Great Is His Faithfulness.

Lamentations 1:1-3:36

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. ­– Lamentations 3:23 NLT

The great city of Jerusalem has fallen. The Temple has been destroyed. The people have been taken captive. And only a handful of the poorest have been left to occupy the land. Jeremiah is one of them, and he writes the words of Lamentations as he considers the sad state of affairs in the former land of promise. Everywhere he looks he is surrounded by scenes of devastation. The economy is in shatters. People are starving everywhere, causing mothers to even eat their own children. There is an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. Because the Temple has been destroyed, there are no more festivals and feasts, no more sacrificial system. The people show signs of remorse, but no real signs of repentance. They admit that they have sinned, but seem to blame God for their condition. From their perspective, He has abandoned them. He has broken down His own Temple and rejected His own altar. And He has done it all without mercy.

But Jeremiah knows that God has not abandoned them forever. He understands that God has had to punish them for their sins, but has not fallen out of love with them. He says, "The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this" (Lamentations 3:19-21 NLT). What follows is a wonderful reminder to all of us of the reality of God's never-ending love and faithfulness to us – even when we sin against Him.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.– Lamentations 3:22-26 NLT

For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow. – Lamentations 3:31-33 NLT

Even in the midst of our darkest moments, we must remind ourselves of the faithful, unfailing love of God. As Jeremiah looked around at all the devastation in Jerusalem, He had to refocus his attention on the reality of God's goodness and grace. God was still there. God still cared. God was going to restore His people. His love had not run out, just His patience with their sin. He had punished them, but had not abandoned them. He had disciplined them, but not deserted them. So Jeremiah was willing to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Am I? Are you?

Father, it is so easy to lose hope in the midst of troubles and trials. We can take our eyes off of You and focus on our surroundings. We can lose sight of the reality of Your unfailing love and compassion. Keep us focused on Your faithfulness. Great is Your faithfulness! Amen

From Set-Apart to Set-Aside.

Jeremiah 52

They also took all the ash buckets, shovels, lamp snuffers, basins, dishes, and all the other bronze articles used for making sacrifices at the Temple. ­– Jeremiah 52:18 NLT

This is the saddest chapter of all. It recounts the burning and pillaging of the Temple, the ransacking of Jerusalem and the destruction of the city walls. It also tells us about the tragic and violent end of Zedekiah's reign. We read about the capture and exile of thousands of God's people to the land of Babylon. And what hits me is the tragic juxtaposition between the way things were and they way thing had ended up. I don't think it is any coincidence that Jeremiah makes special effort to recount what happened to the Temple and all its contents. The Temple of God was just that – the temple that had been built for and dedicated to God. It was His house. It had been patterned after the Tabernacle, the structure ordained and designed by God during the wilderness wandering years. When the people finally took possession of the Promised Land and had conquered the majority of their enemies in the land under the leadership of King David, he determined to build a Temple to the Lord. But God refused to let David build the Temple because He had blood on his hands. So it was Solomon, David's Son, who got the privilege of building God's house.

The entire Temple and all it contained belonged to God. It was dedicated to His use. It had been set-apart, made holy, for God. There was nothing inherently unique or special about the building materials that were used. It was made of ordinary stones and common cedar. Sure, it contained a large quantity of gold and other precious metals, but there was nothing out of the ordinary about how the metal was refined. The basins, buckets, shovels, dishes, bowls, pots, lampstands, and incense burners were not special in and of themselves. What made them holy was that they had been set apart for God's use. They had been dedicated solely for His purposes. The same is true of the priests who ministered in the Temple. This structure and all it contained were His. That is what made them holy. To use any of the contents of the Temple for anything other than the worship of God would result in their desecration. They would become impure or unholy, because they were no longer set apart. If one of the priests had decided to take home one of the basins used in the sacrificial system for use as a punch bowl at a dinner party, he would have made that item impure and unholy. He would have taken something that had been set apart for God's use and re-purposed it – making it no longer set apart or holy.

That is the picture Jeremiah is giving us in this final chapter of his book. Look at what happens. The Temple is burned. It was a symbol of the set apartness of the people of Judah. It was the home of their God. No one else had a Temple to Yahweh, the God of Israel. And if anyone had tried to build another temple to Him, like Jeroboam had done in the northern kingdom, God would not have inhabited it. The Temple in Jerusalem was where He had chosen to dwell. After Solomon completed the construction and dedication of the Temple, God said to him: “I have heard your prayer and your petition. I have set this Temple apart to be holy—this place you have built where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart" (1 Kings 9:3 NLT). But God went on to warn Solomon, "But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the commands and decrees I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, then I will uproot Israel from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name" (1 Kings 9:6-7 NLT). From set apart to set aside. From usefulness to uselessness.

Look at the chapter one more time. The Temple is burned. The contents of the Temple – all the items set apart for the worship of God – are taken. The priests who were set apart to administer the sacrifices to God and care for the Temple of God – become the property of the king of Babylon. The citizens of Jerusalem, representing the chosen, set apart people of God, are taken captive as well. They are even removed from the very land God had given them. They went from set apart to set aside. But why? What was the reason God gave for the destruction of His Temple, the desecration of His sacrificial system and the deportation of His chosen people? He gave us the answer years in advance when Solomon dedicated the Temple. God made His intentions clear: "And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled and will shake their heads in amazement. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’ And the answer will be, ‘Because his people abandoned the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why the Lord has brought all these disasters on them.’” (1 Kings 9:8-9 NLT).

The truth is, the people of God had set themselves aside. They had removed themselves from effective service to God by their choices. They still remained His people and He would one day restore them to the land. But their sinful choices had made them useless and no longer useful for His service. They should have been lights to the world, living according to God's will, directed by God's hand, and set apart for His service and glory. But they had chosen to worship other gods, serve their own desires, and follow their own wills. And in doing so, they went from set apart to set aside. And we run the risk of doing the same thing in our lives. As believers we can go from set apart to set aside. We can make choices that destroy our usefulness to God. Instead of being instruments dedicated to His purposes, we desecrate ourselves by dedicating our bodies, which are temples of God, to something other than God. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, "Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body." We don't belong to ourselves, we belong to God. We are His people. Peter tell us, "…for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy. Dear friends, I warn you as 'temporary residents and foreigners' to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world" (1 Peter 2:9-12 NLT). We have been set apart. We have been made holy. We are to live lives that are unique, different, and dedicated to God's use. When we choose not to, we set ourselves aside and become ineffective and non-influential. That is what happened to the people of God. May we not let it happen to us.

Father, help me live a life that is truly set apart and distinctive, bringing glory and honor to You through the way I live in accordance to Your will and dedicated to Your glory. Amen

He Has Not Abandoned Us.

Jeremiah 51

For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has not abandoned Israel and Judah. He is still their God, even though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. ­– Jeremiah 51:5 NLT

Let's face it, this has been a bleak book. It is filled with messages of warning and descriptions of coming judgment. For more than 50 chapters, Jeremiah has had to deliver a sobering message of God's wrath and Judah's destruction. And in this sad story, no one walks away unscathed. Even Babylon would suffer complete and utter annihilation at the hands of God. God says, "Babylon has been a gold cup in the Lord's hands" (Jeremiah 51:7 NLT). In other words, God had treated them with great worth and importance as long as He needed them to punish His rebellious children. Their only value was to be found in His use of them as an instrument of wrath against His people. But He would still punish them for their role in the destruction of Judah. Why? Because in spite of their guiltiness, the people of Judah were still His chosen people. They were His children. He would punish them, but He would never abandon them. He assured them that He was still their God – even though they had filled the land with their sins against Him.

Compared to the all-knowing, all-wise God, the human race was foolish and ignorant. They worshiped idols made with their own hands. These lifeless gods were worthless. But the one true God is anything but an idol. He created everything, including His people, the nation of Judah. He set them apart for His own use. He redeemed them from slavery in Egypt. He let them to the Promised Land and gave them houses they didn't build, vineyards they didn't plant, and victories they had no business winning. Yes, God had to punish them, but He was not done with them. He agreed to act as their lawyer, plead their case, and avenge their destruction – even though they deserved it. God showed them mercy and grace. He restored them to the land and back into favor with Himself.

God's wrath was going to be meted out and Jerusalem was going to fall.But He was not done with Judah yet. As Jeremiah wraps us his book, dark days lie ahead. Everything God had warned would happen was about to take place – down to the smallest detail. The people of Judah would end up in exile in Babylon for 70 long years. But God would not forget them. He would not abandon them. When the time was right, He would allow them to return to the land and begin the process of rebuilding their lives, cities, homes and relationship with Him. It would not be easy. but they could rest in the knowledge that He was still their God and they were still His chosen people – even though the "land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel." (Jeremiah 51:5b).  What a great God we serve. What a patient God we worship. May we never forget the depth of His patience, love, mercy and grace. He never abandons us or gives up on us. He is good.

Father, thank You for the message of Jeremiah. Never let me lose sight of your incredible mercy and grace and the way you shower them on me week after week.. Amen

Our Powerful Redeemer.

Jeremiah 50

But the one who redeems them is strong. His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He will defend them and give them rest again in Israel. But for the people of Babylon there will be no rest! ­– Jeremiah 50:34 NLT

Our God is complex. He is multifaceted and difficult to comprehend. His ways are not our ways and with our limited human perspectives, we sometimes find it hard to comprehend not only who God is, but what He is doing in the world and in our lives. The book of Jeremiah paints God as a God of judgment, bringing disaster on His own people for their sin and rebellion against Him. He uses pagan nations to destroy them and taken them into captivity. He allows His own Temple to be destroyed in the process and the Land of Promise to be decimated. The nations who bring about this destruction are actually referred to as God's instruments. He uses them to bring about His will – to discipline the nations of Israel and Judah. But then God turns around and threatens to bring destruction on these very same nations for having taken advantage of His people. He predicts that their day of destruction is coming because of what they did to Israel and Judah. He will destroy them. The same God who used them will now abuse them. That's hard for us to understand. We struggle with the seeming contradiction of it all. From our limited perspective, it can appear unfair and manipulative. But we have to constantly remind ourselves that God is holy, righteous, and just. He always does what is right. His actions are never wrong or out of step with His holy character – even though they may appear to be to us.

When we read that God is going to seek vengeance on Babylon for destroying His holy Temple, an act He allowed them to do, we must trust that God knows what He is doing. As His creation, we are not in a place to judge Him or question the rightness of His actions. God stands above ever nation and every individual. He is transcendent – set apart. We cannot compare Him to us or judge His actions on some human scale. God is free to do what He does because He is God, and what He does is always righteous and just. We may not see it now, but we will in the end. We may not understand the suffering and strife that is taking place all around us in this world. We may be tempted to doubt the love of God and to question His integrity. But we have to remember that God is beyond our comprehension. Yes, He allows and invites us to know Him, but because He is eternal, He is also unfathomable. We can no more fully know and understand God and His ways than we can map out the farthest reaches of the universe. The more we learn, the more we understand how little we know.

God is great. He is massive. He is complex. He is powerful beyond our comprehension. But that same great, massive, complex, powerful God is our redeemer. The same God who brought destruction on Israel and Judah was going to redeem and restore them. The same power He used to punish them would punish their enemies and bless them. Our great God is going to do a great work of redemption in the world. There is a day coming when He will set all things right and complete His plan for mankind and the earth. Earlier in the book of Jeremiah, God told the prophet to go to the potter's house and watch him work. Here is what Jeremiah saw and what God said"

So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. Then the Lord gave me this message: “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand." – Jeremiah 18:3-6 NLT

We are like clay in God's hands. He is molding and making us. He is shaping and forming us. He can do with us as He sees fit, but we have to remember that in the end, God is out to redeem and restore us. Isaiah understood this when he said, "And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand" (Isaiah 64:8 NLT). God is forming us. God is redeeming us. God is not done with us. And we can trust Him.

Father, I want to trust You more. I do not fully understand what You are doing in my life, but I know You have my best interests at heart. You know what You are doing. Help me to trust in Your righteousness and justice. You never do anything wrong or for the wrong reason. I can trust You even when I don't fully understand You, because You are my redeemer and Lord. Amen

Cocky, Confident, and Complacent.

Jeremiah 49

You are proud of your fertile valleys, but they will soon be ruined. You trusted in your wealth, you rebellious daughter, and thought no one could ever harm you. ­– Jeremiah 49:4 NLT

In chapter 49, Jeremiah continues his oracles against the nations. Here he presents God's warnings against the Ammonites, Edomites, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, and Elam. Each is assured of their coming destruction – brought on them by God and delivered by the hand of the Babylonians. No one will escape God's judgment and wrath. Even the people of Kedar and Hazor, who were nomads, would be "terrorized at every turn." Each of these nations stood before God as guilty and worthy of punishment for their sins. But what Jeremiah had to say to the Ammonites resonates in a particularly powerful way. Like the Moabites, these people were descendants of Abraham's nephew Lot, who had incestuous relationships with both his daughters after escaping the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Ammon was the son born to him by his youngest daughter. They lived east of the Promised Land and had actually stolen land that had once belonged to the tribe of Gad. They worshiped the god, Molech, to whom they practiced child sacrifice. But God doesn't condemn them for their pagan practices. Instead, He points out their pride and misplaced trust. He accuses them of being proud of their fertile valleys and for trusting in their wealth. Surrounded by steep valleys that formed a natural protective barrier, they believed that they were invincible and untouchable. They had ample natural resources and an abundance of pride.

Sounds familiar doesn't it? It makes me think of the lyrics to the song, "America the Beautiful."

O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!

There is a degree to which America has become like the Ammonites and all the other nations mentioned in these oracles. We have been blessed with an abundance of resources. We have enjoyed over two centuries of prosperity and relative peace. Since our formation as a nation, we have never been invaded by a foreign power. No wars have been fought on our soil against invading nations. We have experienced staggering growth, numerically and financially. We are powerful, influential, and a force to be reckoned with in the world. But we have also become cocky, confident and complacent spiritually. Yes, we have experienced somewhat of a wake-up call since 9/11, and there has been a relative diminishing of our pride due to the economy. But we remain a super-confident, self-sufficient nation that sometimes believes it is invincible and invulnerable. We somehow believe that we have the hand on God on us as a nation. We brag about having been founded on Judeo-Christian principles by God-fearing men who recognized His sovereignty over nations. And while that is true, we are far from a God-fearing nation today. We have strayed from our original roots and have become a godless nation that prides itself in its power and prosperity, and puts its trust in its military might and abundant resources. Terrorism and financial difficulty have shaken our resolve, but we remain confident and self-assured.

Yet God is the one who judges the nations. It is His standard to which we must measure up, not our own. He is not impressed with our power, prominence, or prosperity. God looks at the heart of the individual and the nation. He is looking for repentance, dependence, and humility. Judah was His chosen people, but He judged them for their unfaithfulness. How much more so will He judge a nation like ours?

Father, we live in a great land, but it is in need of a great awakening spiritually. Wake up Your church. May we become salt and light in the midst of the darkness. Help us to raise the standard of righteousness and share the good news of the gospel with all those we meet. Our nation needs You. And we are the ones who must tell them about You. Amen

The Pride of Moab.

Jeremiah 48

We have all heard of the pride of Moab, for his pride is very great. We know of his lofty pride, his arrogance, and his haughty heart. I know about his insolence,” says the Lord, “but his boasts are empty — as empty as his deeds. ­– Jeremiah 48:29-30 NLT

Now it's the Moabite's turn. God has a word of warning for them as well. The Moabites were close neighbors of Judah and were distant relatives. They were the descendants of Lot as the result of an incestuous relationship he had with his older daughter. After being rescued from Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot fled to the mountains with his two daughters. His wife and their two husbands had been killed in the destruction of the two cities. His daughters determine that all the men are now dead and their chances of getting married are slim to none, so they plot to get their father drunk and lie with him in order to have him impregnate them. They accomplished their plan – twice – and the older daughter gave birth to a son named Moab. The younger daughter gave birth to a son named Ben-ammi, whose descendants would become the Ammonites. The Moabites would ultimately settle in the southern part of the land, just east of the Dead Sea. They would be a relatively peaceful people who worshiped the god Chemosh. According to Numbers 25, they would ultimately cause the Israelites to defy God and practice idolatry. "While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women. These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the Lord’s anger to blaze against his people" (Numbers 25:1-3 NLT).

Later on, the Moabites would join forces with the Babylonians and form raiding parties to harass the people of Judah. And all during this time, they would enjoy relative peace and security, and their peaceful history had left them complacent and proud. They lived relatively isolated lives, protected from invasion and free to prosper. But God had not overlooked their idolatry and the role they had played in the moral fall of Judah. He had watched as they raided the land of Judah, taking advantage of His people in their time of need. Now God was going to repay them for their sin, arrogance and pride by humbling them. They had lived peaceful lives, free from trouble, but now that was going to change. "From his earliest history, Moab has lived in peace, never going into exile. He is like wine that has been allowed to settle. He has not been poured from flask to flask, and he is now fragrant and smooth. But the time is coming soon, says the Lord, when I will send men to pour him from his jar. They will pour him out, then shatter the jar!" (Jeremiah 48:11-12 NLT). God had judged the northern kingdom of Israel. Now He was judging the southern kingdom of Judah. But He would also judge the nations that surrounded them, dealing with their sin and punishing them for their worship of other gods. These nations all knew of the existence of Yahweh. They had known about His mighty deeds since the day the people of God had entered the Land of Promise, but they chose to reject Him and worship gods of their own making. For the Moabites, Chemosh had become their god of choice. And they believed that their peace and security was due to their god, not Yahweh. Now they would learn the truth. Their god was no match for Yahweh. Their pride would be broken, their strength destroyed, and their arrogance reduced to weeping. God was going to destroy them. "Moab will no longer be a nation, for it has boasted against the Lord" (Jeremiah 48:42 NLT). But amazingly, God promised that He would one day restore the fortunes of Moab. There is a future day coming when those living in the land of Moab will worship the one true God in the restored city of Jerusalem. They will join the people of God in the worship of the Son of God who will sit on the throne of David ruling in the Millennial Kingdom. God will one day replace their pride with a proper passion for Him. He will replace their arrogance with an awe for who He is – the one true God and His Son as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Father, Your plan is complete and all-inclusive. You have not overlooked a single nation. You have a plan for every nation on the face of the earth. What a needed reminder of Your power and sovereignty. You are in control and there is no need for me to worry, fret, or panic over what I see happening in the world today. Amen

In God We Trust?

Jeremiah 46-47

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: "I will punish Amon, the god of Thebes, and all the other gods of Egypt. I will punish its rulers and Pharaoh, too, and all who trust in him. I will hand them over to those who want them killed — to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his army. But afterward the land will recover from the ravages of war. I, the Lord, have spoken!" ­– Jeremiah 46:25-26 NLT

These chapters contain oracles against the nations, in which God reveals what He is going to do to the various nations that existed during the time that Jeremiah prophesied. These are not necessarily statements regarding their punishment because of their mistreatment of Judah. In fact, we're not really told why these nations are being destroyed, other than for their pride. But the oracles seem to be reminders to the people of Judah not to make alliances with these nations in an attempt to stop the coming destruction predicted by God. During the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, there was a strong pro-Egyptian party in Judah that was pressing the king to make an alliance with Egypt in order to resist the advances of the Babylonians. God seems to be telling Judah that these plans would be useless. He had told King Jehoiakim to surrender to the Babylonians and not try to resist them. Any attempts to do so would not end well. And any attempts to form alliances with other nations would prove disastrous. These oracles are reminders that any plans we attempt to make that are contrary to the plans of God are doomed to failure.

Resisting God's will is never a bright idea. It will never end well. And yet, how often are we tempted to "make alliances" with the world in an attempt to forestall or simply ignore what God has told us to do? This world and its resources are always unreliable replacements for obedience to God. Anything that you and I turn to other than God, in an attempt to find peace, comfort, security, salvation, or protection will always fail us. Sometimes God has to physically remove those things from our lives to prove to us just how unreliable they really are. Finances are not inherently wrong or evil, but if I put all my trust and security in how much money I have in the bank or how well my investments are doing, I am allowing those things to replace my trust in God. They can become my source of hope and help. I can spend more time obsessing over my financial stability than I do my God.

God reminded His people that they were not to be afraid. In spite of all the predictions about coming destruction, He was going to be with them and protect them. Things were going to look bad, but God was still good. He promises, "But do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. For I will bring you home again from distant lands, and your children will return from their exile. Israel will return to a life of peace and quiet, and no one will terrorize them. Do not be afraid, Jacob, my servant, for I am with you. I will completely destroy the nations to which I have exiled you, but I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you, but with justice; I cannot let you go unpunished" (Jeremiah 46:27-28 NLT). God was with them. He had a reason for everything that He was doing. They just needed to trust Him. Turning to Egypt was not the answer. Replacing their trust in God with trust in someone or something else was not a wise alternative. It never is.

Father, it is amazing how easy it is to turn to something other than You for help and hope. I can do it without even realizing it is happening. When I become fearful I can find myself scheming and planning for ways to come up with a solution. But I know I need to turn to You instead. Help me trust You more. Open my eyes so that I might see the "Egypts" in my life. Don't let me make alliances with this world. Amen

We Will Do Whatever We Want.

Jeremiah 44-45

We will not listen to your messages from the Lord! We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense and pour out liquid offerings to the Queen of Heaven just as much as we like — just as we, and our ancestors, and our kings and officials have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles! ­– Jeremiah 44:16-17 NLT

Talk about stubborn. A rag-tag remnant of people from the nation of Judah have run away to Egypt to hide from the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Jeremiah the prophet has gone with them and delivers a message from God regarding their continuing idol worship. Here they are, living in exile in the land of Egypt, and God has to warn them yet again that He is about to destroy them because they are STILL worshiping idols instead of Him. They may have survived destruction in Judah, and think that they've escaped with their lives, but God assures them that they will suffer the same fate as before. "For not one of you will survive – not a man, woman, or child among you who has come here from Judah, not even the babies in your arms" (Jeremiah 44:7b NLT). But wait, there's more. God continues, "I will punish them in Egypt just as I punished them in Jerusalem, by war, famine, and disease" (Jeremiah 44:13 NLT). In other words, they could run, but they couldn't hide. And their response? "We will not listen to your messages from the Lord! We will do whatever we want! (Jeremiah 44:16 NLT). They were going to keep on doing what they were doing, regardless of what God had to say about it. And this wasn't something new. They admit that they had been worshiping idols all along – even when they were back in Judah. Why? Because from their perspective, they were better off when they were worshiping idols instead of God. They truly believed that it was when they stopped worshiping idols that everything began to fall apart for them. But God let's them know that it was their idolatry that was the source of all their troubles. He had finally had enough and had brought judgment on them. That was why Judah had fallen, Jerusalem had been captured, the Templehad been destroyed and their friends and family members were living as captives in Babylon.

Every prophecy that Jeremiah had made had been fulfilled. Every threat of judgment God had given had come about. Yet they still refused to listen and obey Him. They continued to turn to other gods for hope, healing and deliverance. More than likely they were praying and offering incense to Ashtoreth, the goddess of love and fertility. In the midst of all their sorrow and suffering, they had found comfort in a pagan goddess of sexuality. This "Queen of Heaven" had replaced the God of Heaven, and the attributed to her any and all blessings they had enjoyed. But God was going to set things right. This goddess of fertility and love was not going to protect them from the wrath of God. He would bring on them war, not love, and famine, not fertility. God was going to do to the Queen of Heaven what He had done to the gods of Egypt. He would take their god on head-on and reveal it for what it was – worthless, powerless and lifeless. He alone is God. He alone can save. He alone should be worshiped and obeyed.

Father, You are constantly destroying the idols in our lives. You reveal them for what they are – weak and worthless replacements for You. Open our eyes to see just how many we have in our lives and to turn from them and back to You – the only true God. Amen

We'll Obey As Long As It's What We Want To Do.

Jeremiah 41-43

May the Lord your God be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to obey whatever he tells us to do! Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord our God to whom we are sending you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us. ­– Jeremiah 42:5-6 NLT

Judah has fallen. The Babylonians have taken the majority of the people as captives back to Babylon and appointed a governor to rule over those who are left. But Ishmael and his followers decide to rebel against the Babylonians by killing Gedaliah the governor. But Ishmael's little coup doesn't last long. He ends up getting overthrown as well and goes into hiding. But the people who are left decide to pack their bags and run away to Egypt, out of fear for what the Babylonians will do once they find out their governor and all of his officials have been murdered. But before they go, the people ask Jeremiah the prophet to pray for them. They want him to ask God for His direction in the matter, and they pledge to do whatever he tells them to do, whether they like the answer or not. Sounds great, right? It all appears to super spiritual and pious. But the problem is, they didn't mean it. They had no intention of doing what God wanted. They simply wanted God to bless what they wanted. As long as God's answer affirmed their own decision, they would be happy. But if God somehow decided to disagree with them, all bets were off. And that's exactly what happened.

God warned them that they were not to go to Egypt. They could run but they couldn't hide from what was going to happen. It would simply follow them there. Egypt was not a refuge from the rebuke of God. It was not a safe haven and could not be used as a substitute for trusting in God. While their fears of retribution at the hands of the Babylonians was real, God wanted them to stay right where they were and trust Him. Fear and flight were natural responses to their situation, but God said, "Stay here in this land. If you do, I will build you up and not tear you down;  I will plant you and not uproot you" (Jeremiah 42:10 NLT). God assured them that if they stayed, He would be with them and rescue them from the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. Rather than punish them, God would cause Nebuchadnezzar to be kind to them and allow them to stay in the land. God was trying to assure them and show them that His power was greater than Nebuchadnezzar. God wanted them to see His power first hand, but if they ran away to Egypt, they would be running away from God, not just their problems!

But isn't that what we're so often prone to do? We come up against what appears to be an insurmountable, unsolvable problem. So we begin to fear and doubt, then we determine a course of action that makes sense to us. And that course of action usually includes some form of flight. We try to avoid or run from the situation. Then we decide the spiritual thing to do is pray. So we ask God to bless our decision. We want His divine seal of approval on our plan. Sure, we may pretend we want to know His will, but what we really want is for His will to come alongside ours. And when it doesn't, we rationalize it away, refusing to listen to God and stubbornly following through with our own agenda. So often, God's answer doesn't include removing our problem, but encouraging us to remain in it and to wait for Him to reveal His power in the midst of it. Logic tells us to run. God tells us to stay!

The people of Judah listened to logic. They rejected the word of God and did what they had always been planning to do. "The people refused to obey the voice of the Lord and went to Egypt" (Jeremiah 43:7 NLT). They sought refuge in something other than God. They put their hope and faith in some man-made institution, rather than in God. They feared. They fled. And they failed to see God work.

Father, that is too often the story of my life. I find myself in difficult circumstances and come up with what I believe to be the perfect solution. Then I pray, asking for you to bless what I have decided to do. And when You don't, I go ahead with my plan anyway. The problem rarely goes away. It usually gets worse. And I never get to see Your power revealed in the midst of my problems. Help me to stop running away to Egypt. I want to learn to trust You more and have the joy of watching You work on my behalf. Amen

Yet I Will Rejoice.

Habakkuk 3

"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!" ­– Habakkuk 3:17-18 NLT

In the good times we are great at being grateful. But what about the not-so-good times? How well do we praise God when we don't seem to have much to praise Him for? I'll be honest, praising God in the midst of troubles is hard to do. I find it difficult to rejoice in God when my circumstances are less-than-favorable. The picture of the apostles singing hymns and praising God from a dungeon has always bothered me. I tend to see myself as breaking into song once God has delivered me from my trial, not in the midst of it. I want to praise Him once I get out of prison, not while I'm in it. Yet, in the book of Habakkuk, we have the prophet singing the praises of God while he is still in the middle of a dire situation. Nothing has changed regarding his circumstance. There has been no improvement. In fact, Habakkuk says that he is willing for it to get worse, and even if it does, he will rejoice in the Lord of his salvation. Amazing! But what changed Habakkuk? Because when the book started he was busy throwing questions at God. He was full of doubt and indecision. He wanted answers and solutions to his problems. What changed?

It would appear that Habakkuk got a vision of God. He writes, "I wee God moving across the deserts from Edom, the Holy One coming from Mount Paran. His brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and the earth is filled with his praise" (Habakkuk 3:3 NLT). With a glimpse of who God really is, Habakkuk's view of God had changed. He saw God's power, awesomeness, majesty, and His ability to do whatever He wants to do. He saw who God was and began to trust Him for His character. Rather than dwell on his circumstances, Habakkuk learned to look at his God. Habakkuk's growing awareness of the greatness of God made his fear of his circumstances diminish. He began to trust. He said, "I will wait quietly for the coming day…" (Habakkuk 3:16b NLT). Because he had discovered the truth about the character of God, he knew he could rely on God to deliver His people. And even if everything got worse – the crops failed, the sheep died, and the circumstances in Judah went from bad to worse – he was going to rejoice in the Lord. He was going to find joy in the God of his salvation. He didn't have to find joy in his circumstances. His joy was going to be found in God. Because of who he knew God to be, he knew he could rejoice. His God was faithful and true. His God was powerful and capable of delivering His people from the worst of circumstances. Habakkuk was not going to judge his God based on the circumstances, but he was going to judge his circumstances based on his God. He closes the book by claiming, "The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to treat upon the heights" (Habakkuk 3:19 NLT).

"It is right and proper to voice appreciation of God's goodness when he bestows all that is necessary for life, health, and prosperity. But when these things are lacking, to rejoice in God for his own sake is evidence of pure faith." – F. F. Bruce, Habakkuk

Father, living safe in the valley, free from trials and troubles is not what You have called us to. I want to be like a deer, able to exist on the dangerous cliffs of life, protected by Your strength and equipped to live on the edge. Help me to see my life circumstances as opportunities to discover more about You. I want to see Your power, strength, love, mercy and grace revealed through the bad times, not just the good times. May I learn to rest quietly in You and wait patiently and expectantly in Your salvation. Amen

There's No Need To Panic.

Habakkuk 2

This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. ­– Habakkuk 2:3 NLT

In chapter one, Habakkkuk shared a lot of his questions with God. Why? How long? Where are You? What are You doing? When are You going to act? Are You going to let the wicked get away with this?

Now, in chapter two, God responds. And the first thing He does is remind Habakkuk that His plan is future-oriented. It may appear slow in coming, but Habakkuk is to remain patient, because regardless of how things appear, God will deal with all of these questions in His perfect timing. From God's perspective, there is no delay. The problem is, we don't don't know what God knows and we can't see what God sees. We have a limited perspective and tend to view things from our point of view. What appears to be a delay is really just part of God's plan. What seems to be a non-answer from God is just the right answer in a different form. Habakkuk saw injustice, greed, and evil of all kinds taking place around him and he wanted God to do something. He assumed that because nothing was happening to those who were guilty, God was not at work. That is always a wrong assumption, because God is ALWAYS at work. He is never NOT God. He doesn't sleep, take a holiday break, or fail to do His job as the sovereign God of the universe. He is fully aware of all injustice and the sins of men. While it may look like He is oblivious to what is going on in the world, God sees it all and will deal with it all.

Chapter two ends with the statement, "But the Lord is in his holy Temple. Let all the earth be silent before him" (Habakkuk 2:20 NLT). It is a statement of sovereignty, power, and control. God is in heaven and He sits on His throne, reigning in holiness and righteousness. He has the perfect vantage point to view the wickedness of men and the injustice taking place in the world He has made. The presence of evil and sin is not an indication of God's impotence, but His patience. He is willing to wait and deal with the evil in the world according to His original, divine timeline. Nothing will change that. He will not be rushed into implementing His plan a minute earlier. While we may want to see all the wrongs righted and the evil punished immediately, God knows what He is doing and He will do it at just the right time and in just the right way. God tells Habakkuk, "The righteous will live by their faithfulness to God" (Habukkuk 2:4b NLT). We will live in this world to the degree that we trust and rely on God and His faithfulness. We can endure the ups and downs of this life because God can be trusted. We have faith in His faithfulness. We trust in His trustworthiness. We rely on His unfailing reliability.

Father, living in this world it is so easy to panic because things don't always seem to be going the way I think they should. Sometimes it appears as if You are nowhere to be found. It looks like You have lost control or just lost interest in the affairs of men. But never let me forget that You are the sovereign God of the universe and You are ALWAYS in control. I can trust You to do the right thing at just the right time because You are righteous, holy, and true. And You are always trustworthy. Amen

Things Are Not Always As They Seem.

Habakkuk 1

The Lord replied, "Look around at the nations; look and be amazed!a For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it." ­– Habakkuk 1:5 NLT

Habakkuk was a contemporary of Jeremiah. He lived in the southern kingdom of Judah prior to the fall of the city of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. So he had a ringside seat to all the attrocities going on inside the nation of Judah. He also had to watch as the enemy surrounded the nation and prepared to destroy it. His unique vantage point caused Habakkuk to wrestle with questions about what God was doing or not doing in regards to His chosen people. As a prophet, Habakkuk was appalled at the sin and injustice going on within the borders of Judah. "Violence is everywhere!" he cried out to God. Evil and misery surrounded him. Justice was non-existent and it seemed as if the entire population of Judah loved to fight and argue over everything. The wicked outnumbered the righteous. And from Habakkuk's perspective, it appeared as if God was doing nothing about it.

But God assures Habakkuk that his perception was far from reality. God was doing something about it. Something that Habakkuk and his fellow citizens of Judah would find unbelievable. God was going to use the pagan nation of Babylon to punish and destroy His own chosen people. Yes, God was going to use the wicked to destroy the righteous – except that the people of Judah were far from righteous in their behavior. They had become as wicked as the nations that had once occupied the land of Canaan. There were just as idolatrous, morally impure, and deserving of God's wrath as any other nation on the face of the earth. The presence of the Temple and their position as God's chosen people was not going to spare them from divine punishment. God was going to act, and yes, He was going to use a nation that was "deeply guilty, for their own strength is their god" (Habakkuk 1:11b NLT).

Habakkuk was shocked. ""Surely you do not plan to wipe us out?" (Habakkuk 1:12b NLT). God had told him he wouldn't believe it, and he didn't. The people of God saw themselves as indestructible and above reproach. Even though the people of Judah had watched their kinsmen in Israel suffer a similar fate and fall to the Assyrians, they continued to live in open rebellion to God, expecting Him to continue to protect them because they were the descendants of Abraham and heirs of the covenant God had made to Abraham. From their perspective, God needed them to fulfill His promise. They were essential to God's future plans. So Habakkuk was blown away at the thought that God would actually destroy them. He couldn't understand how any of this was going to work out for the best. But Habakkuk, even though he was a prophet, suffered from a lack of vision. He was myopic and focused on the here and now. He couldn't see past the present and understand that God had something bigger in mind than the preservation of a handful of Jews in the land of Palestine. God didn't need the Temple or the city of Jerusalem to accomplish His will. He didn't need Habakkuk, Jeremiah, or any other Jew living in the land at that time. God could and would accomplish His divine plan in spite of them. The fact that He would preserve and protect even a single one of them was an expression of His grace, not His need for their help. God's plan is preeminent, and He will do whatever He has to do to see it accomplished. And because God is righteous, all that He does is right and just. He makes no mistakes. His actions are always right and His motivations pure. Habakkuk did not understand. None of it made sense to him. But God was in control. Things were not as they seemed. God was going to do what needed to be done and the outcome would be just what was needed for righteousness to prevail.

Father, open my eyes and help me to see life from Your perspective. Allow me to view the circumstances of my life from Your vantage point and not mine. I can become so focused on my own desires and what I believe needs to happen, that I lose sight of what You are doing in the world. Never let me forget that You are in control, even when things appear out of control. Amen

God Is Not Done Yet.

2 Chronicles 36

This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: "The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are the Lord's people may go there for this task. And may the Lord your God be with you." ­– 2 Chronicles 36:23 NLT

All the prophecies of Jeremiah came true. Everything he had warned the people about actually took place. Judah had fallen and the people had been taken captive to Babylon. Those few who were left rebelled against the Babylonians, killing the governor appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar, and causing them to run away to Egypt for protection. The land was left desolate. "So the message of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said" (2 Chronicles 36:21 NLT). If the book of Chronicles ended here, it would be a sad story indeed. The people were captives in a pagan land. The land itself was empty and the cities were vacant shells, devoid of life. The Temple was destroyed and the sacrificial system had been abandoned. And this would go on for 70 long years. But all during this time, God kept communicating to His people through prophets like Daniel and Ezekiel. He would continue to call them to repentance. He would continue to assure them that He was not done with them. They would one day return to the land and He would reestablish His relationship with them. The Temple would be rebuilt and sacrifices would once again be made on behalf of the people. The book of 2 Chronicles ends with the words, "In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus…" (2 Chronicles 36:22 NLT).

In spite of man's failure, God was going to prove His faithfulness yet again. He was going to fulfill what He had promised. The seventy years of captivity was up, and it was time to restore the people to the land. So God, the sovereign God of the universe, stepped into time and moved the heart of a pagan king to make a proclamation on behalf of His people. King Cyrus, the ruler of Persia, was going to be used by God to restore the people of God to the land. God had already used Persia to destroy Babylon, now He was using Persia to accomplish His will for Judah. It is amazing to read the words of a pagan king speaking on behalf of the God of Israel:

"The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you! Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem." – Ezra 1:2-4 NLT

God was going to show grace and mercy to His people once again. He was graciously going to restore them to favor and reestablish their presence in the Land of Promise. He miraculously moved the heart of a pagan king to decree not only the return of the people, but the restoration of the Temple. Cyrus would even encourage his own people to help defray the cost of the reconstruction of the Temple, as well as the expenses associated with their return trip to the land. After years of rebellion, rejection, and stubborn refusal to follow the commands of God, the people were going to experience the unmerited favor of God in an amazing way.

What an incredible reminder of the character of the God we serve. His justice required that He deal justly and rightly with the sins of His people. He could not overlook their sin. But His unfailing love was expressed through His grace and mercy as He restored them to the land and to fellowship with Him. His faithfulness required that He keep His promises, in spite of all they had done to prove their own unfaithfulness. He had to rebuke, but He also restored. He had to punish, but He also pardoned. A new chapter is about to begin in the life of the people of God. They are being given a new opportunity to serve Him. He is once again setting them apart for His service and His glory. The story is not yet over. God's grace and mercy have not been exhausted. His patience has not run out. He remains committed to His promises and determined to complete His redemptive plan for mankind. And the same holds true today.

Father, You are not done yet. You are still at work in the world, renewing the lives of men and reestablishing a right relationship with those whom You choose. Thank You for restoring me to a right relationship with You almost 50 years ago. And thank You for the patience, mercy and grace You have shown to me over the years. You are not done with me yet, and for that I am eternally grateful. Amen

Full Circle.

2 Kings 24-25

Then all the people of Judah, from the least to the greatest, as well as the army commanders, fled in panic to Egypt, for they were afraid of what the Babylonians would do to them. ­– 2 Kings 25:26 NLT

Do you remember how this story all started? The descendants of Jacob had been living in the land of Egypt as slaves. They had grown and multiplied so greatly that the Egyptians had become fearful of their sheer numbers and were making their lives increasingly difficult. God heard their cries and sent Moses to them as a deliverer. God miraculously freed them from their slavery to Egypt and led them to a land He had promised them – the land of Canaan. On the way there, they whined and moaned about the difficulty of their journey, their lack of food and water, and the leadership of Moses and Aaron. They even expressed regret that they had ever left Egypt, begging Moses to take them back. But God continued to put up with their bickering and complaining, providing them with manna and quail to eat and water to drink. He even kept their sandals from wearing out as they walked across the wilderness. While the first generation were required to wander in the wilderness until they died off for refusing to obey God's command and occupy the land, the second generation actually made it in. They began to do what God had told them to do, and started amassing victories over the nations that lived in the land. But they never did obey God completely. They began to intermarry with the pagan nations and worship their gods. God gave them Judges to rule over them and rescue them when they got in trouble for their sinful lifestyles. He then gave them kings to act as His vice-regents, ruling on His behalf. But most of them turned out to be godless, rebelling against the very one who had placed them on the throne in the first place. Eventually, the kingdom split in two, dividing up the land and the people, and leaving the people of God in a constant state of civil war. And now we come to the end. The northern kingdom of Israel had been taken captive to Assyria years before, and now Judah was destroyed by the Babylonians. A remnant had been left in the land and been allowed to live off the produce of what was still a very productive land. Yet, they decided to rebel once again, killing Gedaliah, the governor the Babylonians had put over them. Then out of fear of retribution, they all fled to – of all places – Egypt. The story has come full circle. They are right back where they started from. Yes, some of them are in Assyria and some are in Babylon, but a small remnant find themselves in the land of Egypt, the very place God had delivered their forefathers from all those years ago.

Things had come full circle. For all intents and purposes, the land of promise was now empty again. The people of God were living in exile in Assyria, Babylon and Egypt. But God was not done with them. He continued to speak to them through His prophets like Ezekiel and Daniel, men who were living in exile along with the people. These men would continue to call the people to repentance and remind them that God was going to return them to the land one day. He would remain faithful to His covenant promises. A descendant of David would someday sit on the throne in Jerusalem. The city would be rebuilt and the land reoccupied.

But how sobering to think about these people returning to the very place where God had once delivered them. They had gone back instead of forward. They had reverted to their old way of life. God had delivered, but the digressed. He had released them from slavery, but they willingly returned. And isn't that what many of us do in our lives today? God delivers us from sinful habits and unhealthy lifestyles, only to watch us willingly return right back to where we started. We go back to the beginning and wallow in the same addictions and habits we once struggled with and He delivered us from. Rather than trust Him, we return to what was comfortable. We forget how miserable we were before. Somehow we convince ourselves to believe that the past is preferable to our present circumstances. Yet God is calling us to trust Him. He wants us to remain faithful to Him, regardless of what we see going on around us. He wants us to stop rebelling and start relying. Going back to Egypt is the easy way out. It appears to offer us a way of escape and a respite from the difficulties in our lives. But God wants us to trust Him with our present and our future. He wants us to rest in the fact that He has a plan for our lives and He knows what is best. Running away to Egypt is not the answer. Returning to our past is not the solution. Trusting Him is.

Father, it is so easy to run away to Egypt – to return to what we know best – our old habits, sins, addictions and hangups. But keep us trusting in You regardless of how things may look around us. Egypt will always be there, tempting us with apparent safety and security, but never let us forget that You set us from those things to which we are tempted to return to. You have a greater future planned for us. But we have to trust You. Amen

God's Remnant.

Jeremiah 40; Psalm 79

When the Judeans in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and the other nearby countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a few people in Judah and that Gedaliah was the governor, they began to return to Judah from the places to which they had fled. They stopped at Mizpah to meet with Gedaliah and then went into the Judean countryside to gather a great harvest of grapes and other crops. ­– Jeremiah 40:11-12 NLT

The land of Judah had fallen. Jerusalem had been sacked and destroyed by the Babylonians. The best and the brightest of the nation had been taken captive and deported to the land of Babylon, and only the old, the poor and the helpless had been left in the land. Things could not have looked any bleaker. Even Jeremiah, the despised prophet of God, chose to remain in Judah with the few who were left in the land. Asaph, the Psalmist, records just how bad things seemed to be in Psalm 79. "O God, pagan nations have conquered your land, your special possession. They have defiled your holy Temple and made Jerusalem a heap of ruins. They have left the bodies of your servants as food for the birds of heaven. The flesh of your godly ones has become food for the wild animals" (Psalm 79:1-2 NLT). From a human perspective, things did look desperate. It did appear as if God had completely abandoned His people. The unthinkable had happened. A pagan, godless nation had completely destroyed the nation God had set apart as His own. The land of promise lay desolate and ruined. Or did it?

Even in the aftermath of the destruction of Judah, God was still extending grace to His people. Slowly, those who had fled to the hills in anticipation of the coming judgment at the hands of the Babylonians, began to return. Yes, many of the cities lay in ruins and the land had been stripped bare by the invading army of Babylon. But Gedaliah, who had been appointed governor of Judah by the Babylonians, encouraged the people left in the land to "settle in the towns you have taken, and live off the land. Harvest the grapes and summer fruits and olives, and store them away" (Jeremiah 40:10b NLT). And as they made their way into the Judean countryside, they found "a great harvest of grapes and other crops" (Jeremiah 40:12b). The Land of Promise was still fruitful and abundant. God was still providing blessing in the midst of even the curse of destruction. His promise of a land of abundance and blessing was still true and He was still providing for His people. Once again, the people of God were going to harvest crops they didn't plant and drink wine from vineyards they didn't cultivate. God was going to provide for His own even in their need. Those who had been left behind or who had hidden themselves during the siege of Jerusalem, were not more deserving of God's blessing than those who had been taken captive. This was not about one group being more deserving than the other. This is a picture of the mercy and grace of God. He mercifully left a remnant in the land and graciously provided for them. He showed them His undeserved merit and favor, in spite of their rebellion and resistance to His will.

I am reminded of the words of Paul, when he tells us to consider just how fortunate we are as believers to have been chosen to be a part of God's redeemed remnant. "Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God" (1 Corinthians 30:26-29 NLT). We are like that remnant – a small, helpless and seemingly hopeless group of individuals, left behind after the fall. But God has graciously showed us favor and extended to us His grace through His Son Jesus Christ. As a result, we can experience blessing and spiritual abundance even while living in a world that is suffering as a result of their own sinfulness. We reap the rewards of a relationship with God that we didn't cultivate but that was provided by the word of Jesus Christ on the cross. We were weak, powerless, foolish, and despised, but God has chosen to reveal His power through us. God has always worked through a remnant. He has always kept His promises alive by keeping a remnant alive. We may be in the minority. The odds may seem overwhelming. But God will provide. And He will get all the glory.

Father, I am so grateful that You chose to make me a part of Your remnant. Thank You for choosing me in spite of my weakness and foolishness. Thank You for providing for me when I couldn't provide for myself. May I live for You because Your Son died for me. May I recognize each day that my presence here is because of You, and not because of anything I have done to deserve Your favor. Your blessings are undeserved by me, but certainly not unappreciated. Amen

Salvation By Grace Alone Through Faith Alone.

Jeremiah 38-39; Psalm 74

Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward. I will rescue you and keep you safe. I, the Lord, have spoken! ­– Jeremiah 39:18 NLT

Ebed Melech. Not exactly a household name, and certainly not one that people have on their short list of names for their newborn sons. Yet Ebed Melech, this rather obscure character holds a very important place in the history of Israel and the plan of God. He is recognized for his faith and remembered for the risk he took to preserve the life of the prophet of God when everyone else was ready to see Jeremiah silenced for good. When Jeremiah had been arrested, thrown in an empty cistern, and left for dead, Ebed Melech came to his rescue. He reported Jeremiah's circumstances to the king and then formed a rescue party to extract the prophet from the cistern. And he did all this at great risk to his own life. As an official of King Zedekiah's court, Ebed Melech ran the risk of angering his boss and alienating his peers. He also risked being misunderstood for his compassion for the prophet and ending up in a similar of worse predicament. But Ebed Melech stepped out in faith and did what he believed to be right. He knew the prophet of God was not guilty or deserving of what had been done to him. He knew that Jeremiah had been speaking truth – even though he was an Ethiopian and not a Jew. As a Gentile, he better understood what God was going than the children of Israel who claimed to serve Yahweh. And God makes it clear that it was Ebed Melech's faith that saved him. God told him, "Yes, I'll most certainly save you. You won't be killed. You'll walk out of there safe and sound because you trusted me" (Jeremiah 39:18 MSG). Ebed Melech trusted the God of Jeremiah. The Hebrew word used here for trust is batach and it means "to put confidence in, to trust in." Ebed Melech was not trusting in King Zedekiah, or the military strength of Judah. He was not trusting in his ability to keep quiet and mind his own business. He was going to do the right thing and trust God for the outcome. He knew what he had to do and he did it. And his faith resulted in not only Jeremiah's salvation, but his own. God responded to his faith with grace. He extended to this Ethiopian, non-Hebrew official, His undeserved mercy and grace. God did not save Ebed Melech because of what he did, but because what Ebed Melech did was based on a confidence and trust in Him. His action was trust in action. Doing what he did required that he ignore common sense and reason, and step out in faith. Ebed Melech didn't know how any of this would turn out. He wasn't assured that the king would even listen to him when he appealed for Jeremiah's release. He didn't know how his fellow officials would react when he secured the release of the very one they had tried to get rid of. Ebed Melech was probably not going to be a popular figure for having rescued the prophet from death. He would not be hailed as a hero. But his actions were not based on a preferred outcome. They were based on faith. He did not do what he did because he knew it would all turn out for the best, but because he knew it was the right thing to do. He saw an innocent man being unjustly sentenced to death and he knew he could not stand by and just watch it happen. So he put his faith in God into action for Jeremiah, and he trusted God for the outcome.

Every day, you and I are faced with opportunities to put our faith into action. We are given occasion after occasion to take our trust in God and bring it to life through acts of love and service to others. We are given the chance to do the right thing, when we don't know how it will turn out if we do. We are prompted by the Holy Spirit to speak up, stand up, reach out, and rest in the power of God. Stepping out in faith is not a guarantee that all our problems will go away. Ebed Melech still had to go through the fall of Jerusalem. He would still have to witness God's punishment on the nation. But he would be spared. God would protect him through it all – all because he showed faith. When you compare Ebed Melech with Zedekiah, the king of Judah, you see a marked contrast. The king of Judah refused to trust God. He had placed his faith in Egypt. He had hoped for salvation from a different source than God. He had refused to trust God and leave the results up to Him. God had told him to simply trust and obey, and things would turn out for the better. "If you will turn yourself over to the generals of the king of Babylon, you will live, this city won't be burned down, and your family will live" (Jeremiah 38:17 MSG). All Zedekiah had to do was trust God. He had to give up his plan for God's. He had to exchange his will for God's. He had to quit trying to control the future and leave it in God's faithful hands. Ebed Melech did just that, and he enjoyed salvation at the hand of God. He was extended the grace of God as a result of his faith in God. And we can enjoy that same experience each and every day of our lives.

Father, thank You for the life of Ebed Melech. He is a picture of what it means to trust You in the midst of life's darkest moments. May I learn to trust You more with each passing day. May I learn to step out in faith, based solely on Your trustworthy character and grace-filled love for me. Amen

The Best-Laid Schemes of Mice and Men, Go Oft Awry.

Jeremiah 37

I, the GOD of Israel, want you to give this Message to the king of Judah, who has just sent you to me to find out what he should do. Tell him, "Get this: Pharaoh's army, which is on its way to help you, isn't going to stick it out. No sooner will they get here than they'll leave and go home to Egypt. And then the Babylonians will come back and resume their attack, capture this city and burn it to the ground." ­– Jeremiah 37:7-8 MSG

King Zekekiah had a plan. In spite of all the warnings and prophecies from the lips of Jeremiah about the fall of Jerusalem and the futility of trying to resist the coming invasion of Judah by the Babylonians, Zedekiah thought he could outsmart God. He owed his position as king to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the invading forces of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar had taken Jehoiachin, the king of Judah, captive back to Babylon and placed Zedekiah, Jehoicihin's uncle on the throne in his place. He had even given Zedekiah his name, changing it from Mattaniah. In return for his new name and position, Zedekiah had made an oath in God's name to Nebuchadnezzar to be a faithful servant to him. But in the book of Second Chronicles we read that Zedekiah was "a hard and stubborn man, refusing to turn to the Lord, the God of Israel" (2 Chronicles 36:13 NLT). He not only rebelled against God, he refused to submit to the authority of Babylon. He came up with the ingenious plan of forming an alliance with Egypt, and using them as a means of rejecting and rebelling against the rule of Babylon. Even though Jeremiah had made it painfully clear that nothing short of repentance could alter God's plans for Judah's destruction, Zedekiah had other ideas. He truly believed he could outsmart and out-maneuver God. He could escape the divine decree with a little planning and diplomacy. But God's plan always trumps ours.

But he rebelled and sent emissaries to Egypt to recruit horses and a big army. Do you think that's going to work? Are they going to get by with this? Does anyone break a covenant and get off scot-free? As sure as I am the living God, this king who broke his pledge of loyalty and his covenant will die in that country, in Babylon. Pharaoh with his big army--all those soldiers!--won't lift a finger to fight for him when Babylon sets siege to the city and kills everyone inside. Because he broke his word and broke the covenant, even though he gave his solemn promise, because he went ahead and did all these things anyway, he won't escape. Therefore, GOD, the Master, says, As sure as I am the living God, because the king despised my oath and broke my covenant, I'll bring the consequences crashing down on his head. – Ezekiel 17:15-19 MSG

What Zedekiah failed to understand was that God's plan for Judah went way beyond the siege of Jerusalem and the short-term exile of the people to Babylon. God had a long-term plan for His people that included their ultimate return and restoration to the land after a 70-year hiatus. It also included a future restoration to a right relationship with Him and the return of a descendant of David to the throne of Israel. That has yet to happen, but will when Jesus Christ returns and establishes His kingdom in the New Jerusalem. Zedekiah, like the rest of us, lived in the here and now. He was focused on his immediate context and could not see any good coming from a siege and possible exile to Babylon. He didn't like God's plan, so he came up with his own. He couldn't appreciate or understand that God's plan, while difficult to accept, was ultimately going to turn out for the better. Sometimes we find ourselves going through situations or circumstances we don't like, and we can't see any good coming from them, so we begin to scheme and plan a way of escape. Rather than ask God what He might be trying to teach us in the midst of our difficulty, we begin to figure out an alternative escape route. When we do, we are basically telling God that we doubt His love for us. We are rejecting His plan for us. We are denying His power and diminishing His sovereignty. In essence, we are saying that we are in control, not Him. We know what is best, not Him. Our plans can be trusted, not His. Our will is to be preferred over His. But God's plan can't be stopped, altered, derailed, and replaced with our own. Zedekiah would learn that his best-laid scheme was going to fail. Egypt would leave. Babylon would return. Jerusalem would fall. And he would end up in Babylon, blinded, humiliated and enslaved. Had Zedekiah listened to the word of God spoken by Jeremiah, the prophet of God, he could have saved himself a lot of trouble. That doesn't mean his life would have been easy, but it would have meant that he was living obediently within the will of God rather than striving to replace God's will with his own. We may not always understand what is going on when it comes to our circumstances, but we must believe that God is in control and He has a plan that is bigger and better than anything we might come up with. He is in control and He has a bigger-picture plan that we can't see. We can trust that He ultimately knows what is best for us, because He loves us.

Father, my plans rarely work, but I continue to come up with them. At the end of the day, it is because I don't trust Your plan. I doubt Your ability to take care of me, so I come up with ways to take care of myself. Please forgive me. Help me to see Your bigger plan as better than mine. Give me an eternal perspective, not a temporal one. Help me to view my situations through Your eyes, not mine. I want to learn to trust You more. Amen

Selective Hearing.

Jeremiah 35-36

Each time Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king took a knife and cut off that section of the scroll. He then threw it into the fire, section by section, until the whole scroll was burned up. Neither the king nor his attendants showed any signs of fear or repentance at what they heard. Even when Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll, he wouldn’t listen. ­– Jeremiah 36:23-25 NLT

Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of our nation, believed that the ethical system of Jesus was the finest the world has ever seen. The only problem was that he did not believe in much of what was in the Bible. So he decided to create his own version, and called it "The Jefferson Bible." In it, he sought to separate the ethical teachings of Jesus from the religious dogma and other supernatural elements that were added to the account by the four Gospels. He presented these teachings, along with the essential events of the life of Jesus, in one continuous narrative. In essence, Jefferson cut out what he didn't like and left in those elements he agreed with. Which is exactly what we find King Jehoiakim doing in our passage in Jeremiah today. Jeremiah had been instructed by God to write down every single prophesy God had given him over the years on a single scroll. Then Jeremiah had his servant, Baruch, read the contents of that scroll in the hearing of all the people at the Temple. Eventually, the scroll made its way to the throne room of the king where it was read to Jehoiakim. His reaction? As each section was read, he would use a knife to cut it up and burn it on a fire, until the entire document was consumed. Jehoiakim, unlike Jefferson, found NOTHING he could agree with in the words of God. He refused them all. But he was going to find out that rejecting the words of God did not eliminate their power. God was still going to do what He said He would do. Jehoiakim's little show of rebellion did not remove the consequences for his sin.

It's amazing how easy it is for us to ignore or blatantly reject the words of God because we don't like what they have to say. There are probably certain books of the Bible that you shy away from because you find them convicting or difficult to read. You may even choose to read only those passages that you find encouraging or non-convicting. That's a big reason most people stay away from the Old Testament. It presents a God who is too harsh and demanding. There is too much talk about rules and obedience to commands. So we gravitate to the New Testament, and particularly the Gospels. Even the letters of Paul can be a bit intimidating, requiring way too much effort and energy for our tastes. So we develop selective reading, and therefore, selective obedience. Our Bible may be intact, but like Jefferson, we only read and respond to those parts we find agreeable.

God was looking for commitment. He even used the Recabites as an example. These were a group of Jews who had made a covenant with the patriarch of their family not to drink wine, buy land, plant crops, but to live in tents all the days of their lives. And for over 200 years they had faithfully kept their word. God had Jeremiah attempt to get them to break their vow by offering them wine. God knew they would refuse – and they did. He used them as an illustration of the kind of commitment He was looking for from His own people. The Recabites could have easily accepted Jeremiah's offer of the wine, justifying their actions by saying that they had been faithful for 200 years, so what would a little sip hurt now. They could have excused their actions by saying that they would continue to keep the other aspects of their covenant, refusing to buy land and plant crops, and they would keep on living in tents. They could have compromised. But they didn't. They knew that to break one aspect of their agreement was to violate it all. Jehoiakim could burn the scroll in an effort to do away with God's word, but it would not change a thing. He could have buried the scroll, refused to listen when it was read, or killed the one who wrote it. But none of that would have changed the outcome. God's Word stands. We can ignore it, refuse to read it, selectively obey it, or try to interpret according to our own standards, but none of that changes the content. God wants commitment and obedience. He wants repentance and dependence. Jefferson's Bible was just that – his Bible. It was no longer the Word of God, because Jefferson had removed the words of God. But God's Word remained unchanged. His commands and claims were undiminished. God's Word is unchanging.

Father, forgive me for the times in which I attempt to ignore Your Word or twist it to say what I want it to say. Give me the strength to obey it faithfully. May I read it all and obey it all. May I see it all as divinely inspired and applicable to my life today. Amen

When Will They Ever Learn?

Jeremiah 34

And now, [you] – what have you done? First you turned back to the right way and did the right thing, decreeing freedom for your brothers and sisters--and you made it official in a solemn covenant in my Temple. And then you turned right around and broke your word, making a mockery of both me and the covenant, and made them all slaves again, these men and women you'd just set free. You forced them back into slavery. ­– Jeremiah 34:15-16 MSG

King Nebuchadnezzar and the armies of Babylon have the city of Jerusalem under siege. Only three fortified cities remain undefeated and intact within the entire nation of Judah. King Zedekiah of Judah had made matters worse because he refused to surrender as God had told him to. Instead, he had made an alliance with Egypt, hoping to resist the inevitable, but he only made Nebuchadnezzar angrier. This was the third time the Babylonians had come up against Judah as they systematically swept their way across the nation, leaving the capital city of Jerusalem until last. All the prophesies of Jeremiah were taking place. The very judgment God had forewarned them about was about to happen. And yet the people of Judah remained as stubborn and unrepentant as ever.

At one point Zedekiah, sometime during the siege, the people had made a covenant, a solemn agreement with God, that they would release all their slaves who were Hebrews. They had obviously been violating God's law regarding the keeping of fellow Hebrews as slaves and had been refusing to keep His commands regarding the Year of Jubilee. God had given the people of Israel specific instructions about these matters. "If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and cannot support himself, support him as you would a foreigner or a temporary resident and allow him to live with you. Do not charge interest or make a profit at his expense. Instead, show your fear of God by letting him live with you as your relative. Remember, do not charge interest on money you lend him or make a profit on food you sell him. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God" (Leviticus 25:35-38 NLT).

But the people of Judah had not been obeying God's command. Under the pressure of siege and the threat of being taken captive as slaves themselves, they suddenly decide to set things right. They were probably trying to appease God in some way by their actions. So they make a covenant with God, ratifying it by sacrificing an animal and splitting the body into two pieces. They would then walk between the two pieces signifying that they were pledging to keep their part of the covenant or face the same kind of death the animal had just experienced. It was obedience or death. So the people set their slaves free. But something caused them to change their minds. Maybe there was a lull in the siege. Whatever it was, the people decided to go back on their word and force their former slaves back into slavery. God was not happy. He reminded them of His law. "I made a covenant with your ancestors when I delivered them out of their slavery in Egypt. At the time I made it clear: At the end of seven years, each of you must free any fellow Hebrew who has had to sell himself to you. After he has served six years, set him free. But your ancestors totally ignored me" (Jeremiah 34:13-14 MSG).

And they continued to ignore Him. They appeared to repent, but failed to remain repentant. They changed their minds. They reconsidered their decision. They thought better of it. They reneged on their promise to God. But what was it going to take to make them change? How bad were things going to have to get for them to truly repent and return to God? They were on the verge of total devastation, surrounded by the most powerful army in the world, and facing death or at least deportation and years of slavery. But they changed their minds. They un-repented. Totally unbelievable, isn't it? Or is it? How many times do we make promises to God in the heat of the moment, only to break those same promises when the heat subsides? When under pressure, we can appear repentant, but fail to remain repentant when the pressure is off. We think we can manipulate God by appearing to give Him what He wants, until we really get what WE want. Then all bets are off. We change our mind. We go back on our word. And think nothing of it. But God is not pleased or impressed with our feigned repentance and words of sorrow. He wants changed hearts that result in changed behavior.

Father, forgive me for the many times I act repentant and sorrowful for my actions when things don't seem to be going well in my world. I make promises to change, but then when circumstances improve, I simply change my mind. I go back on my word and continue to ignore Your Word. May my repentance always be real and lasting, not fake and fleeting. I want my repentance to be based on my relationship with You, not the predicament I find myself in. I want to learn to obey You out of love, not fear. Amen

A Sure-Fire Investment.

Jeremiah 32-33

And yet, O Sovereign Lord, you have told me to buy the field—paying good money for it before these witnesses—even though the city will soon be handed over to the Babylonians. ­– Jeremiah 32:15 NLT

We've all received bad investment advice at one time or another. Lately, if you have any investments at all, you've seen their value drop like a rock as the economy continues to struggle. But who in their right mind would buy a piece of property in a land that was about to become the property of another nation? Who would make an investment like that knowing good and well that for the next 70 years he would be living in exile in another land? Yet that is exactly the investment advice that God gave Jeremiah – who is sitting in jail when he receives the great news from God. The ironic thing is that God had Jeremiah buy a piece of property outside the city walls of Jerusalem where the troops of Babylon had taken up occupancy more than a year earlier when they began their seige of the city. Jeremiah was buying enemy-occupied land. Yet he did as God commanded and bought the land for 17 pieces of silver. Jeremiah knew that this was another object lesson God was giving him in order to make a point. "For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, 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'" (Jeremiah 32:15 NLT). God had assured Jeremiah that this was a good investment – but Jeremiah had his doubts – and he expressed them in a prayer.

While he believed that nothing was too hard for God to do, he began to have second thoughts about the wisdom of His investment strategy. Even if God returned them to the land, it would be seventy years later, and Jeremiah would not be around to use the land he had bought. His 17 pieces of silver would have been wasted. Even if Jeremiah's descendants were someday able to occupy the land he had bought, he would never have the pleasure of living on it himself. Yet God assures Jeremiah, "I will certainly bring my people back again from all the countries where I will scatter them in my fury. I will bring them back to this very city and let them live in peace and safety. They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose: to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me." (Jeremiah 32:37-40 NLT). God promises Jeremiah that "fields will again be bought and sold in this land." Jeremiah would not live to see that day. And few, if any, of the people who were alive when Jeremiah was prophesying, would live to see that day either. After 70 years of captivity, only the youngest children would live long enough to make it back to the land. And not all those in captivity would be allowed to return. And when they did return, they would find the land devastated, the cities destroyed, Jerusalem in a shambles, and the Temple broken down and unusable. God also promised Jeremiah that He would "raise up a righteous descendant from King David's line" (Jeremiah 33:15 NLT). God is saying that there will be a new king to sit on the throne of David, and yet, the people of Israel have not had a king since the day Judah fell into the hands of the Babylonians. So what is God promising? When is all this good news going to take place? When will Jeremiah experience a return on his investment? In that day! There is a day yet future when God will fulfill all these promises. It will happen when His Son, Jesus Christ, returns to the earth at the end of the Great Tribulation and put an end to all sin. He will establish His kingdom in Jerusalem and the people of God will return to the land once and for all. It will be at that time that all of these promises are ultimately fulfilled. God will do everything He has promised to do. Jeremiah's investment will prove to have been a wise one. That land will be invaluable and its worth, incalculable. God can be trusted. His advice is worth listening to. "But this is what the Lord says: I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws that govern night and day, earth and sky. I will never abandon the descendants of Jacob or David, my servant, or change the plan that David’s descendants will rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore them to their land and have mercy on them" (Jeremiah 33:25-26 NLT).

Father, Your Word is always true. Your counsel is always worth listening to. Even when it doesn't seem to make sense to me. Jeremiah had his doubts about the wisdom of what You asked him to do. I sometimes struggle with the things You are telling me to do. On an earthly level, it doesn't always make sense. But You are operating on a while other plane. You are seeing things from a much greater perspective than I can see. Help me to trust You more and obey You because nothing is too hard for you. You have a plan and I can trust it. Your strategy for future prosperity is perfect and worth investing in. Amen