11 Friday Oct 2013
Posted in Daily Reading
10 Thursday Oct 2013
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No wonder Judah was in so much turmoil. The king basically listened to everyone and agreed with everyone. First he listens to Jeremiah, then he listens to officials about killing Jeremiah, then he rescues Jeremiah. Jeremiah 38:4-5 said, Then the officials said to the king, “This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.” 5 “He is in your hands,” King Zedekiah answered. “The king can do nothing to oppose you.” When we have issues to resolve there is only one voice we should listen to. It is the voice of God through the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the voice is not perfectly clear, but if we do not ask for direction and truly listen for an answer, we will never know what God really wants us to do.
09 Wednesday Oct 2013
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Isaiah 22:13 caught my attention in today’s reading, But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! “Let us eat and drink,” you say, “for tomorrow we die!” The people of Israel said “Let us eat and drink” because they had lost hope. They should have taken the time to repent, but instead they decided to live it up and have a party. In the end, they did this because they did not trust in God. When we have a problem, we must turn our attention to God and trust in Him. The most common response to hopelessness is despair and over-indulgence. But this life is not the end of our story. Our response should be to trust in God and His promises.
08 Tuesday Oct 2013
Posted in Daily Reading
Even though we are sometimes led through dark times in our lives, God is able to restore us and lead us back to a place of restoration. In Jeremiah 32:42 it says, “This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them.” Through disobedience the Israelites experienced calamity, but God knew it would not be forever and there would be healing. God knows we can not experience pain and suffering without being wounded. We require healing and and He is there to provide it for us if we trust in Him. Jeremiah 33:6 says, “Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.” Over time and through the power of God in us, we can experience true healing and health. We must never think we are unable to be completely healed. We must ask for it and trust that God can provide because He is able to heal us and ultimately bring us peace.
07 Monday Oct 2013
Posted in Reflection
Today’s reflection post is a commentary on Listening by Dave Whitehead, pastor of Grace Church in New York City, NY
James 1:19-20 – My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
These words of advice will serve those who practice them well. Our tendencies are to listen with the intent of speaking our mind as quickly as possible, but the art of listening can bridge the gap of many misunderstandings. Seek first to understand, then to be understood, and you will do well in the affairs of life.
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06 Sunday Oct 2013
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While this verse is often taken out of context, we all love the implications of what God says in Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Knowing God has a perfect plan for our lives comforts us. It gives us peace knowing He has no intention of allowing harm to come to us. Ultimately, God wants us to move forward and push for the future, not for us to look back at the past and dwell on out mistakes and missteps.
05 Saturday Oct 2013
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No matter who you are, ultimately, you are a servant of God. Jeremiah 25:9 I will summon all the peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy them and make them an object of horror and scorn, and an everlasting ruin. Even Nebuchadnezzar was considered a servant by God. In the end God’s perfect will is always done. We may not see it and we may not even want it, but God leads us to fulfill His plan and not ours. However, we can live more fulfilling lives if we trust in Him and allow Him to lead and guide us peacefully rather than fighting Him all along the journey.
04 Friday Oct 2013
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Even when we sin against God, He still looks out for us. In Jeremiah 24:6 it says, My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. Our struggles are not a surprise to God. Though He never abandons us, He may choose to leave us where we are for a greater purpose. In the end we must trust that God has a perfect plan.
03 Thursday Oct 2013
Posted in Daily Reading
Jeremiah 21:2 shows how we approach God sometimes, “Inquire now of the Lord for us because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders for us as in times past so that he will withdraw from us.” Notice how King Zedekiah approached asking for God’s help. He said, “Perform wonders” as if God was there to perform a magic trick. God is not here for our entertainment or for our pleasure. God will perform miracles for His glory and not ours. Yes, He is in our lives to protect and to love us, but let us not mistaken His purpose, which is to work through us and bless us so this world will know He is our God. In all of God’s blessings let us remember to give the glory back to Him.
02 Wednesday Oct 2013
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In today’s reading the verse that caught my eye was, Jeremiah 17:11 Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay are those who gain riches by unjust means. When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them, and in the end they will prove to be fools. Jeremiah is saying there is a right and a wrong way to do everything. No matter what we do, whether work, school, or play, we should strive to do everything with integrity as a reflection of Christ.
Daily Devotion 