The second part of Psalm 86 is full of verses where David exalts God.
As much as God wants us to come to him with our despair, worries & sadness, he also wants us to come to him with reverence. He is a holy God, worthy of our praise and adoration.
David says to the Lord:
v. 8 “There is none like you…O Lord…”
v. 10 “For you are great and do wondrous things…”
v. 11 “…unite my heart to fear your name.”
v. 13 “For great is your steadfast love toward me…”
David knew the importance of praising the Lord. He knew that a relationship with the Lord is not a one-way street. God wants a relationship with us, and to have that requires mutuality. We cannot simply keep asking God for His favor, rescue and intervention in our lives without recognizing who He is and what He has done for us. He loves us and would give us anything – and indeed He has! – and for that we should desire to exalt His name in humble gratitude.
Reflection Questions:
Do you include praise to God in your prayers? If you don’t do that regularly, let me encourage you to do so. He is worthy!
Prayer:
God, thank you for all you have done and will do for us. You are our creator, provider, hope and in Jesus, our salvation. We owe you everything. Help us to remember that and to acknowledge that before you always. We love you. Amen.
-Devotion by Rachel Cain (OH) – with questions sprinkled throughout
A few weeks ago my family gathered with friends to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the independence of the USA! The long and epic gathering began with a festive city parade, continued at a cookout replete with red and blue fruits, and culminated in a colorful explosion of fireworks.
The Israelites have their own sort of Independence Day known as Passover, which commemorates when they were freed from slavery under Pharoah and began their journey to the land of liberty that God had promised to give them. In today’s reading, Hezekiah wanted the scattered tribes of Israel to reunite for an overdue, epic Passover Celebration, but because the priests weren’t consecrated in time, they decided to hold the Passover a month late.
Better late than never! Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. An ancient Chinese proverb states, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is today.”
What is something that God has been nudging you to do for Him? Take steps to obey today!
Hezekiah invited all the separate tribes (who were divided by more than just location – this was likely a deep cultural and political rift) to come together to worship and remember God’s provision together. Some tribes ridiculed the couriers who delivered this invitation of repentance and celebration; however, a few groups set aside their differences, humbled themselves, and joined the party. Those in attendance were not all ritually clean, but Hezekiah prayed for God to honor the hearts of those who had come to honor Him. God responded with grace and accepted the people’s repentant hearts.
God looks deep into the intentions of our hearts. We see repeatedly in scripture that God wants people who are not just going through the motions, but who truly desire to live for Him.
How have you seen evidence in Scripture of God looking at the heart and motives over rituals? Are there any examples of this in your life or the lives of others?
In a culture that praises pride of all kinds and promotion of self even at the expense of others, it’s refreshing to read about divided nations humbling themselves to seek God as one body. One of my favorite Sundays of the year is when a local organization called Declare joins with area churches for a worship gathering in our town square. What a fantastic opportunity to commune with a variety of believers who, despite deep doctrinal differences, choose to meet together for the sole purpose of praising God and serving our city together.
God wants us to come together as one body for His Mission. We must set aside our disagreements so we can accomplish more together than we can apart!
In what ways might you be called to unite and serve with others on the common ground of Faith?
Hezekiah’s gathering turned out to be the most joyful Passover celebration in over 200 years! Even though they missed a few requirements of the law, God saw that His people were drawing near to him, and He appreciated their renewed commitment. Celebrating together reminded the people who they were – and WHOSE they were. They remembered their true identity.
In this world of confusion and mistaken identities, don’t forget who (and Whose) you are.What steps can you take to get back to the root of your true identity as a new creation in Christ?(Read the Bible, join a small group, engage in prayer, seek wise and godly counsel, worship and seek God with like-minded believers, cut off distractions so you can focus more on God’s purpose for you…. Those are just a few ideas!).
While we’re on the topic of Passover… I want to encourage you to experience it for yourself sometime! There is so much rich significance in all the little details of a Passover seder. Our family has celebrated Passover at a basic level for several years, but earlier this year we learned a powerful part of the Passover that we had never practiced before (and which was likely practiced at Hezekiah’s Passover), called the Dayenu. The closest translation in English that we have to the meaning of the Hebrew word dayenu is, “it would have been enough.” The original dayenu has statements representing the 15 gifts God bestowed to the Israelites; the first five mention emancipation from slavery in Egypt, the next five describe some of the miraculous ways God provided for His people, and the last five share about the closeness to God among His people. Each of the stanzas is followed by the people stating, “Dayenu” (it would have been enough). I encourage you to look up the phrases recited/sung during the traditional Dayenu. What phrases would you add onto the original dayenu to represent God’s provision throughout history and in your own life?
God has given us blessing after blessing, but even if he didn’t… what He has already done for us would be enough. Many of us tend to be so drawn to the things of this world, always wanting more and more, never fully satisfied nor willing to express, “it would have been enough”. But God has called us to a deep contentment and joy that is counter-cultural… almost as if we are citizens not of this world, but of a coming Kingdom (see Philippians 3:17-21). In his book Uncluttered Faith, Joshua Becker writes, “Once you become content with the things of the world that you possess, you are freed to pursue the kingdom of God. Contentment isn’t about settling. It’s about recognizing that you have enough, that it came from God, and that there are greater things to pursue than more of this world. Correctly understood, it’s acknowledgement that while you have enough, you also have so much potential in the kingdom that’s waiting to be unlocked” (p. 175).
Write down specific ways that God might be calling you to eschew the materialism and negative mindsets that are so abundant in this culture so you can focus your time, talents, and treasures on what truly matters – the work of advancing His kingdom in unity with one another.
Prayer
I leave you with the Priestly Blessing that was most likely spoken at Hezekiah’s Passover and is still a prayer for us all:
The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
Psalms 42 is one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible. This song of the Sons of Korah is replete with suffering and lamenting coupled with a deep yearning for God’s rescue. I appreciate how the subject of this song is recognizing his downcast and disturbed emotional state and is questioning why he feels that way and then reminds himself to put his hope in God and then makes a conscious choice to still praise Him in spite of how he feels.
In verse 6, the Psalmist decides to manage these downcast feelings by remembering better times. In verse 8, it seems to me that this person uses daily prayer to try to stay close to God:
“By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.” (NIV)
In spite of these efforts, doubts start to creep in during verse 9. The person feels forgotten by God, taunted by their foes who ask “Where is your God?” As they notice their faith wavering, we see them circling back in verse 11 to the same questioning we saw in verse 5 about why they feel so downcast and disturbed. This questioning is then once again quickly followed by a reminder that they will put their hope in God and still choose to praise Him. It’s a resounding chorus that comes around at just the right time.
This roller coaster of feelings is so relatable to me. We can get so bogged down in our trials that God can start to feel so very far away, but that’s when we need to take a cue from the Psalmist here and remember to put our hope in God and make a choice to praise Him. We need a resounding chorus at the ready that reminds us that we can trust God to care for us in our time of need. What would your resounding chorus sound like?
Reflection Questions
What do you generally do when your soul is in despair? Do any of those things put your soul in deeper despair?
What does it look like and sound like to put your hope in God?
When does God deserve our praise? When was your hardest time to praise God, but you did it anyway?
Prayer
Dear God, You are a great God! My desire is to put my hope in You, fully and completely, even and especially on the days my soul is in despair. I want to praise you well all of my days. You are worthy and deserving, my Savior and my God, the giver of all good gifts, including Your Son and salvation. Help me see, feel and remember with deep gratitude. I love you, LORD.
Acts 16:25: “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them” (NIV). I am always deeply moved by this passage and always wonder what those hymns consisted of. According to the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary, “As the word here employed is that used to denote the Paschal hymn sung by our Lord and His disciples after their last Passover (Mt 26:30), and which we know to have consisted of Ps 113:1-118:29, which was chanted at that festival, it is probable that it was portions of the Psalms, so rich in such matter, which our joyous sufferers chanted forth; nor could any be more seasonable and inspiring to them than those very six Psalms, which every devout Jew would no doubt know by heart.”
Of course I had to rush to read Ps. 113-118 to try and imagine what that might have sounded like. I noticed several lines from these passages that are found in modern-day worship songs like
“From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.” (Ps. 113:3, NIV)
and
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever”. (Ps. 118:1, NIV)
Further down on Ps. 118, I spotted some great words of comfort that no doubt really resonated with the other prisoners:
5
When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
he brought me into a spacious place.
6
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
7
The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
I look in triumph on my enemies.
What an incredible witness they were to the faithfulness of God and their faithfulness to God! They were so kingdom-focused that they didn’t dream of taking the opportunity to escape when their shackles fell off. Not only were they a tremendous witness to the prisoners, but to the guard when they refused to escape. Their faithfulness to their God-given mission resulted in the guard and his household becoming believers. Praise in the midst of hardship is a recurring theme in this week’s readings. Many are watching us and listening to us and we have the opportunity to be a great testimony by how we react to our trials and struggles. Do we reflect the faith of Paul and Silas?
Reflection Questions
When faced with a difficult (or worse) day, what are some of your first responses? Are there times you let worry, fear, complaining, blaming, self-pity, negativity, shutting down, lashing out, or other harmful responses take over?
How might praying, and singing hymns and worship songs (especially those created from Scripture, so I will even add recalling and reading the Bible) be helpful to you? And beneficial to those around you?
Do you reflect the faith of Paul and Silas? What could you commit to working on this week to boost your faith and your testimony of God’s faithfulness, even when your life has some challenges along the way?
Prayer
Dear God, Thank you for being a faithful God. You do not desert Your children. I am sorry for the times I have neglected to turn to You first with prayer and worship and filling my mouth and mind and heart with Your perfect words of hope, comfort, righteousness, correction, mercy, love and faithfulness. Help me see that You and all of the good gifts You have already supplied are sufficient for my needs, even on days I experience trials. May I forever be a faithful witness of Your faithfulness to me.
In today’s reading, I can’t help but see some parallels between the faith of David expressed in the 40th Psalm and the faith of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14. In Acts 14:2 we read about the Jews putting up roadblocks to the Gentiles receiving the gospel message, “But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers” (NIV). Not only did they stand in the way of the gospel message being shared, they also plotted to harm Paul and Barnabas. Verse 5 reads, “There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them” (NIV). Sure enough they acted on this plot and stoned Paul and left him for dead. Thankfully, the ever resilient Paul got right back up and continued on his mission the very next day. In the next city they went to they found great success and won many people over to Christ. Paul and Barnabas were clearly going through it, but even Paul being stoned nearly to death was not enough to deter them from their God-given mission. They used their pain and suffering to encourage others who were encountering their own trials. In Acts 14:22we read, “strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said” (NIV). Even through their hardships, verse 27 demonstrates how their lips were filled with praise for their mighty God, “On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles” (NIV).
David also endured many struggles. He speaks in Ps. 40 about waiting patiently for the Lord to hear his cry and how the Lord lifted him out of “the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire” and put him on solid ground. After enduring all of these hardships, David’s mouth was full of praise just like Paul and Barnabas:
9
I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
I do not seal my lips, Lord,
as you know.
10
I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
from the great assembly. (NIV)
We will all go through it at one point or another. Do we remain faithful and patient? Do we proclaim God’s goodness no matter the circumstances and also look for ways to encourage our brothers and sisters like Paul and Barnabas did? These men of faith are great examples of what it looks like to celebrate God’s goodness in spite of anything we encounter. Remembering God’s amazing character and His immeasurable love for us will help anchor our faith during any turbulent storm we face.
Reflection Questions
Imagine for a moment, what do you think Paul and Barnabas were thinking and feeling throughout the events of Acts 14? What do you think might have been the hardest part for you if you had been in Paul’s shoes, or in Barnabas’s?
What are some tribulations you have already faced on your way to entering the Kingdom of God? How has God shown His faithfulness to you? What hardships might still be coming on your path? Who do you admire for how they faithfully persevered and praised?
What do you know about God’s amazing character and immeasurable love? Consider writing down your thoughts so you can return to this and be encouraged and strengthened on difficult days. Who else do you know who could use some encouragement? How will you share?
Prayer
Dear God, I praise You for Your faithfulness. Thank you for the many ways You have seen me through hardships, including _____. Thank you for the examples of Paul, Barnabas, David, Jesus, others throughout history, and in my life who encourage and strengthen me with their praise of who You are and what You have done. Help me to not hide your righteousness in my heart, but boldly proclaim your love and faithfulness again and again and again.
In our Ex 15: 1-20 reading today, we find the Israelites flushed with joy (and probably a bit surprised and amazed) at their very recent miraculous escape from Pharoah’s army through the Red Sea. The song that Moses and the Israelites sang, which is beautiful, highlights their joyous wonder and details the miraculous hand of God in their redemption. Then they walked for 3 days to the well of Marah (Ex 15:22-27) and began a pattern which would repeat pretty regularly throughout the book: complaining and whining. Kind of like us, right? How many times in your life has God done something miraculous and then within days or weeks you’ve completely forgotten about it and moved on with your life? It sounds painfully familiar because at heart most of us are exactly the same. God will do something utterly and completely miraculous, and we celebrate it and praise Him, and then forget about it and are looking for our next blessing. Why are we like that? How can we act differently? (There are some practical answers towards the end, if you want to skip down)
So after God once again miraculously cared for them by giving them water to drink, predictably, the sons of Israel once more started grumbling (Ex 16:2). God then began to provide for His people, and did so for 40 years (Ex 16:35) from this point, until they came to the promised land. In the morning he gave them manna, a miraculous bread from heaven, and in the evening he gave them meat (in the form of quail) (Ex 16:13-14). During these 40 years of provision, the Israelites where physically and spiritually trained in the concept and keeping of the Sabbath (Ex 16:22-29). There is a neat description of the texture and taste of manna in Ex 16:31.
I have 2 very large dogs (Bo and Luke): they’re very sweet, very large, and very pushy. I’ve had them now for about 7 years, they’re good boys (mostly). I bring them up only to make a point. Every day I’ve had them, I have fed them the exact same dog food, in the exact same portions, twice a day. Do you know how they react? They LOVE it. Every single time, it’s like they just won the lottery, like they got the family pass to Disneyland and it’s Christmas morning, they are SO excited. Bo does standing jumps up in the air about 4′ high from the moment I go to the back to get the food until the moment I put it down for them, and Luke wags his entire backside so hard that he’ll knock you over if you get in the way (I have this on video, it happens daily). They are SO happy and just excited and grateful to get that same exact dog food, in that same exact bowl, at the same time daily. Then when they are done, they come lick my face happily (and for a bit longer than I’m usually comfortable with) while wagging their whole bodies to let me know how much they appreciated the food.
So what about you? When God gives you your daily provision, every day, do you show Him how grateful you are? Do you do standing jumps 4′ in the air and wag your whole bottom? Do you then go and lick God’s face repeatedly in thanks (figuratively, of course)? Think about it. Most of us would be more along the lines of the ancient Israelites “Ugh, manna and quail AGAIN??!“, while completely overlooking the fact that we have been provided for. Our creator, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and you gives us blessings every day. I urge you, as I urge myself; jump for joy, wag your tail, kiss the hand of the Almighty who has given us such abundant blessings undeservedly.
PRACTICAL STEPS
Pray when you wake up. Gush. Get on your hands and knees and thank God that you woke up today, that He has seen fit to grant you another day of life.
Look at your blessings, consider how ALL of them come from the hand of God (Ps 24:1)
Look at the sky in the morning, and praise God that He’s given us, His children, such a beautiful playground to live in.
Breathe in, Breathe out. That is the breath of life that God put inside you, thank Him for it.
Love the people you meet, God created them too, they are your brother/sister and it pleases Him when you acknowledge this.
When you struggle, thank God for refining you and strengthening your spirit. Ask for his help if you are failing.
When you eat anything, thank God.
When you bathe, thank God for the cleansing water. Ask Him to cleanse your heart as well.
When you go to bed, thank God for the day He gave you, and you’re still alive. Ask for forgiveness if you’ve failed in any way to please Him, and then wake up in the morning and do better.
Glorify God at all times, in everything you do, in every thought you have, in every action you take. Diminish your “self” and enlarge God’s spirit within you.
I’ve went on a bit long about our OT reading this morning, but I would be absolutely remiss if I didn’t point out a couple things in our Matt 15 reading. When the pharisees confront Jesus about some legalistic violations, Jesus calls them out (Matt 15:3) and points out the difference between honoring God with your heart and just “going through the motions”. It’s important to note that the traditions of men are not necessarily the commandments of God, we need to honor God and love him in our hearts. If we’re not doing any of the things we do daily as rituals out of pure love for God, then we too are missing the whole point.
I have a friend who believes firmly (and I don’t disagree) that “unconditional love towards the Father” is in itself perfect religion lived properly. I humbly suggest that some of the daily rituals suggested above may help us to refocus our attention and gratitude to where it belongs. May God bless you and lead you, and touch your heart with His spirit.
Reflection Questions:
Do you (figuratively) wag your tail and lick the hand that fed you, every time you get food? Why or why not?
God physically and spiritually trained his children the Israelites to keep the sabbath every week for 40 years. Do you think it was important to him?
Should we keep the Sabbath nowadays? No cheating by repeating whatever you were told by someone else: look it up in scripture, use your own words to answer, and show your work.
Prayer:
Father God, THANK YOU! You have provided for my every need, every day, and given me far beyond what was needed. I have not deserved it, I have not earned it, but you have been a gracious and loving God to me anyway. Lord God please forgive me, help me to love you with that same fierce love that you have loved me with since I was born, and teach me the depths of your awesome love. Thank you for life, and breath, and all things. Please guide me and be with me, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
The wall and the gates of Jerusalem had been rebuilt. (Nehemiah 6:15) Leadership and positions of service had been filled. Israelites were moving in to occupy the city of Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 11) The stage was set for a celebration!
It was time!
The dedication of the wall of Jerusalem attracted people to come to Jerusalem to be present for the dedication of the wall of the city. What a huge crowd that came that day! The Levites came to celebrate the dedication with gladness, thanksgiving, and singing. Cymbals, harps, and lyres were played in great celebration. In addition, singers came from the areas around Jerusalem, and other surrounding areas. The singers had even built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. The priests and Levites purified themselves and the people. All the celebrants were spiritually prepared and excited! Let the celebration begin! (12:27-30)
Nehemiah then brought the singers and musicians up onto the wall. What excitement must have stirred through the crowd when they mounted that wall that many thought impossible to rebuild! The city must have exploded with songs of praise and thanksgiving as Nehemiah instructed one half of the singers to sing songs of praise, accompanied by the blast of trumpets and other instruments created by David, the man of God. He sent them to march south on the top of the wall, along with Ezra the scribe. As they marched, they sang loudly with whole hearts overflowing with praise. Likewise, the second choir was sent to march north on top of the wall, along with Nehemiah. They sang and worshiped and praised the great God who had done mighty works in Jerusalem. The two choirs then met at the house of God where they gave thanks and presented sacrifices to their great God. They rejoiced! “For God had made them rejoice with great joy. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.” (v. 43)
One of the Songs of Ascent was probably song. Psalms 126, one of those songs, has such meaningful words for such an occasion as this:
“When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing; then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
Yes, the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away, but how that joy must have stung for some.
Throughout the celebration of praise and thanksgiving to God, this message was being seen and heard by those outside the congregation of the Israelites. There were a few familiar faces and names of people among the foreigners who probably wanted to hide in embarrassment. And it was all because of the completion of the work at Jerusalem on the 25th day of Elle (6:15). “All the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God” (6:16). Even their enemies and naysayers believed that what they were hearing with their ears and seeing with their eyes, was indeed proof positive that God was with Jerusalem and that He had caused the wall and gates of the city of Jerusalem to be restored! (Ps. 126:2)
Flash back several weeks earlier when word spread throughout the region that the wall was being rebuilt. Sanballat and Tobiah were up to their mischief trying to discourage and hinder the work of the Jews in rebuilding the wall. They teased; can these feeble old Jewish men even build these walls themselves? Will they sacrifice? They knew it would take more than a few prayers to rebuild the wall. Could they even finish it? They laughed at the materials they were using, calling the stones rubbish, because they were broken and burnt. They jeered, “How could anyone build anything out of trash?” (4:2) And yet, they built it! There it stood on this great day of dedication after its completion. So, with God even feeble old men can accomplish great things! Yes, they were able to finish the wall with God’s help! Even burnt stone dug from the rubble could become a strong wall! Sanballat and Tobiah probably heard the praise, the trumpet blasts, the loud songs of worship that day and cringed. But what may have been worse was seeing the wall standing strong, and the people standing strong and thankful upon that wall—that very wall that Tobiah declared would fall in a heap if even one fox went up on to the wall. (4:3). This was just what Nehemiah prayed to God to do…to “turn their taunt on their own heads” (4:4). What a testimony to God and the power of prayer! Now a multitude of people stood upon the wall and sang out praises to the One true God for the whole world to hear!
What are you doing to make sure that your wall stays strong, and that songs of praise to the One true God can be heard in your part of the world?
Reflection Questions
What is praise? How important is expressing praise in your prayers to God? What things do you praise God for? Is there a relationship between expressing praise to God and feeling joy in your life?
What is the difference between praise and thanks? Or are they the same thing? Do you share your thanksgiving and praise with others?
What did Paul mean when he said, “In all things give thanks? (1 Thess. 5:18) Does giving thanks remove fear and worry from your life? How do you incorporate giving thanks in your life when you feel overtaken and undone by loss or grief?
In Chronicles 36 the people of Judah continually disobey God. One of the ways they disobeyed God was by mocking Him and His message.
“But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.” 2 Chronicles 36:16.
Have you ever mocked God? Mocking is belittling God and it doesn’t just mean to ridicule Him out loud. Mocking means to outright disrespect God. Some examples would include picking and choosing what is commanded of us and ignoring what we don’t want to follow. It’s being hypocritical with our faith. It includes being complacent in consuming media that disrespects God and the faith. Now, ask yourself again, have you ever mocked God?
So, what do you do if you have mocked God like the people in 2 Chronicles 36? The first thing to do is repent and ask for forgiveness.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
We have to talk highly about God with the respect he deserves. We have to nurture our spiritual growth. That means the recognition of the mockery we may have been adding to our life has to stop and it needs to be replaced by praise.
Reflection Questions
How have you turned your back from God?
In what ways can you express gratitude for who God is?
How can you move away from mocking God and move to recognizing the beauty of God?
Brooke Cisneros
(I apologize for not getting this devotion sent out earlier today!)
When my son was little, we spent a lot of time watching Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. One of Thomas’s friends was an engine named Percy. Percy was good at his job, but sometimes he just felt he was given way too much work and it was unfair. “I feel put upon!” Percy would declare at various times. While reading today’s chapters, I think Jeremiah was saying the same thing (but in Hebrew 😀).
And really, I don’t blame him. God had him observe a potter creating and destroying vessels at his pleasure to demonstrate what God will do with His people. Then He had Jeremiah buy a clay jar and smash it in front of the leaders of Judah to demonstrate what God will do to Judah. And what does Jeremiah get for his obedience? Beaten and mocked. Not only that, but Jeremiah saw that nothing was happening to the evil people, in fact, they seemed to be doing quite well. He was frustrated and felt defeated. I think I would have, too. Any half-way mature person knows that life isn’t fair, but sometimes it’s hard not to be frustrated when you always seem to be on the unfair end of things and that’s where Jeremiah is here. But despite his anger and frustration, he still acknowledges that no matter what, Jeremiah would praise Him and continue to prophesy in His name. Which is probably a good thing because after years of warnings, God begins moving His hand against Judah.
In chapter 21, we see that the warning of destruction of kings was no longer a vague, general mourning. People are being named. King Zedekiah was told he would be captured by the Babylonians, King Josiah’s eldest had been exiled, and his next son, Jehoiakim’s death was predicted to be un- mourned and dishonorable. Then it’s Jeremiah’s job to try to convince the people to surrender to Babylon so they will go “easy” on them and not kill them. No wonder this guy wasn’t very popular. I hadn’t really given it much thought before but in verse 20:18, Jeremiah mentions his friends. They certainly aren’t good friends as they are plotting to kill him. But unlike Jonah who was commanded to go and preach to a far off nation, Jeremiah was preaching to the people he grew up with and lived around. The people he traded goods with, the people he talked to while on the way to the temple, people who had been a part of his everyday life. Between being scorned for delivering these messages and knowing what was in store for his community, no wonder Jeremiah was down and depressed. He WAS put upon.
We’ll have to keep reading to find out what happens to Judah and Jeremiah. But in the meantime, think about the times you’ve felt “put upon” by the Lord. What happened? Did He stay with you? Like Jeremiah, did you praise Him anyway?
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
There are times in life when You have given us a burden and we feel “put upon”. Help us to have an attitude of peace and contentment at these times because You have chosen us to carry that burden. Please give us the strength to do it with pleasure.
In Christ’s Name,
Amen
-Maria Knowlton
Reflection Questions
“Think about the times you’ve felt ‘put upon’ by the Lord. What happened? Did He stay with you? Like Jeremiah, did you praise Him anyway?”
Have you ever delivered warnings from God to someone you know? What was the hardest part? What did this person think of you? What do you think God thought of you? What happens when no one warns?
Chapters 29 through 31 of Second Chronicles talks about King Hezekiah and how he followed God by cleansing the temple and reestablishing the law upon the people. When King Hezekiah became king, he could have done many things to build up his own name, become prosperous, and live life as he desired it. Instead, we see that he chose to steer his people back to God and lift God’s authority over his own.
[1] Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. [2] And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done. 2 Chronicles 29:1-2 (ESV)
I find it fascinating that a twenty-five-year-old man with so much capability, power, money, and status would choose to spend his effort on making the nation of Israel God’s people not something for his gain. Now this is what Hezekiah told the Levites to do as a step towards restoring holiness to Israel.
[5] and said to them, “Hear me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the Holy Place. [6] For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They have forsaken him and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD and turned their backs. 2 Chronicles 29:5-6 (ESV)
I think we can take this advice which was intended for the Levites and apply it to our lives. God’s will for us is that we would be sanctified and set apart in our thoughts, actions, and speech. Something we can do to help this is simply to ask God that he would give us hearts that desire His will. If our hearts want what God wants, then our lives will reflect that and pour into others as well.
Why should we set our lives apart for God? Psalm 48, a great reminder of God’s greatness, is helpful in encouraging us to praise him. Psalm 48 says …
[1] Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, [2] beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. Psalm 48:1(ESV)
This Psalm refers to Jerusalem as Mt Zion, the great city, and as a place that will be lifted high. Because God is steadfast and always faithful, the psalmist praises God. Together with the psalmist, we should become people of praise. I find that praising God, giving thanks to God, and spending time in his presence, gives me joy and peace. A tool that is helpful in praising God is praying through a Psalm. The Psalms contain many beautiful sayings that come from the truth of God’s word just like these two verses in Psalm 48.
[9] We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. [10] As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness. Psalm 48:9-10 (ESV)
Application Questions:
What are some things that are preventing us from giving God glory?
What is one thing you can do this week to set yourself apart from the world?
-Jeremiah Grable
We welcome a new writer for SeekGrowLove. He introduces himself for us:
My name is Jeremiah Grable, and I am 18 years old. I live in Southern California with my wonderful parents and 6 of my 8 siblings. I love being outdoors doing things like playing pickleball, hiking, and doing parkour. I also love traveling and seeing new places. This spring I graduated from high school and plan on attending California State University San Bernadino in the fall in hopes of getting my bachelor’s in business. I have been a believer for 4 years now and got baptized in the fall of 2024.)
Seek Grow Love 