing the people for not following Him, but Jesus tells if we do follow God and trust Him, He will take care of us.  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26)

Today’s reading: Habakkuk 1-3

2024 Day 230 – Jeremiah 38-40; Psalms 74, 79

2024 Day 230 – Jeremiah 38-40; Psalms 74, 79

The words we have recorded as Psalm 80 in our Bibles are thought to have been written during the Babylonian captivity or possibly during some other time of serious distress of God’s people.  Whatever the time, it is obvious the Psalmist desired the saving power that could only come from one source.  “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!” (Psalms 80:3)  Twice more in this same chapter these words are repeated with slight additions.  “Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!” (Psalms 80:7)  “Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!” (Psalms 80:19)  Our Savior was also  persistent in His prayer to the Father. (Matthew 26:36-46)  Jesus told us to be persistent in our prayer as well when he told the parable of the widow who took her request to the judge until he gave in.  “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1)

Today’s reading: Jeremiah 38-40; Psalms 74,79

2024 Day 229 – Jeremiah 35-37

2024 Day 229 – Jeremiah 35-37

God is love (1 John 4:8), but that does not mean that His people are free to disobey His word. God sent word thru Jeremiah to the Jews letting them know His displeasure with their actions. “Yet I persistently sent to you all my servants the prophets, saying, ‘Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate!’  But they did not listen or incline their ear, to turn from their evil and make no offerings to other gods.  Therefore my wrath and my anger were poured out and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, and they became a waste and a desolation, as at this day.” (Jeremiah 44:4-6)  The wrath of God is something to be feared, but we have opportunity to be saved from that wrath. “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” (Romans 5:8-9) We are all given the chance to come in contact with that saving blood of His death.  “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3)

Today’s reading: Jeremiah 35-37

2024 Day 228 – Jeremiah 32-34

2024 Day 228 – Jeremiah 32-34

Jeremiah brought commands from God to King Zedekiah, but the king doubted the plan. “King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans, lest I be handed over to them and they deal cruelly with me.” Jeremiah said, “You shall not be given to them. Obey now the voice of the LORD in what I say to you, and it shall be well with you, and your life shall be spared.” (Jeremiah 38:19-20) Sometimes like King Zedekiah we may not understand God’s plan, but His plan is always better than anything we could do on our own.  We are not promised a life without pain and suffering, but if we are like Jeremiah and put our full trust and obedience in Him we will be saved. “For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the LORD.’” (Jeremiah 39:18)

Today’s reading: Jeremiah 32-34

2024 Day 227 – Jeremiah 30-31

2024 Day 227 – Jeremiah 30-31

Even though they were God’s chosen people, at times the Jews were extremely disobedient to Him. During one of these periods of disobedience, the Rechabites were used as an attempt of a wake up call to the Jews. They were told to order the Rechabites to drink wine.  Of course God knew how these people would respond. “We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, and not to build houses to dwell in. We have no vineyard or field or seed, but we have lived in tents and have obeyed and done all that Jonadab our father commanded us.” (Jeremiah 35:8-10) The obedience to their father by the descendants of Rechab is compared to the lack of obedience of the Jews to their Heavenly Father in an attempt to shame them to change. “I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, ‘Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.’ But you did not incline your ear or listen to me. The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have kept the command that their father gave them, but this people has not obeyed me.” (Jeremiah 35:15-16) God wants everyone to obey Him and He gives us plenty of opportunity, but the desire to follow Him must come from our own hearts. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Today’s reading: Jeremiah 30-31

2024 Day 226 – Jeremiah 26-29

2024 Day 226 – Jeremiah 26-29

God spoke thru Jeremiah and listed out a lot of things that were going to happen, but verse 22 of chapter 30 sums up a good motivator for us today “You shall be My people, And I will be your God.”

Today’s reading: Jeremiah 26-29

2024 Day 225 – Jeremiah 23-25

2024 Day 225 – Jeremiah 23-25

We may not always understand what is going on in this life, but God does.  “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)  Here He is telling His people to stay strong while they are in captivity for many years.  Sometimes our patience struggles to last for a few days but He was asking them to hang on for years.  The next verses give them instruction on how to stay strong.  “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:12-13)  His plan requires diligence on our part.  We are told to seek Him not with just a weak effort, but with ALL of our heart.

Today’s reading: Jeremiah 23-25