Jeremiah 24

Verse of the Day: V6 “For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.”

1.  God will set His eyes on those who suffer.

V6 “For I will set mine eyes upon them for good ...”

Nobody likes to suffer in poverty, hardship or captivity, yet God comforted His people, the nation of Israel, and assured them that suffering was good for them. The loving God set His eyes upon His children even when they were disobedient to Him because He truly loved them. God allowed their enemies to defeat them and forced them as captives in a foreign land so that His people would turn to Him in repentance through their suffering.

Hebrews 12:6 “For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.”

2.  God will build the lives of those who suffer.

V6 “For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; ..."

It is difficult to understand when we are in great suffering. However, after we have experienced suffering, we realized that we learn much more from suffering than from an easy life, and that God has actually built our lives through suffering for our own good.

Hebrews 12:11 “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

3.  God will plant the lives of those who suffer.

V6 “For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.”

God desires to plant our lives in the rivers of waters, the Word of God, so that during storms or suffering, we shall not be plucked out as we are deeply planted in the rivers of waters and eventually we shall prosper in God’s spiritual blessings for our own good.

Psalms 1:3 “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please help me to know that suffering is good for me though it is tough and painful.

Jeremiah 23

Verse of the Day: V6 “In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

Prophet Jeremiah wept and warned the pastors, prophets and people to truly live what they preach, teach and believe otherwise the judgments of God shall be upon them. Yet time and time again, they sinned against God, and hence God’s judgments were upon them through enemies’ invasion and disasters such as famines, earthquakes and flood. 
  
1.  The Pastors failed to live what they believe.

V1 “Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! Saith the LORD.”

The pastors or the kings were not leading the people according to God’s Word but instead used their own wisdom and led the people astray in worshipping other gods and idols.

V2 “Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.”

2.  The Prophets failed to live what they believe.

V30 “Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbor.”

The prophets in order to be appealing in their messages as well as popular with the people who were openly sinning against God, stole God’s Word by preaching their own words of vain hopes without God’s messages of repentance and obedience.

V16 “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.”

3.  The Righteous Lord never fails His people!

V6 “In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
   
However, God never fails in spite of the false pastors and prophets because He shall preserve a remnant who shall be His righteous pastors, prophets and people!

V3 “And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please help me to live what I believe.

Jeremiah 22

Verse of the Day: V30 “Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.”

1.  God judged Coniah

V28 “Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? Is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? Wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?”

Jeconiah was called Coniah because the “Je” in Jeconiah stood for Jehovah or God, and God had pronounced judgment on him and refused to identify with him as he had forsaken God and worshipped other gods!

V9 “Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.”

2.  Jesus was not from Joseph

God pronounced that no child of Coniah, the descendent of Solomon, the son of David, shall sit on the throne of David. This was why Joseph, though he was the legal line of Jesus, was not the blood line of Jesus, as Joseph was from the line of Coniah.

Matthew 1:6 “And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;”

Matthew 1:11 “And Josias begat Jechonias (Je Coniah) and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:”

Matthew 1:16 “And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.”

3.  Jesus was from Mary

Luke 3:31 “Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David,"

However, God fulfilled His prophecy in that Jesus came through Mary’s blood line from Nathan, another son of David. Ultimately, Jesus was from the legal and blood line of the Holy Ghost or God Himself!

Matthew 1:18 “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please help me to know that Jesus is the Son of God.

Jeremiah 21

Verse of the Day: V8 “And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.”

1.  The Way of Life

V8 “And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, ...”

In the beginning, God promised Abraham that He shall make the nation of Israel His chosen people, a great nation above all nations. God shall bless them and grant them the way of life or life with Him forever when they trust Him and obey all His commandments.

Genesis 12:2 “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:”

2.  The Way of Death

V8 “And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.”

However, the people failed to trust and obey God and as a result, God became their Judge and punished them by allowing their wicked enemy, the Babylonians, to destroy them and made many of them as slaves in the land of Babylon. It was a tragedy for the people of God as instead of being an example for all nations of the world to emulate them as a great and blessed nation of God, they became an enslaved nation by their enemies.

V14 “But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.”

3.  The Choice Is Yours

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

God is our Creator and He knows exactly what we need most, how we can fulfill the duty of man and live life to the fullest. It is just like the maker of the beautiful and reliable Rolex watch who knows exactly what his product needs, how best it can function and how long it will last. As God asked the nation of Israel to choose between the way of life or the way of death, God is also asking you whether you will choose the way of life with Him forever, or the way of death that forever separate you from Him. The choice is yours!
  
Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please help me to live life to the fullest by choosing the way of life with You forever.

Jeremiah 20

Verse of the Day: V9 “Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name. But His Word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.”

1.  Suffering Is Tough

V2 “Then Pashur smote 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.”

The Prophet Jeremiah was called a weeping prophet among all prophets because he suffered the most. He was beaten and imprisoned by the High Priest for preaching the Word of God. It was tough for Jeremiah as he lived and preached during the days when the High Priest’s and the people’s hearts were very far away from God. They wanted to kill Jeremiah as he was very persistent in preaching and calling them to repent of their sins and get right with God!

2.  Sarcasm is Tough

V7 “O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: Thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.”

The High Priests and the people kept hurling sarcasm at Jeremiah as he kept preaching the Word of God. Instead of being appreciated by his people, Jeremiah became their laughingstock. Jeremiah could not take it anymore as he thought of quitting and even cursed the day he was born.

V14 “Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.”

3.  Staying Is Tough

V9 “Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name ...”

As Jeremiah considered tendering his resignation as the Prophet of God and never to mentioned God’s name nor speak in His name, the Almighty God spoke and encouraged him to stay put, dig in and press on in his service of the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!

V9 “... But His Word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.”

Let us not quit loving and serving the Lord even though the going gets tough as God shall grant us the strength and the grace to serve Him like He gave to His Prophet Jeremiah.
 
Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please help me to keep on trusting You and not quit.

Jeremiah 19

Verse of the Day: V15 “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.”

1.  Man Rebels

V15 “... because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.”

Since the day of Adam and Eve, man has hardened their necks and rebelled against God. When God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, they rebelled and ate the fruit and caused sin and death to enter into all men.

Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

2.  Man Reaps

V5 “They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:”

The people worshipped Baal or the Devil by cruelly sacrificing their sons as burnt offerings and subsequently God punished them by letting them eat the flesh of their friends and even their own children in order to survive the long siege of their enemies!

V9 “And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one of the flesh of his friend in the siege and straitness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straiten them.”

3.  God Reigns

V15 “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.”

Since creation and throughout the centuries man has been trying to outsmart and outwit God but they fail to realize that they can never really win God because He reigns forever on earth and in heaven. The truth of the matter is that man shall reap what he sows and if he rebels against God, he shall reap the severe punishment from the Almighty God.

Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please help me submit to You and not harden my neck against You.

Jeremiah 18

Verse of the Day: V4 “And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.”

1.  God is Perfect

V4 “And the vessel that he made of clay ...”

The skilful potter already knows the final outcome, design, beauty and function of the vessel before he even start making and molding the plain and muddy clay. Similarly the perfect God already knows the final outcome, design, beauty and function of His people before He even start making and molding His people made in His image and who believe in Him. The workmanship or function of God’s people who believe in Him is ultimately to do good works through loving Him and obeying and walking in His commandments.

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

2.  God is Forgiving

V4 “And the vessel that He made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, ...”

God never gives up on Christians even when we fail Him time and time again. Just like the potter who makes the marred or spoilt vessel again and again into perfection, God shall forgive us again and again as we confess and forsake our sins. It may take years but we shall finally be the perfect vessels as God calls us home in heaven one day!

Revelation 22:5 “And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”

3.  God is Good 

V4 “And the vessel that He made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.”

The beauty and perfection of the vessel shall reflect upon the beauty and perfection of the potter. Similarly, the beauty and perfection of Christians shall reflect the beauty and perfection of the good God. However, there is a great price of suffering and humbling of Christians in order for us to attain perfection for the eternal glory of Christ Jesus.

1 Peter 5:10 “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please help me to be perfect as You are perfect.

Jeremiah 17

Verse of the Day: V9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Many people have heart troubles because of our stressful lifestyle as we worry much and fail to eat healthy food and fail to exercise regularly. Some developed serious heart diseases and suffered heart attacks and died. However, there is one heart trouble which is far worse than medical heart trouble; it is spiritual heart trouble.

1.  Don’t Trust Man

V5 “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.”

What is spiritual heart trouble?  Spiritual heart trouble is that without God, we are cursed by God.

How do we seek the cure for our spiritual heart trouble?  We must seek the cure from God as only He can truly heal our spiritual heart disease.

V7 “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.”

2.  Don’t Trust Heart

V9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Many think that we are not as evil and wicked as those who kill or rob others. Yet deep in our heart we know we need God to be our Great Surgeon to do a heart transplant for us to replace our deceitful and wicked heart with a pure and holy heart.

3.  Only Trust God 

V10 “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

Let us confess our wickedness and believe in our heart that Jesus is our Lord and receive Him into our heart that we shall have a new heart from Him to live a new life for Him! 

Ezekiel 18:31 “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”

Romans 10:9 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please help me to believe in You and give me a new heart to love You with all my heart.