Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 43-52; 2 Kings 24-25; 2 Chronicles 36

A big part of Jeremiah’s message to the people of Judah – both those already in exile as well as those still fighting or not yet taken into captivity – was that there was HOPE FOR THEIR FUTURE. God had promised He would bring them back to their land in 70 years. Jeremiah wanted the people to know they could trust God and that this return to Jerusalem someday was possible because nothing was too difficult for God. What a great message for me to savor in my morning coffee.

God told Jeremiah to buy a piece of land that Jeremiah’s cousin was going to ask him to purchase from him. He wanted Jeremiah to do this in order to show the people that he trusted God and fully believed the Promised Land would once again be theirs. As you can imagine, for anyone to purchase land at this point in the battle would appear very foolish yet what Jeremiah was doing was MAKING AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE GOD WAS PROMISING – that’s how much he trusted his God! Do we trust God that much?

“O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and the earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!… You have all wisdom and do great and mighty miracles… You performed miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt – things still remembered to this day! And you continued to do great miracles in Israel and all around the world. You have made your name famous to this day. You brought Israel out of Egypt with mighty signs and wonders, with a strong hand and powerful arm, and with overwhelming terror. You gave the people of Israel this land that you had promised their ancestors long before – a land flowing with milk and honey.

Our ancestors came and conquered it and lived in it, but they refused to obey you or follow your word. They have not done anything you commanded. That is why you have sent this terrible disaster upon them. See how the siege ramps have been built against the city walls! Through war, famine, and disease, the city will be handed over to the Babylonians, who will conquer it. Everything has happened just as you said. AND YET, O Sovereign Lord, you have told me to buy the field – paying good money for it before these witnesses – even though the city will soon be handed over to the Babylonians.” – Jeremiah 32:17-25

This sounds like a conversation we might have with God at times, pointing out to God how ridiculous it is that He would ask us to do ______________________when we are in the midst of ___________________ (fill in the blanks for how that applies to your life right now). God calls us to trust in His promises, just as He wanted Jeremiah to show his trust in God.

Then the message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?” – Jeremiah 32:26

This is the same question God asked Sarah when she struggled to believe in His promise that she would bear children, even at her age (Genesis 18:14). She quickly learned that God can be trusted to keep His promise.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. – Hebrews 10:23

And this is what God was promising His people at this time as they were gathering everything they could from within the city of Jerusalem to strengthen the walls against the siege ramps, trying hard to fight the Babylonians and resist captivity:

“Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s wounds and give it prosperity and true peace. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their towns. I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellions. Then this city will bring me joy, glory and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them.” – Jer. 33:6-9

What battle are you fighting right now? I pray you are reminded this morning that we serve a God who heals, restores, rebuilds, cleanses and forgives. I encourage you to enter into the presence of your God and trust that nothing is too hard for Him!

What is God be asking you to do today to show that you trust Him, regardless of the circumstances in your life? Enter into the presence of your God and listen closely with a heart willing to obey.

What is your answer to God when He asks, “Is anything too hard for me?” Enter into the presence of your God and seek the answer to that question.

Nothing is too difficult for Thee, / Nothing is too difficult for Thee; / O, great and mighty God, / Great in power and mighty in deed, / Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing, / Nothing is too difficult for Thee. – [Ah Lord God, Kay Chance, Hillsong]

Nothing is too hard for our God. He wants us to enter into His presence, trust in His promises and give Him every situation we are facing. He wants us to remember how He conquered death and believe in His power to conquer anything. Let’s go to Him with sincere hearts, fully trusting in our great and mighty God.

By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, LET US GO RIGHT INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD with sincere hearts fully trusting him. – Hebrews 10:20-22a

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 32-42

When we choose a spouse, we are not only getting a husband or wife, we are getting a whole family! Some of you are already laughing because you know the hard core truth of that statement. The love of your life comes with parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins… They come with their traditions, their norms and their expectations. So when I said my vows to Scott, I was also making a commitment to become a Sherwood. I remember how awkward it felt to start calling them “Mom” and “Dad”, but now they are just my parents. I love them with all my heart. They are my people.

“I will be their God and they will be my people.” – Exodus 6:7

These are the powerful words of God when He made a covenant with His people – the promise to hold onto as God sent Moses to Pharoah with the command to let His people go. It is interesting that God uses these words again through the prophet Jeremiah as His people are once more entering captivity. He reminds them that, just as He rescued them from Egypt, He has plans to deliver them from the exile they are beginning in Babylon.

We may read right over those words without thinking much of them, but to the people of Judah, “I will be their God and they will be my people” meant something. It reminded them that God had once rescued them and made a covenant with them on Mt. Sinai – a covenant written on stone tablets that required them to obey ten commandments as a way of remaining faithful to God, the first of which they broke over and over again – “You must not have any other god before me” (Exodus 20:3).

“The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will NOT be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves a wife,” says the Lord. “But this is the NEW COVENANT I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people…And I will forgive them their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” – Jeremiah 31:31-34

This new covenant would not be written on stone tablets, it would be written on their hearts. The old covenant required obedience and faithfulness to the God who met with their leader on the mountain while they stayed at a distance. The new covenant would be deep within each individual child of God, written on their hearts as each one had the opportunity to experience a personal God living within them.

What a God of restoration we serve! God’s people were experiencing the fury of God while He equipped Babylon to destroy Jerusalem and take His people captive for 70 years. Yet, in the midst of this sentencing, God was expressing love and promising to bring them home again starting over with a new covenant that would draw them closer to Him instead of pushing them away – a covenant that would last forever!

“They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. And I will make an EVERLASTING COVENANT with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.” – Jer. 32:38-41

These words of God are repeated in Hebrews 8:8-12 and explained in Hebrews 9 & 10, helping us understand that the new covenant was put in place when Jesus died as a sacrifice for our sins. Let’s look at Romans 8:3, “The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.”

Hebrews 9:1 and verses 6-8 explain why the temple and its traditions had to be destroyed as Jeremiah prophesied: That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth…When these things were in place, the priests regularly entered the first room as they performed their religious duties. But only the high priest ever entered the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. And he always offered blood for his own sins and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use.

With the old covenant, God’s people were not given access to freely enter His presence as we are given now. Because Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins by the power of the eternal Spirit, He mediates a new covenant with God as he appears before God on our behalf. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him (Heb. 10:20-22a).

So here I am today, enjoying my morning coffee in the presence of a God I can trust and it all goes back to the time we have studied as we read through 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, as well as the books of the prophets and now the book of Jeremiah. The fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple Solomon built led the way to a new and everlasting covenant through the death of the perfect sacrifice – Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank you for writing this covenant on my heart. You have given me one heart and one purpose: to worship you forever! You have placed a desire in my heart to worship you and I will never leave you! I will find joy in doing good for you because you find joy in doing good for me. I will serve you faithfully and wholeheartedly because you are a faithful and wholehearted God! Lord, I soak in your presence this morning with a sincere heart, fully trusting you!

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 20-31

“Is not Israel still my son, my darling child?” says the Lord. “I often have to punish him, but I still love him. That’s why I long for him and surely will have mercy on him. Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Mark well the path by which you came. Come back again…” – Jeremiah 31:20-21

I think these verses sum up well the prophecies of the book of Jeremiah. Because He loves, he punishes. Because He is our Father, he longs for us to respond to punishment so He can have mercy on us. He wants us to find our way back to Him. This is why Jesus died on the cross for us, in order that we could experience forgiveness and restoration. This is why He rose again – to give us hope for our future!

Jeremiah is a difficult book to read. It’s hard to hear chapter after chapter of the painful consequences God’s people suffered due to their sin and unfaithfulness. But there are several chapters here in the middle of Jeremiah that speak strongly of God’s love and His mercy – of HOPE FOR THE FUTURE of God’s people.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11

This is one of my favorite verses – one of my life verses. When we take this verse and study the context of the time in which it was originally spoken, it does not take away from its meaning but rather enhances how we can apply this verse to our lives.

God’s people have been unfaithful generation after generation, and He has handed them over to the King of Babylon as a consequence of their sin. After bringing them into the promised land of Canaan, after 40 years of wandering in the desert and then dwelling among them in the beautiful temple Solomon built, God is taking away His gift and sending them into exile for a period of 70 years as a punishment for their sins. That is a long time. That would be like someone returning today after being exiled in 1948.

At the time this letter in Chapter 29 is being written, the attack on Judah and Jerusalem has been going on for years. Thousands of the Israelites have already been captured and exiled to Babylon while Jeremiah is imprisoned in the heart of Jerusalem while the attack on the city continues. After years of proclaiming the MESSAGE of PAINFUL CONSEQUENCES, now God has a MESSAGE of HOPE for His people. God wants them to know He loves them and that their time of pain and suffering will not last forever – that He has a plan to bring them back, a plan to bless their lives once again.

Let’s read through these verses of hope and allow God to speak to our hearts. To get the full message, I encourage you to read through Jeremiah 29-31. I have pulled a few verses and phrases that speak to my heart. I pray that as you read them the Spirit will fill you with the message God has for you today.

“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce…Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper…”

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 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. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity…” – Jeremiah 29:5,7,10-14a, NIV

“I will restore…For I will bring you home again…For I am with you and will save you…I will give you back your health and heal your wounds…There will be joy and songs of thanksgiving and I will multiply my people, not diminish them…You will be my people and I will be your God.” – Jeremiah 30:3,10,11,17,19,22

I love this part! Even in the midst of suffering, God promises His people that they will find blessings:

“Those who survive the coming destruction will find blessings even in the barren land, for I will give rest to the people of Israel…I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel. You will be happy again and dance merrily with your tambourines…Tears of joy will stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care….The Lord, who scattered his people, will gather them and watch over them as a shepherd does his flock…Their life will be like a watered garden, and all their sorrows will be gone…I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing…Do not weep any longer…There is hope for your future,” says the Lord…”For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.” – Jeremiah 31:2-4,9-10, 12-13, 16-17, 25

THERE IS HOPE FOR YOUR FUTURE. This is the message that we speak to the men and women who come to the Pregnancy Resource Center. It is a message for those who have walked away from God’s perfect plan and are wondering what comes next. There are often natural consequences to our sin, to a life of doing what we want to do instead of following God’s plan for our lives. But God’s plan does not go away! When we seek Him with our whole hearts, we will find Him! Even in the midst of suffering the results of our sin, God will be with us and we will see His blessings in our lives. He will restore us and bring us joy. He has a plan.

It’s time to stop resisting God’s plan for our lives. If you seek Him, He will be found and there will be HOPE for your future. Lord, I thank you for the hope you give us even in the darkest of situations. I thank you for your love for us that is revealed when you restore and renew us. Thank you for being the God who gives rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing. Help us to trust you and find hope for our future. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 10 – 19

Why do bad things happen to good people? Have you ever gone through a difficult time or a time of persecution and wondered why God was allowing difficult times in your life? Have you ever suffered physical pain or disease or watched a loved one struggle with cancer and wonder why God does not heal all of His faithful children?

Jeremiah was called by God to proclaim to the people of Judah their future destruction and captivity. Although intimidated by God’s call on his life, Jeremiah was obedient and listened to God, passing on each message the Lord gave him. Yet, as we read through the book of Jeremiah, we see that life was not easy for him. We can imagine that his message was less than popular for it was extremely harsh. For example, listen to these words of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah:

“For I will upset the careful plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will allow the people to be slaughtered by invading armies, and I will leave their dead bodies as food for the vultures and wild animals. I will reduce Jerusalem to ruins, making it a monument to their stupidity. All who pass by will be astonished and will gasp at the destruction they see there. I will see to it that your enemies lay siege to the city until all the food is gone. Then those trapped inside will eat their own sons and daughters and friends. They will be driven to utter despair.” – Jeremiah 19:7-9

As you can imagine, Jeremiah’s message did not get a resounding “Amen” or “Preach it, brother!” Instead he was persecuted, plotted against, arrested, mocked, flogged, whipped, put it stocks and placed on trial. When Jerusalem was attacked, Jeremiah’s life was in danger as well. When the people of Judah were led into exile, Jeremiah was also taken captive.

Listen to these words of Jeremiah and God’s response to His faithful servant:

Jeremiah: “What sorrow is mine, my mother. Oh, that I had died at birth! I am hated everywhere I go.”

God: “I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU, Jeremiah.” (Jer. 15:10-11)

Jeremiah: “Lord, you know what’s happening to me. Please step in and help me…I bear your name…Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry.”

God: “I AM WITH YOU to protect you and rescue you…I will certainly keep you safe…I will rescue you…” (Jer. 15:15-21)

Jeremiah: “Lord, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble!” (Jer. 16:19)

God: “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.” (Jer. 17:7-8)

Jeremiah: “O Lord, if you heal me, I will truly be healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone!” (Jer. 17:14)

We know from other Scriptures that sometimes God’s children go through times of suffering, even when they are following God’s will for their lives. Consider the words of Paul:

In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. – 2 Corinthians 6:4-5

So, if following God does not guarantee us a life of peace, why do we continue to serve Him?

So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen. This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. – 2 Timothy 2:10-12a

Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. – 2 Tim. 3:12

But consider our reward: God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him (James 1:12).

I WILL BLESS YOU. I WILL GIVE YOU JOY.

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. – 1 Peter 1:6

…Be very glad – for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. – 1 Peter 4:13

I am going to stir a second helping of the words of God to Jeremiah into my morning coffee and choose to be glad no matter what the circumstances:

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7-8

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 1-9

We have been working our way chronologically through the Bible since the beginning of the year. We have one more month to study the Old Testament before moving to the life of Christ. The books we study in the next month will help prepare our hearts for the coming Christ.

Jonah, Amos, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk…God used the faithful obedience of these prophets to make a difference in the lives of His people and their leaders. The obedience of each man in allowing God to use him had an impact on the king and, in turn, on the entire nation. God called another man to make an impact on His people – He called a young man named Jeremiah.

I KNEW YOU BEFORE I FORMED YOU.

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

And the Lord said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching, and I will certainly carry out my plans.” – Jeremiah 1:5-12

I WILL WATCH OVER YOU.

The almond tree branches were among the first to blossom each spring. What the people of Judah were experiencing was only the beginning of all that was about to happen. To fully understand God’s plans to punish His people, we need to read the book of Jeremiah and the words God spoke to him as he warned the people of what was to come and why it was happening. Let’s look at the heartbreak of our God as He describes the unfaithfulness of the people He has blessed generation after generation and consider how His words apply today:

“I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren wilderness…And when I brought you into a fruitful land to enjoy its bounty and goodness, you defiled my land and corrupted the possession I had promised you…My people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols! The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay,” says the Lord. “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me – the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!…My people have forgotten me.” – Jeremiah 2:1,7, 11b-13, 32b

Out of His great mercy, God gave Israel the opportunity to do the following: Acknowledge your guilt, admit that you rebelled, confess that you refused to listen to my voice, return home and I will bring you back to the land of Israel.

I WILL BRING YOU BACK HOME.

“I would love to treat you as my own children! I want nothing more than to give you this beautiful land – the finest possession in the world. I looked forward to your calling me ‘Father,’ and I wanted you never to turn from me.” – Jeremiah 3:12-15,19

Jeremiah’s advice is also good for us today. Surrender your pride and power. Change your hearts before the Lord…cleanse your heart that you may be saved. “My people are foolish and do not know me,” says the Lord. “They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!”…I hear a cry, like that of a woman in labor, the groans of a woman giving birth to her first child. It is beautiful Jerusalem gasping for breath and crying out, “Help! I’m being murdered!” (Jeremiah 4:4,14,22,31).

“I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set. But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned away and abandoned me. They do not say from the heart, ‘Let us live in awe of the Lord our God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’” – Jer. 5:22b-24

This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’ I posted watchmen over you who said, ‘Listen for the sound of the alarm.’ But you replied, ‘No! We won’t pay attention!’” – Jer. 6:16-17

“This is what I told them: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’ But my people would not listen to me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward…They have stubbornly followed their own desires.” – Jeremiah 7:23-24; 9:14

I DELIGHT IN SHOWING YOU UNFAILING LOVE.

This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!” – Jeremiah 9:23-24

Lord, help us this morning to truly know you and understand the depth of your unfailing love demonstrated for us day after day. May we be eager to please you today, drinking only from your fountain of living water to sustain us instead of depending on our own cracked cisterns. Lord, do a work in our hearts today deepening our understanding. We long to shed any pride and self-reliance, living in awe of you who brings rain into our lives so that you might reap a harvest of righteousness. We long for you to use us so that our lives can have an impact on the nation in which we live, just as you used Jeremiah. Father God, help us to hear only your voice as we stand at the next crossroads. Give us wisdom from you and place your words in our mouths. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Habakkuk, Psalm 12 & 22

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far away when I groan for help? – Psalm 22:1

Approximately five years after Zephaniah starting prophesying to God’s people, God called Habakkuk to do the same. As we read the book of Habakkuk, we are listening in on a conversation between the prophet and his God. He dares to ask God tough questions – Why does God allow injustice? Does He even care? Why does He tolerate evil? Is God really in control?

These verses minister to my soul for I have asked some of these same questions. Two years ago, my mother was in ICU dealing with intense pain and fighting for her life. I found myself crying out to God, wondering if my mother was feeling abandoned by God as she groaned for help. But God is sovereign and He moved in response to our prayers. He did not abandon her. Yet, if my mother had died, I could also stand confident in my faith and say God did not abandon her.

In the same way, God saw the honest heart of the prophet and took time to give him answers – answers that show our God is sovereign!

How long, O Lord, must I call for help?
But you do not listen!
“Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save.
Must I forever see these evil deeds?
Why must I watch all this misery?
Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence.
I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight.
The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts.
The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted. – Habakkuk 1:2-4

Have you ever prayed a similar prayer? I definitely have. Watching the daily news can be aggravating and I ask God where He is at in all of it. I foolishly ask Him to see all of the sorrow and injustice around the world, as if He isn’t already looking. I tell Him my heart is breaking, as if His heart isn’t even more broken than mine. I ask Him where He is and if He is listening, as if God doesn’t see all and know all and love more than I am capable of.

“Look around at the nations; look and be amazed!
For I AM DOING SOMETHING in your own day,
something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.” – Habakkuk 1:5

God’s answer: Look around! There is evidence of my movement all around! I am never without a plan. Don’t try to fix the world around you of your own strength – trust in ME. Look for ME and seek MY plan. Be willing to do what I ask you, instead of depending on yourself. Be a part of MY plan instead of forcing your own.

Habakkuk was struggling with God’s plan. God was using the growing strength of the Babylonian nation to punish His people. The Babylonians were taking over much of the region, including Ninevah and the Assyrian nation. This idolatrous nation was growing in power and pressing in on the nation of Judah. With a sincere heart, Habakkuk made his struggles known to God and asked God for answers.

“O Lord my God, my Holy One, you who are eternal – surely you do not plan to wipe us out?
O Lord, our Rock, you have sent these Babylonians to correct us, to punish us for our many sins.
But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil. Will you wink at their treachery?
Should you be silent while the wicked swallow up people more righteous than they?
Are we only fish to be caught and killed? Are we only sea creatures that have no leader?
Must we be strung up on their hooks and caught in their nets while they rejoice and celebrate?
Then they will worship their nets and burn incense in front of them.
‘These nets are the gods who have made us rich!’
Will you let them get away with this forever?
Will they succeed forever in their heartless conquests?
I will climb up on my watchtower and stand at my guardpost.
There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint.” – Habakkuk 1:12-2:1

God’s answer: My judgment may seem slow in coming but wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. Those they are taken captive will one day taunt and mock them as they get what they deserve (2:3,6).

“For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord.” – Habakkuk 2:14

Habakkuk responded in song, praising God and praying for mercy for God’s people. Let’s use his song in Habakkuk 3 as we lift our voices to our Sovereign Lord this morning:

Lord, we have heard all about you and we are filled with awe by your amazing works. In our time of deepest need, help us again just as you have in years past. In your anger, remember your mercy.

We see YOU moving!!! Your brilliant splendor fills the heavens and the earth is filled with your praise. Your coming is as brilliant as the sunrise. Rays of light flash from your hands, where your awesome power is hidden. You are the Eternal One!

Was it in anger that you struck the rivers and parted the sea? Were you displeased with them? No, you were sending your chariots of salvation! Lord, may your action save us and save our nation instead of destroying us for our sins. Oh God, we trust in you!

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines;
Even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren;
Even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty,
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
The Sovereign Lord is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. – Habakkuk 3:17-19

The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over. – Psalm 12:6

Today’s Reading: Zephaniah; 2 Kings 22 -23; 2 Chronicles 34-35; Psalm 1

Zephaniah was a prophet during the days of King Josiah’s reign. Josiah’s father, King Amon, had been assassinated for his plans to rise against the oppression of the Assyrian nation. The leaders of Judah then killed those who had conspired against and assassinated King Amon, making his eight year old son Josiah the next king.

Can you imagine being king over the nation of Judah at only eight years of age? Although his father did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord, Josiah pleased God and followed the example of his ancestor David. He led the nation to make repairs to the Temple. When he read the Book of the Law and heard how God planned to punish His people for their idolatry and unfaithfulness, Josiah grieved the future of his nation. Josiah summoned all the elders and had the Book of the Covenant read aloud, calling the people of Judah to renew their covenant in the presence of God. He also brought back the celebration of Passover.

It was during this time that the prophet Zephaniah was also trying to move God’s people to renew their covenant relationship with God. He told of the coming judgment – of the day of the Lord. He spoke of how our jealous God would punish the wicked but how God’s faithful people would enjoy the home He has prepared for them.

“I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” says the Lord…
“I will crush Judah and Jerusalem with my fist and destroy every last trace of their Baal worship.
I will put an end to all the idolatrous priests, so that even the memory of them will disappear.
For they go up to their roofs and bow down to the sun, moon and stars.
They claim to follow the Lord, but then they worship Molech, too.
And I will destroy those who used to worship me but no longer do.
They no longer ask for the Lord’s guidance or seek my blessings.”
Stand in silence in the presence of the Sovereign Lord,
for the awesome day of the Lord’s judgment is near. – Zephaniah 1:2,4-7

This Scripture gets my attention when I think of the way our nation is pulling away from the foundations of faith on which it was built. “In God we Trust” is our motto but now prayer is vanishing from our places of government. There is a pride and self-reliance that has taken the place of yesterday’s humility and calling upon the Lord for strength. There is a call upon our nation to renew our covenant with the Lord.

“I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners to punish those who sit complacent in their sins. They think the Lord will do nothing to them, either good or bad.” – Zephaniah 1:12

What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem, the city of violence and crime!
No one can tell it anything; it refuses all correction.
It does not trust in the Lord or draw near to its God. – Zephaniah 3:1-2

What can we do? What is God’s call to His people today? Perhaps similar to what He called His people to do in the days of the prophet Zephaniah:

GATHER TOGETHER – yes, gather together, you shameless nation.
Gather before judgment begins, before your time to repent is blown away like chaff.
ACT NOW, before the fierce fury of the Lord falls and the terrible day of the Lord’s anger begins.
SEEK THE LORD, all who are humble, and follow his commands.
Seek to do what is right and to live humbly.
Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you – protect you from his anger on the day of destruction. – Zephaniah 2:1-3

Let’s unite our voices in petition and repentance for our nation. Let’s ask the Lord to remain with us and help us to turn the hearts of our nation back to Him. I find these verses encouraging:

But the Lord is still there in the city…
“Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid!
For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty Savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” – Zephaniah 3:5a,16-17

“On that day I will gather you together and bring you home again.” – Zephaniah 3:20a

God’s message through the prophet Zephaniah is clear and leaves us with a choice. There is judgment for those who claim to follow the Lord but no longer worship Him – for those who no longer ask for the Lord’s guidance or seek His blessings. But when we humble ourselves and trust in the name of the Lord, he delights in us! We are surrounded by His love and our fears are calmed. Not only are we blessed with His presence, He rejoices over us with singing! What an incredible realization! The Lord is with us and He takes delight in us, expressing His joy in song when we trust in Him and humble ourselves in His presence.

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. – Psalm 1:1-3

Lord, we humbly seek you this morning. We seek to do what is right and to live humbly before you, as individuals and as a nation. Lord, forgive us for our pride and self-reliance. Forgive us for saying “In God We Trust” and then failing to trust in you or draw near to you. May your people gather together and unite to give you praise. May your presence in our lives, individually and as the body of Christ, make a difference in our nation. Lord, we pray for revival for our country. Mighty Savior, may you take delight today in your people and sing over us with joy. Amen.

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 21, 2 Chronicles 33, Nahum

Through the life of Hezekiah’s son, Manasseh, we see again that God loves a repentant heart. But to fully understand just how merciful God is, you need to fully understand just how ugly sin can be. Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king and he reigned in Jerusalem for 55 years. He rebuilt the pagan shrines his father had destroyed, and even went so far as to build pagan altars IN the temple of the Lord. He was SO steeped in idolatry that he sacrificed his own sons in the fire. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, consulting with mediums and psychics. Scripture says he aroused God’s anger.

Manasseh also murdered many innocent people until Jerusalem was filled from one end to the other with innocent blood. This was in addition to the sin that he caused the people of Judah to commit, leading them to do evil in the Lord’s sight. – 2 Kings 21:16

The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they ignored all his warnings. So the Lord sent the commanders of the Assyrian armies, and they took Manasseh prisoner. They put a ring through his nose, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon. But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the Lord his God and SINCERELY humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed, the Lord listened to him and was moved by his request. So the Lord brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh finally realized that the Lord alone is God! – 2 Chronicles 33:10-13

Manasseh, one of the most evil kings Judah experienced, cried out to God for forgiveness…and God listened. That’s the kind of God we serve – a God who is holy and punishes sin, but who is also merciful and forgiving for those who SINCERELY repent.

The prophet Nahum helps us understand that our God is both loving and just. God is patient and forgiving but also a holy God who punishes sin. How does our knowledge of a loving God fit with Nahum’s prophecies?

The Lord is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and rage. He takes revenge on all who oppose him and continues to rage against his enemies! The Lord is slow to get angry, BUT his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished…The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. BUT he will sweep away his enemies in an overwhelming flood. He will pursue his foes into the darkness of night. – Nahum 1:3a,7-8

God is once again sending a message of judgment through his prophets. This time the judgment is against the city of Ninevah, which is part of the country of Assyria. The empire of Assyria has grown strong and left a path of destruction across the land. Israel is one of many countries that has been defeated and captured by Assyria and now this victor is pressing in on Judah. Nahum’s prophecy against Judah’s enemy is coming at a good time – a time when they need to hear that God is powerful and will punish His enemies. The people of Ninevah had repented of their sins after Jonah came to them but they have again turned to wickedness. The prophet Nahum declared God’s judgment on the city – the city that was rich and appeared to the world as beautiful, but was full of evil.

What sorrow awaits Nineveh, the city of murder and lies!
She is crammed with wealth and is never without victims.
Hear the crack of whips, the rumble of wheels!
Horses’ hooves pound, and charioteers charge past!
There are countless casualties, heaps of bodies – so many bodies that people stumble over them.
All this because Nineveh, the beautiful and faithless city, mistress of deadly charms, enticed the nations with her beauty.
She taught them all her magic, enchanting people everywhere.
“I am your enemy!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
“And now I will lift your skirts and show all the earth your nakedness and shame.
I will cover you with filth and show the world how vile you really are.
All who see you will shrink back and say, ‘Nineveh lies in ruins. Where are the mourners?’
Does anyone regret your destruction?” – Nahum 3:1-7

Scriptures like this convince me that God will someday put an end to the many industries leaving a path of destruction behind them, industries like pornography, sex-trafficking and abortion. They glamourize themselves and collect their riches, but God sees that they are surrounded by those they have destroyed. He hears the cries of the men and women who have been deceived and lied to. He sees the wounds of those who have been abused and mistreated.

The abortion industry has convinced society to consider abortion socially acceptable, a good option for women. The government pours money into their pockets. Good organizations like Susan G. Komen have been caught in their web of deceit and cannot get out unharmed. Every year, well-meaning individuals raise money for the cause of breast cancer research, only to have their money go to an industry that profits from the death of 1.3 million babies a year in the US.

The stench of death surrounds us and the world continues to shout their praises. BUT God… God will sweep over his enemies in an overwhelming flood. He will pursue his foes into the darkness of night (1:8).

The Lord is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and rage.
He takes revenge on all who oppose him and continues to rage against his enemies!
The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished…
In his presence the mountains quake, and the hills melt away;
The earth trembles, and its people are destroyed.
Who can stand before his fierce anger?
Who can survive his burning fury?
His rage blazes forth like fire, and the mountains crumble to dust in his presence. – Nahum 1:1-3a,5-6

Lord, we thank you for being a God of power – a God aware of the hurts, pains and injustices of this world. Lord, forgive us as a nation who allows and promotes the death of those who cannot defend themselves. Strengthen us and equip us to protect with the power of your love and to speak your truth to this lost and dying world. Expose evil empires that veil themselves as if to appear beautiful. May those who work in these industries see that you are the only true God and sincerely repent, finding forgiveness in our merciful God. Lord, break our hearts over what breaks yours and calm our troubled hearts. Oh God, we trust in you for you are the God of love and the God of justice. Amen.

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 20, 2 Chronicles 32, Isaiah 56-66

King Hezekiah became deathly ill. The prophet Isaiah gave Hezekiah a message from the Lord stating that he would not survive this illness. Hezekiah begged God to heal him and God graciously granted Hezekiah 15 more years to live. God’s word through the prophet Isaiah was not enough for Hezekiah. He needed a sign. Again, God showed grace towards Hezekiah and moved the shadow on the sundial ten steps backward to show He keeps His promises.

Instead of humbly receiving this gift of life from the Lord, Hezekiah became prideful. When the king of Babylon heard that Hezekiah had been sick, he sent an envoy carrying a gift for Hezekiah. In pride, Hezekiah showed the Babylonians EVERYTHING in his storehouse and God showed Hezekiah that the Babylonians would soon come back to take it all. He even revealed that Hezekiah’s sons would be captured and made to be eunuchs in the palace of Babylon’s king. Hezekiah’s heart was revealed when he only showed relief that there would be peace for the rest of HIS lifetime, instead of grieving what others would suffer because of his foolishness (2 Kings 20, 2 Chronicles 32, Isaiah 38-39).

When God puts someone in leadership, it is for the good of those being led not for the personal gain of the leader. To be a leader is to be a “watchman” – to watch for danger and protect others from potential harm. Today we call this “risk management”. But sometimes leaders get caught up in their own egos and make choices based on what is best for them, instead of what is best for the people or organization they are leading.

For the leaders of my people – the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds – are blind and ignorant.
They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes.
They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming.
Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied.
They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain.
“Come,” they say, “let’s get some wine and have a party. Let’s all get drunk.
Then tomorrow we’ll do it again and have an even bigger party!” – Isaiah 56:10-12

We serve a God who loves a repentant heart, who shows favor to those who humbly ask for forgiveness and submit to God’s leadership instead of making life a party for their own self-gain. He comes to restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts (Isaiah 57:15). He does not want a false show of repentance. He rejects those who go through the motions – who say the right words and fast for the sake of impressing God (Isaiah 58). God sees the heart and will not be manipulated. He sent His Son to come as a Redeemer for the truly repentant (Isaiah 59).

Who is this who comes from Edom, from the city of Bozrah, with his clothing stained red?
Who is this in royal robes, marching in his great strength?
“It is I, the Lord, announcing your salvation!
It is I, the Lord, who has the power to save!” – Isaiah 63:1

I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love.
I will praise the Lord for all he has done.
I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel,
which he has granted according to his mercy and love.
He said, “They are my very own people. Surely they will not betray me again.”
And HE BECAME THEIR SAVIOR.
In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them.
He lifted them up and carried them through all the years. – Isaiah 63:7-9

When you came down long ago, you did awesome deeds beyond our highest expectations.
And oh, how the mountains quaked!
For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen
a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!
You welcome those who gladly do good, who follow godly ways.
But you have been very angry with us, for we are not godly.
We are constant sinners; how can people like us be saved?
We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
Yet no one calls on your name or pleads with you for mercy.
Therefore, you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins.
And yet, O Lord, you are our Father.
We are the clay, and you are the potter.
We all are formed by your hand. – Isaiah 64:3-8

The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help.
I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me.
I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name.
All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people.
But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes…” – Isaiah 65:1-2

“I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.
But those who choose their own ways – delighting in their detestable sins –
will not have their offerings accepted…
For when I called, they did not answer.
When I spoke, they did not listen.
They deliberately sinned before my very eyes and chose to do what they know I despise…” – Isaiah 66:2b-4b

Lord, we humbly come to you this morning, our Savior and our God. We bow before you with sincere and repentant hearts. Lord, we pray that you would do a work in their hearts today. We are the clay and we long for you to mold us into vessels according to your perfect will. Reveal in us any sinful intentions or prideful attitudes. We long to hear your voice and answer you obediently today. We sit in your presence and listen closely. Lord, we will speak today of your unfailing love; we will praise you for all you have done! We will rejoice in your goodness, your mercy and your love for you called us your people when YOU BECAME OUR SAVIOR.

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 48-52, 54-55; Psalm 32:8

Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will.
The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me and I have listened…
Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced.
Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. – Isaiah 50:4b-5a,7

Some days the weight of my job rests heavy on my shoulders. I find myself praying for God to equip me for the difficult decisions ahead. I ask Him to fill me with His Spirit and give me wisdom for the work to which He has called me. Morning by morning, I wake up and spend time in God’s presence asking Him to teach me and guide me. I cling to God’s promises found in Scripture, including this one:

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” – Psalm 32:8

This morning I walk into God’s presence with a desire to understand His plan and to be instructed by Him in the way I should go. The following verses are a help to me and I pray that God uses them in your specific situation today.

“I am the Lord your God, who TEACHES you what is good for you and LEADS you along the paths you should follow.” – Isaiah 48:17b

“At just the right time, I will RESPOND to you…” – Is. 49:8a

Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.”
“NEVER! Can a mother forget her nursing child?
Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?
But even if that was possible, I would not forget you!
See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.” – Is. 49:14-16a

If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the Lord and rely on your God.
But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. – Is. 50:10b-11

What a great reminder to me when I am tempted to solve my own problems, make my own decisions, or look for advice from other people instead of praying for wisdom from God. To do that would be to rely on myself – to live in my own light and warm myself by my own fire.

Oh Lord, I long to come to your fire, to be warmed by your presence and to walk in your light! Yesterday you reminded me that you have had a plan for me since before I was born. Today you remind me that you will teach me and give me wisdom for the task you have before me. Thank you, Father, for your generosity. I don’t have to warm myself by my own fire or accomplish anything by my own strength today. Why drink water when I can drink of the more expensive wisdom that comes freely from you?! Today I choose to listen to you and trust that your ways are much better than mine. I trust you to teach me, instruct me, counsel me and watch over me.

“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink – even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk – it’s all free!
Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.” – Isaiah 55:1-3,6,8-9

It is in seeking God that I find Him. It is in calling on Him that I hear from Him. It is in following His ways that I get a front row seat to what HE wants to do – His will, His way, in His time. When I spend time studying His word, I often receive a word from Him – a promise from long ago that He is renewing in my own life.

Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. – Isaiah 58:10-11

What is God calling you to do today? For what purpose is He anointing you? What difference is God calling you to make in the life of another person this week?

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim
that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.
He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. – Isaiah 61:1-3