But His Word was in my heart (Jeremiah 19-20)

 

Then Jeremiah came from Tophet, where the Lord had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the Lord’s house and said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will bring on this city and on all her towns all the doom that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks that they might not hear My words.’ ”

Now Pashhur the son of Immer, the priest who was also chief governor in the house of the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord.

But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.

But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail.

Jeremiah faced persecution because of the message the Lord had given. In this particular instance one of the false prophets misleading the people of God and helping them continue to turn away from God imprisons him after he delivered the Lords message. As you have read Jeremiah is sometimes disheartened and depressed. But he reminds himself of who he is representing.

We also face disappointment and rejection, let us remind ourselves as well of who we belong and praise Him.

Our redeemer lives and His grace is sufficient for all our needs.

There is nothing better than knowing you are not alone, not just that though, knowing that you have a Father in heaven you can call on and He is willing to help you. Let us get to know who we belong to and know who we are because of who He is.

Our lives are in the Father's hands (Jeremiah 17=18)

 

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise. Indeed they say to me, “Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come now!”
As for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd who follows You, Nor have I desired the woeful day; You know what came out of my lips; It was right there before You.
Do not be a terror to me;  You are my hope in the day of doom.

 

Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.

 

We are incredibly privileged, our lives are in the Father’s hands and He cares very much about us.

This book has been challenging for me. At a glance you might think our Father is mean. But He is a just God and the entire book He is pouring His heart crying for His beloved and the consequences they now have to face. How wonderful it is to know how precious we are to our Dad.

The Father promises to restore (Jeremiah 16)

 

O Lord, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction,    

The Gentiles shall come to You From the ends of the earth and say, “Surely our fathers have inherited lies, Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
Will a man make gods for himself, Which are not gods?
“Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know,I will cause them to know
My hand and My might; And they shall know that My name is the Lord.

Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers

 

This chapter starts with Jeremiah retelling the people about his calling. That the Lord using him to tell the people to repent and turn from their idols. It ends with the Father promising to restore.

Our Father keeps His promise (Jeremiah 13-15)

 

If you return, Then I will bring you back; You shall stand before Me; If you take out the precious from the vile, You shall be as My mouth.
Let them return to you, But you must not return to them.
And I will make you to this people a fortified bronze wall; And they will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you;

For I am with you to save you And deliver you,” says the Lord.
“I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the grip of the terrible.”

 

This is the Father’s response to Jeremiah when he felt depressed and miserable. He felt the Lord had failed to protect and the people were not listening. The Father responds and shows that He is a faithful God and He will do what He said. That He will protect him and His Word.

 

In Chapter 13 the Lord warns His people against pride and idolatry, telling them it will be their ruin.

In Chapter 14 Jeremiah also pleads for Gods people. God is able to save, but Israel’s constant unfaithfulness must be addressed.

In Chapter 15 Gods people are faced with the plague, battle, famine, and captivity, as a result of their sin. The primary reason for punishment was that they did not turn from their ways. Sounds harsh, but continued idolatry and trusting empty idols would have destroyed the nation. And at the end the Father restores His people and establishes a new covenant with them as He said He would.

The Father has compassion for all nations (Jeremiah 11-12)

 

Thus says the Lord: “Against all My evil neighbours who touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit—behold, I will pluck them out of their land and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.

Then it shall be, after I have plucked them out, that I will return and have compassion on them and bring them back, everyone to his heritage and everyone to his land.

And it shall be, if they will learn carefully the ways of My people, to swear by My name, ‘As the Lord lives,’ as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then they shall be established in the midst of My people.

But if they do not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation,” says the Lord.

 

In chapter 11 our Father laments I would say over His people repeating what their fathers did (Exodus and Judges) turning away from Him and choosing idolatry. In chapter 12 the prophet Jeremiah asks the Lord why are those who don’t belong to You prospering and happy. The Lord  answers  and says don’t believe what you see for the end for them is not good,

BUT they can change their end if they learn to call on the Lord. The Lord has compassion for the nations, He has always wanted all mankind included in His covenant and promise. Most of the people journeying with me through the Bible are recipients of that compassion through the Lord Jesus.

The Father’s heart is big and compassionate toward us all. Even when He had to punish He still provided a way back to Him for His people and even those who had led His people away from Him.

No one should be dull-hearted (Jeremiah 10)

 

But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King.
At His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.
Thus you shall say to them: “The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens.” He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion. When He utters His voice, There is a multitude of waters in the heavens: “And He causes the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, He brings the wind out of His treasuries.”

Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge;
Every metalsmith is put to shame by an image; For his moulded image is falsehood, And there is no breath in them. They are futile, a work of errors; In the time of their punishment they shall perish.

The Portion of Jacob is not like them, For He is the Maker of all things, And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; The Lord of hosts is His name

All of us are dull-hearted without knowledge of God.

Yesterday we finished off reading of the looking for those circumcised in their hearts. If you remember this was not a call to Judah and Israel only but a call to all the nations. Every other nations worshiped idols But Israel was different for the Lord had set them apart that they may bring or reveal true worship to all the nations of the earth.

Can you imagine the Lords heart when they decided to imitate the other nations and so He exiled them but it did not end there.

We know how the book ends with healing and restoration. We also know that Christ came that no nation should be dull-hearted,

Our Father is steadfast in Love (Jeremiah 9)

 

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh— Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.”

Chapter 8 and chapter 9 end and begin respectively with the prophet Jeremiah grieving for Judah for they have hardened their hearts against God and continue to serve other gods even though they are being warned against those actions. Jeremiah reminds us of our Lord for He cared for us to die for us. Reading this book we are reminded ourselves of how fickle we can be and soon forget who is our provider and Saviour. Modern day Baals are different but idols nonetheless.

Our Father hates to be replaced in our lives. Holy Spirit we pray lead and direct us in all we do that we may not fall into the trap of idolatry and disobedience.

At the end of chapter 9 the Lord reminds us who He is and what He is like. Our God is steadfast in love; justice and righteousness.

 

Our Fathers heart is for us (Jeremiah 5-8)

Your ways and your deeds have brought this upon you. This is your doom, and it is bitter; it has reached your very heart.”

My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh the walls of my heart! My heart is beating wildly; I cannot keep silent, for I hear the sound of the trumpet,   the alarm of war.

“For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’—in doing evil!
But how to do good they know not.”
Therefore thus says the Lord: Behold, I will lay before this people stumbling blocks against which they shall stumble; fathers and sons together, neighbour and friend shall perish.’”
Thus says the Lord:  “Behold, a people is coming from the north country, a great nation is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth.

 

The prophet Jeremiah was called to warn and in these 3 chapters the Father details the impending doom. He also reminds Judah and Israel of their turning away and defiling the temple. It is a bit frightening and makes you sad. They ignored the Father’s commandments and sought to replace Him with what could never care, provide or satisfy them. All scripture is good and instructs us. We continue to see the heart of the Father, for even though he warns them of doom He reminds of His promise to their Father and tells them of the new covenant. A covenant we are part of as it includes other nations.

Our Father calls us back to Him (Jeremiah 3-4)

I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God and scattered your favours among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord.
Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

‘And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding. And when you have multiplied and been fruitful in the land, in those days, declares the Lord, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again.

At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no more stubbornly follow their own evil heart. In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage.

 

Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.”

“Behold, we come to you, for you are the Lord our God.
Truly the hills are a delusion, the orgies on the mountains.

Truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.

 

Yesterday we heard the Father lamenting that His children had forsaken Him. Today we hear the Father calling them to repentance. Our Father keeps His promises to His children. When we err in our ways our Father makes every effort to bring us back to Him. Only He is our salvation,

Our Father longs for us (Jeremiah 2)

 

I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his harvest.
All who ate of it incurred guilt; disaster came upon them, declares the Lord.”

But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.

Why do you contend with me? You have all transgressed against me, declares the Lord.

Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will reprove you. Know and see that it is evil and bitter for you to forsake the Lord your God; the fear of me is not in you, declares the Lord God of hosts.

“As a thief is shamed when caught, so the house of Israel shall be shamed: they, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets, who say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ For they have turned their back to me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they say, ‘Arise and save us!’ But where are your gods that you made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you, in your time of trouble; for as many as your cities are your gods, O Judah.

 

In the first chapter we read about our Father calling Jeremiah and in this chapter we read about why. The Lord is troubled because His children have turned away from. They have turned away from the one who loves them and has rescued and provided for them. I could not put the whole chapter up but I do encourage us to read and hear the longing in our Father’s heart. Israel is a picture of us in the Bible and it is a warning to us too. We just read the book to the Galatians where we were being warned about false gospels and faith. Our Father desires us to come and to trust Him only.

Father help us never to turn away from You and Your truth.

Our Father never gives up on us (jeremiah 1.2)

 

Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see an almond branch.” Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”
The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.”

Then the Lord said to me, “Out of the north disaster shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land.

For behold, I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, declares the Lord, and they shall come, and every one shall set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls all around and against all the cities of Judah.

And I will declare my judgments against them, for all their evil in forsaking me.

They have made offerings to other gods and worshiped the works of their own hands.

But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you.

Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land.

They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”

 

The truth is that when we sin against God the consequence is being separated from Him. Jeremiah was called to reprimand and warn Judah. But I want us to remember that part of Jeremiah’s call also was to build and plant. The gospel as reprimands and warns us of our sinful nature but it also plants hope and builds a life a justified by faith in our Lord. Just like Judah our Father continues to reach out and pull us back to Jim for a life with is better than any we might choose for our selves.  

 

Called to bring Hope (Jeremiah 1)

 The Call of Jeremiah

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”
Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

Jeremiah was a priest chosen by God to warn Israel about the fall of Jerusalem and subsequent exile. His message was not well received nor did it stop them from continuing and be exiled. Being chosen and set apart does not necessarily mean an easy walk in life.

We also have tasked in bringing the good news and one thing we also learn from Jeremiah that the Lord is watching His Word and it is a Word of hope.

Faithfully  share the gospel and wait on the Lord as He fulfils His promises.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28

Who is like our God ?

 

Who Is like the LORD Our God?

​ Praise the LORD!

Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD!
Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and forevermore!
From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!
The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!

Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the LORD!

Psalm 113

Commit your spirit

 

In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness.
Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defence to save me.
For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me.
Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength.
Into Your hand I commit my spirit;  You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

Psalm 31A song  written in times of need (persecution).

In this prayer we remind ourselves that the God of our salvation is able to deliver and defend us.

I apologise that its not Jeremiah I am finding challenges in putting it on the blog but I will soon. In the meantime let us be encouraged by the Word.

Share the gospel (John 17)

 

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Yesterday we celebrated that our Lord sanctifies us with His Word. Today we are invited to bring many to the gift we have been given the gospel. Our Lord calls to carry His gospel  and he prays for them that will know Him through the sharing of the gospel.

Next week we will begin a journey through the book by the prophet Jeremiah.

Sanctified by the Word John 17

 

“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world.

They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You.

For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.
“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.

Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

 

Our Lord gave us His Word and that sanctifies us.

 

No greater love (John 17)

 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.

And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Our Lord prays to the Father declaring who He is. That He was sent and that now is the time to fulfil what He was sent to do. The Word became flesh and dwelt amongst us and then died for us. He did that so that we may be reconciled with Father (1 Corinthians).  Truly no greater love have we been shown