Tag Archives: Obedience

2013 Day 301 – Ezekiel 16-19, Isaiah 39

28 Monday Oct 2013

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Again, not too much from today’s reading other than this thought… God does not find pleasure in punishment. God repeatedly allowed the Israelites the opportunity to turn from their wicked ways, but they continued to sin until God finally had enough. For us, this means that God wants to bless us. He wants to show nothing but loving kindness. But when we continue in sin there comes a time when God removes His hand of protection and allows the consequences of our sin to take over. It is up to us to make sure we listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and obey His calling for us because the consequences of sin is never pleasant.

2013 Day 300 – Ezekiel 12-15, Isaiah 38

27 Sunday Oct 2013

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I do not have much to say about today’s reading. I do have a thought from last night’s dinner conversation with friends… Judgement from God comes as much from what we do as what we don’t do. Obedience comes from following God (not necessary the rules) and being willing to deal with the consequences of where He leads us. If you were asked to renounce your faith or be imprisoned, would you be obedient or would you avoid prison? My initial answer is simple, but what if prison meant physical and emotional torture? Obedience requires much more than rule following, it requires submission to the plan God has before us and being willing to accept an outcome which may not be for our personal best interest. We must accept where God leads us and realize the impact His plan will have in the light of eternity.

2013 Day 292 – 1 John 4-5, Isaiah 31

19 Saturday Oct 2013

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I love reading John’s words in 1 John 5:5, Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. By believing that Jesus is the Son of God we overcome this world through His saving power and grace. While obedience is rarely easy, we can rely on the fact that Jesus saves us and allows us to conquer the destructive power of this world.

2013 Day 289 – Lamentations 1-2, Isaiah 28

16 Wednesday Oct 2013

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Today we begin the book of Lamentations. The author is Jeremiah and it was written shortly after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians along with the killing, torture, and captivity of the people of Israel. The purpose of the book is to teach people that disobedience only leads to disaster. It also shows how much God suffers when His people suffer.

2013 Day 288 – Jeremiah 50-52, Isaiah 27

15 Tuesday Oct 2013

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Today we finish up the book of Jeremiah. While it has not been an easy book to read, we must remember this book is not just about God’s judgement, but about God’s control over everything. When we think the whole world is falling apart around us, we must acknowledge that God is not surprised by any of it.

It is also important to realize that Jeremiah was unsuccessful in the eyes of everyone around him. He prophesied the destruction of the nation of Israel and yet no one listened to him. But in the end, his prophesies came true and he did exactly what God asked him to do. While the world’s definition of success may not show our lives as successful, we must look to God and His definition of success for our lives.

2013 Day 286 – Jeremiah 47-49, Isaiah 26

13 Sunday Oct 2013

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Even though there is punishment for sin, God still mourns when it happens. In Jeremiah 48:36, God shows sorrow (lament) for Moab  “So my heart laments for Moab like the music of a pipe; it laments like a pipe for the people of Kir Hareseth. The wealth they acquired is gone.” God’s desire is not to punish us, but he is just and requires righteousness. We can rest assured it breaks His heart to see us suffer. His desire for us is to live a life of peace.

2013 Day 285 – Jeremiah 43-46, Isaiah 25

12 Saturday Oct 2013

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The people of Judah failed to learn from their mistakes, which in turn, assured they would fail again. In Jeremiah 44:9-10 it says, 9 Have you forgotten the wickedness committed by your ancestors and by the kings and queens of Judah and the wickedness committed by you and your wives in the land of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem? 10 To this day they have not humbled themselves or shown reverence, nor have they followed my law and the decrees I set before you and your ancestors. When we fail to learn lessons from our failures, we risk repeating our mistakes. Your past is your school of experience. Let your past mistakes point you to God and His righteous path.

2013 Day 283 – Jeremiah 37-39, Isaiah 23

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.

2013 Day 278 – Jeremiah 25-27, Isaiah 19

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.

2013 Day 269 – Jeremiah 4-6, Isaiah 12

26 Thursday Sep 2013

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What is our attitude when we come to God? Do we approach God with open ears, eyes, and hearts to be obedient to Him? Jeremiah 5:21-22 says, 21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear: 22 Should you not fear me?” declares the Lord. “Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross. The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it. We should approach God with awe and respect because He is the one who set the boundaries of the sea. God had to strip away all that Judah and Israel had in order to bring them back to Him. Let us not wait until God takes away His benefits in our lives in order to walk with Him.