I hope everyone had a good weekend, and got to spend time with those you love, doing what you love!
I am back in Jeremiah, starting on chapter 4 today. Just like a parent setting limits and conditions on their children, that's what we see God doing in these first few verses...I call them, "If and Then". Verses 1 - 2 say:
" IF you will return O Israel, return to me, declares the Lord. IF you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray, and IF in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, 'As surely as the Lord lives', THEN the nations will be blessed by him and in him they will glory".
We can't expect the Lord to bless us if we continually turn our backs on him, and try to live our lives without Him being in the center of them. He made us with a void in our hearts that only He can fill, and he tells us in these first two verses the easy way to get through life and it's challenges and trials.
I pray that today will bring each of us closer to the Lord - that we will all allow him to be more involved in our lives, and that we will hear the voice of His Spirit as He leads us. Times are hard, and they aren't going to get any better - the Bible is very clear that in the last days, that sin and darkness will increase, and it is vital that we, as the "light of the world", shine brightly.
Revelation 22: 20 - 21 "He who testifies to these things say, "Yes, I am coming soon". Amen, Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen".
Showing posts with label discipline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label discipline. Show all posts
Monday, October 13, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Children of the Most High
Today's passage is from Jeremiah 3: 19 - 22
"I myself said, ' How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation. I thought you would call me "Father" and not turn away from following me. But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel', declares the Lord. A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the Lord their God. 'Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.' Yes, we will come to you, for you are the Lord our God."
As a parent, I wanted my children to know my unconditional love for them, and because I do love them so much, there were times when I had to discipline them when they chose to disobey the guidelines their father and I had set for them. It wasn't a pleasure to give correction to them, but it was for their own good.
This is what the Lord wants from us - as his children, he wants us to listen to him and follow his direction in our daily lives. There are times when we go down a path that is of our own choosing, and we end up in situations that aren't in his plan, and we suffer consequences of trying to do things "our" way.
The Bible is very clear in saying to us that the Lord disciplines those he loves. Proverbs 3:11 says, " My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, for the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in".
He says in today's passage that he will cure us of backsliding, which we all have done at one time or another since becoming believers. He tells us in Isaiah 57: 16, " I have seen his ways, but I will heal him and restore comfort to him." This is one of those that can be on a personal level, as well as a nation, as it was referred to in today's passage about the Israelites.
I feel that our country needs desperately to return to the Lord for his healing of our land. Not everyone in our country are children of the Most High, but for those of us who are, he is calling us to intercede on behalf of our nation and its leaders. We have to "stand in the gap" for those who don't know him, and pray that our nation will get back to its roots of Judeo-Christian principles.
"I myself said, ' How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation. I thought you would call me "Father" and not turn away from following me. But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel', declares the Lord. A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the Lord their God. 'Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.' Yes, we will come to you, for you are the Lord our God."
As a parent, I wanted my children to know my unconditional love for them, and because I do love them so much, there were times when I had to discipline them when they chose to disobey the guidelines their father and I had set for them. It wasn't a pleasure to give correction to them, but it was for their own good.
This is what the Lord wants from us - as his children, he wants us to listen to him and follow his direction in our daily lives. There are times when we go down a path that is of our own choosing, and we end up in situations that aren't in his plan, and we suffer consequences of trying to do things "our" way.
The Bible is very clear in saying to us that the Lord disciplines those he loves. Proverbs 3:11 says, " My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, for the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in".
He says in today's passage that he will cure us of backsliding, which we all have done at one time or another since becoming believers. He tells us in Isaiah 57: 16, " I have seen his ways, but I will heal him and restore comfort to him." This is one of those that can be on a personal level, as well as a nation, as it was referred to in today's passage about the Israelites.
I feel that our country needs desperately to return to the Lord for his healing of our land. Not everyone in our country are children of the Most High, but for those of us who are, he is calling us to intercede on behalf of our nation and its leaders. We have to "stand in the gap" for those who don't know him, and pray that our nation will get back to its roots of Judeo-Christian principles.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Speaking God's Words
Yesterday I was talking about how Jeremiah was trying to come up with excuses to God as to why he couldn't go through with the call God had given him.
Jeremiah's objection was overruled on the grounds that the authority of his message resided in the One who chose him.
Today I pick up in verse 8 where the Lord is commissioning him in detail as to what he wants him to do.
Jeremiah 1: 8 - 10: "Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ' Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."
If you look at the original text in Hebrew, the word "touched" means to "laid his hand on", to "build" means "to begin to repair", and to "plant" means to "fix".
He was to bring a message of destruction, but also of blessing. From the beginning of time, God has told us that there are consequences of sin, but there are blessings for obedience. At the time of Jeremiah's call, Judah and the Lord's people there were in sin. This message to repent and return to the Lord cost Jeremiah many times of trouble, but he continued to be faithful to the call.
When God speaks to us to do something or say something to someone that might be hard to do, we need to go back to verse 8 of this first chapter and see that God says that when we speak as he's told us to do - not to worry or be fearful about what to say - he will give us the words through his Holy Spirit.
Some might ask, "Why would God be so harsh in his words towards his people?" In Proverbs 3: 11 - 12 it tells us: "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves".
Just as a parent tries to prevent their child from being harmed by getting into something that could hurt them, and has to discipline them because of their love for them, so it is with God - he is just trying to keep us from harm and in his will.
Each day as I prepare to come here with a message from my daily devotionals, I ask God to give me his words - to speak through me in order that his message will be received into the hearts that are searching for truth, and for answers. I surely can't do this on my own power, and my hope is that I am accurately sharing the message he gives me each day.
I hope your Friday brings you health, happiness and a sense of purpose.
Blessings,
Janelle
Jeremiah's objection was overruled on the grounds that the authority of his message resided in the One who chose him.
Today I pick up in verse 8 where the Lord is commissioning him in detail as to what he wants him to do.
Jeremiah 1: 8 - 10: "Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, ' Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."
If you look at the original text in Hebrew, the word "touched" means to "laid his hand on", to "build" means "to begin to repair", and to "plant" means to "fix".
He was to bring a message of destruction, but also of blessing. From the beginning of time, God has told us that there are consequences of sin, but there are blessings for obedience. At the time of Jeremiah's call, Judah and the Lord's people there were in sin. This message to repent and return to the Lord cost Jeremiah many times of trouble, but he continued to be faithful to the call.
When God speaks to us to do something or say something to someone that might be hard to do, we need to go back to verse 8 of this first chapter and see that God says that when we speak as he's told us to do - not to worry or be fearful about what to say - he will give us the words through his Holy Spirit.
Some might ask, "Why would God be so harsh in his words towards his people?" In Proverbs 3: 11 - 12 it tells us: "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves".
Just as a parent tries to prevent their child from being harmed by getting into something that could hurt them, and has to discipline them because of their love for them, so it is with God - he is just trying to keep us from harm and in his will.
Each day as I prepare to come here with a message from my daily devotionals, I ask God to give me his words - to speak through me in order that his message will be received into the hearts that are searching for truth, and for answers. I surely can't do this on my own power, and my hope is that I am accurately sharing the message he gives me each day.
I hope your Friday brings you health, happiness and a sense of purpose.
Blessings,
Janelle
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)