“Tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: Take your choice of life or death. Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease. But those who go out and surrender to the Babylonians will life. Their reward will be life! For I have decided to bring disaster and not good upon this city, says the Lord. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, and he will reduce it to ashes.'” (vv. 8-10, NLT)
Month: December 2023
Jeremiah’s Complaint, Jeremiah Chapter 20
“O Lord, You misled me, and I allowed myself to be misled. You are stronger than I am, and You overpowered me. Now I am mocked every day; everyone laughs at me. When I speak, the words burst out. “Violence and destruction!’ I shout. So these messages from the Lord have med me a household joke. But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in His name, His words burn in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it! I have heart the many rumors about me. The call me, “The Man Who Lives in Terror.’ They threaten, ‘If you say anything, we will report it.’ Even my old friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip. ‘He will trap himself,’ they say, ‘ and then we will get our revenge on. him.’
But the Lord stands beside me like a great warrior. Before Him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat me. They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated. Their dishonor will never be forgotten. O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, You test those who are righteous, and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets. Let me see Your vengeance against them, for I have committed my cause to You. Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For though I was poor and needy, He rescued me from my oppressors.” (vv. 7-13, NLT)
The Potter and the Clay, Jeremiah Chapter 18
“The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said,’Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.’ So I did what He told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making didn’t turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay and started over.
Then the Lord gave me this message: ‘O Israel, can I not do to you what this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand.,If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I planned. And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey Me, I will not mess it as I said I would.”’ (vv 1-10, NLT)
Observing the Sabbath, Jeremiah Chapter 17
“This is what the Lord says:’Listen to My warning! Stop carrying on your trade in Jerusalem’s gates on the Sabbath day. Do not do your work on the Sabbath, but make it a holy day. I gave this command to your ancestors, but they did not listen or obey. They stubbornly refused to pay attention or accept My discipline.
But if you do obey Me, says the Lord, and do not carry on your trade at the gates or work on the Sabbath day, and if you keep it holy, then kings and their officials will go in and out of these gates forever. There will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. Kings and their officials will always ride in and out among the people of Judah in chariots and on horses, and this city will remain forever.” (vv 19-25, NLT)
Jeremiah’s Trust in the Lord, Jeremiah Chapter 17
“Like a partridge that hatches the eggs she has not laid, so are those who get their wealth by unjust means. At midlife they will lose their riches; in the end, they will become poor old fools. But we worship at your throne – eternal, high, and glorious! O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who turn away from You will be disgraced. They will be buried in the dust of the earth, for they have abandoned the Lord, the fountain of living water.
O Lord, if You heal me, I will be truly saved. My praises for You alone! People scoff at me and say, ‘What is this message from the Lord you talk about? Why don’t your predictions come true?’
Lord, I have not abandoned my job as a shepherd for Your people. I have not urged You to send disaster. You have heard everything I’ve said. Lord, don’t terrorize me! You alone are my hope in the day of disaster. Bring shame and dismay on all who persecute me, but don’t let me experience shame and dismay. Bring a day of terror on them. Yes, bring double destruction upon them!” (vv. 11-18, NLT)
Jeremiah’s Prayer of Confidence, Jeremiah Chapter 16
“Lord, You are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble! Nations from around the world will come to You and say, ‘Our ancestors left us a foolish heritage, for they worshiped worthless idols. Can people make their own gods? These are not real gods at all!’
The Lord says, ‘Now I will show them My power; now I will show them My might. As last they will know and understand that I am the Lord.'” (vv. 19-21, NLT)
Merry Christmas
This is the first Christmas that none of our children and their families live near us. My husband I thought it would be a very sad day but we were wrong. Before opening our presents, my husband found a You Tube channel with continuous Christmas Music, either instrumental or in song. One of my favorites was Sarajevo Christmas by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. We enjoyed various renditions of O Holy Night, Silent Night, and Little Drummer Boy. It was heartwarming and both shed a few tears. Remember of true meaning Christmas – the birth of Jesus Christ and His gift of redemption, salvation and eternal life.
“May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile at you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace.” (Numbers 6:vv. 24-26, NLT)
Prayer for Healing, Jeremiah Chapter 14
” Lord, have you completely rejected Judah? Do You really hate Jerusalem? Why have You wounded us past all hope of healing. We hoped for peace, but no peace came. We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror. Lord, we confess our wickedness and that of our ancestors, too. We have all sinned against You. For the sake of Your reputation, Lord, do not abandon us. Do not disgrace Your own glorious throne. Please remember us, and do not break Your covenant with us.
Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Can it fall from the sky by itself? No, You are the One, O Lord, Our God! Only You can do such things. So we will wait for You to help us.” (vv. 19-22, NLT)
A Warning against Pride, Jeremiah Chapter 13
“Listen and pay attention! Do not be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God before it is too late. Acknowledge Him before He brings darkness upon you, causing you to stumble and fall on the darkening mountains. For then, when your look for light, you will only find terrible darkness and gloom. And if you still refuse to listen, I will weep alone, because our your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the Lord’s flock will be led away into exile.” (vv. 15-17, NLT)
Jeremiah Questions the Lord’s Justice, Excerpt from Chapter 12
“Lord, You always give me justice when I bring a case before You. So let me bring You this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy? You have planted them, and they have taken root and prospered. Your name is on their lips, but You are far from their hearts. But for me, Lord, You know my heart. You see me and test my thoughts. Drag these people away like sheep to be butchered. Set them aside to be slaughtered!
How long must this land mourn? Even the grass in the field has withered. The wild animals and birds have disappeared because of the evil in the land. For the people have said, ‘The Lord doesn’t see what’s ahead for us.” (vv 1-4, NLT)