Monday, January 11 2010
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.