Passage: Jeremiah 50
Notes: Being the foremost military power in the world is meaningless if God has decided
that your reign is over. Babylon fell because of her worship of other gods, and
as punishment for her destruction of God's temple and His people. Aren't we also
addicted to persistent idolatry in our worship of our possessions and perpetual
entertainment?
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Today's Devotional Thought
Passage: Jeremiah 47-49
Notes: Even those who do not profess the God of Israel are held responsible for their disobedience to their maker. Three are promised return, and God pledges to defend the orphans and widows of Edom. -> Nations that are not God's Display Nation (us, too!) are still held responsible for their disobedience. While we are not called to legislate non-Christians into acting like Christians, we should be clear in our message that God is not giving unbelievers a free pass at disobeying Him, especially in their treatment of the weak (widows and orphans). That latter part should also be a warning regarding our own priorities.
Notes: Even those who do not profess the God of Israel are held responsible for their disobedience to their maker. Three are promised return, and God pledges to defend the orphans and widows of Edom. -> Nations that are not God's Display Nation (us, too!) are still held responsible for their disobedience. While we are not called to legislate non-Christians into acting like Christians, we should be clear in our message that God is not giving unbelievers a free pass at disobeying Him, especially in their treatment of the weak (widows and orphans). That latter part should also be a warning regarding our own priorities.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Today's Devotional Thought
Passage: Jeremiah 46
Notes: Human solutions - like Judah's alliance with mighty Egypt - are false securities. Egypt, too, is under the judgments of God. Israel, on the other hand, whose situation (exile) looks hopeless, can yet look to God for a future. -> put your trust in God only, even when human solutions seem surefire answers.
Notes: Human solutions - like Judah's alliance with mighty Egypt - are false securities. Egypt, too, is under the judgments of God. Israel, on the other hand, whose situation (exile) looks hopeless, can yet look to God for a future. -> put your trust in God only, even when human solutions seem surefire answers.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Today's Devotional Thought
Passage: Jeremiah 45
Notes: Early in Jeremiah's ministry, God gives guidance and a promise to his servant Baruch: even though the content of the prophecies may be depressing, and even though Baruch may be giving up dreams he had for the future, God assures him His providing in the future he will actually experience. What a gift of compassion to receive in the dark times they lived in! -> The same God who had compassion on Baruch is our god in the difficult times we live in. He is still just as compassionate, and we can trust Him to care for us according to His wisdom.
Notes: Early in Jeremiah's ministry, God gives guidance and a promise to his servant Baruch: even though the content of the prophecies may be depressing, and even though Baruch may be giving up dreams he had for the future, God assures him His providing in the future he will actually experience. What a gift of compassion to receive in the dark times they lived in! -> The same God who had compassion on Baruch is our god in the difficult times we live in. He is still just as compassionate, and we can trust Him to care for us according to His wisdom.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Righteousness, Godliness
Righteousness is our relation to God, whereas godliness is our reflection of God.
Olford, Stephen, Anointed Expository Preaching, Broadman & Holman Publishers: Nashville, TN, p. 43.
Today's Devotional Thought
Passage: Jeremiah 44
Notes: The Jewish men's decision to flee to Egypt placed them right back in the midst of idolatry, and they ignored or (more likely) supported their wives' worship of the 'Queen of Heaven.' When Jeremiah confronts them, they reject his message with revisionist history ascribing what blessings they had in the past to their former idolatry. -> We are responsible for the environments we place our family in, and for what worship we allow in our households. A culture that teaches 'to everyone his own' should not distract us from our call to live right worship in our homes. Note that while God's message came to the adults first, he vowed to hold every member of their family responsible.
Notes: The Jewish men's decision to flee to Egypt placed them right back in the midst of idolatry, and they ignored or (more likely) supported their wives' worship of the 'Queen of Heaven.' When Jeremiah confronts them, they reject his message with revisionist history ascribing what blessings they had in the past to their former idolatry. -> We are responsible for the environments we place our family in, and for what worship we allow in our households. A culture that teaches 'to everyone his own' should not distract us from our call to live right worship in our homes. Note that while God's message came to the adults first, he vowed to hold every member of their family responsible.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Today's Devotional Thought
Passage: Jeremiah 42 and 43
Notes: A people that is stricken with fear will gladly find an excuse why they do not need to obey God's directions. Once panicked, they will force others to join them. Like Jeremiah, we need to be careful nonetheless to faithfully proclaim God's message to them.
Notes: A people that is stricken with fear will gladly find an excuse why they do not need to obey God's directions. Once panicked, they will force others to join them. Like Jeremiah, we need to be careful nonetheless to faithfully proclaim God's message to them.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Today's Devotional Thought
Passage: Jeremiah 41
Notes: The 80 men from Shilo and Samaria comprehended that it didn't take a building for them to be able to worship in Jerusalem. The carnage and destruction of the Babylonian attack produced fear and disorder, but not a searching for God in many of the remnant in Judah. God did not supernaturally stop the evil, looting, and piracy - the mass murderer escapes with most of his men. -> tragedy will not automatically produce a turning to God among a people that had abandoned Him, and God may not force Himself on them, but allow the evil to pursue their desires, which may also hurt some who do want to return to God.
Notes: The 80 men from Shilo and Samaria comprehended that it didn't take a building for them to be able to worship in Jerusalem. The carnage and destruction of the Babylonian attack produced fear and disorder, but not a searching for God in many of the remnant in Judah. God did not supernaturally stop the evil, looting, and piracy - the mass murderer escapes with most of his men. -> tragedy will not automatically produce a turning to God among a people that had abandoned Him, and God may not force Himself on them, but allow the evil to pursue their desires, which may also hurt some who do want to return to God.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Today's Devotional Thought
Passage: Jeremiah 40
Notes: The Babylonian who set Jeremiah free recognized the authority of God, even as he had helped to defeat God's people. Gedliah, the new governor, wanted to bring peace and order to the land, but failed to call on God, even after all that had happened, both generally and specifically regarding the allegations about a threat on his life. Taking care of your people is good, but it must come out of a relationship with and dependence on God.
Notes: The Babylonian who set Jeremiah free recognized the authority of God, even as he had helped to defeat God's people. Gedliah, the new governor, wanted to bring peace and order to the land, but failed to call on God, even after all that had happened, both generally and specifically regarding the allegations about a threat on his life. Taking care of your people is good, but it must come out of a relationship with and dependence on God.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Today's Devotional Thought
Passage: Jeremiah 39
Notes: In the midst of the low point in Jerusalem's history, the destruction by the Babylonians, God (who had called them to carry out his judgment) saves three (groups of) people: Ebed-melech the Ethiopian - a foreigner - "because he trusted in the Lord," God's prophet, and the very poor whom their own countrymen had oppressed all these years, and who now receive the vineyards and fields their fellow Jews would not let them have. The last thing Zedekiah ever saw was not just the slaughter of his sons but also that of the bad advisors he felt too weak to oppose for the sake of righteousness.
Notes: In the midst of the low point in Jerusalem's history, the destruction by the Babylonians, God (who had called them to carry out his judgment) saves three (groups of) people: Ebed-melech the Ethiopian - a foreigner - "because he trusted in the Lord," God's prophet, and the very poor whom their own countrymen had oppressed all these years, and who now receive the vineyards and fields their fellow Jews would not let them have. The last thing Zedekiah ever saw was not just the slaughter of his sons but also that of the bad advisors he felt too weak to oppose for the sake of righteousness.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Today's Devotional Thought
Passage: Jeremiah 38
Notes: When your situation seems hopeless and weak people fail to protect you and evil people try to destroy you, count on God to be faithful and provide you with salvation even from unexpected sources. Note that even after miraculous salvation from certain death, you may still find yourself in a prison cell.
Notes: When your situation seems hopeless and weak people fail to protect you and evil people try to destroy you, count on God to be faithful and provide you with salvation even from unexpected sources. Note that even after miraculous salvation from certain death, you may still find yourself in a prison cell.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Today's Devotional Thought
Passage: Jeremiah 37
Notes: Faithfulness does not guarantee exemption from evil done to you. It is okay to ask for lessening of torture. God can even use an evil ruler to save His people. Even the evil ruler may grasp His need for prayer, and a message from God. -> don't give up on prayer for authority, even evil rulers sometimes serve God's purposes.
Notes: Faithfulness does not guarantee exemption from evil done to you. It is okay to ask for lessening of torture. God can even use an evil ruler to save His people. Even the evil ruler may grasp His need for prayer, and a message from God. -> don't give up on prayer for authority, even evil rulers sometimes serve God's purposes.
Reading through the Psalms
I've been desiring to read in the psalms with some regularity, but I keep skipping days, and forgetting where I was (most days, I do it during a break at work using my phone). So, here's my new system for "remembering" what to read:
So today, I was reading Psalm 81.
- Take the day of the month.
- Add to it according to the month you're in times 30, with January being 0, February being 1, March being 2, April being 3, May being four, June being 0 again, July being 1, etc.
- November and December I may read Proverbs instead, or start over with 0 and 1 again.
So today, I was reading Psalm 81.
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