Sun.’s Devo - Good Figs

Read: Jeremiah 23:21-25:38; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17; Psalm 84:1-12; Proverbs 25:15
God told the people that he had not sent their prophets or give them the words that they were saying. They were prophesying false dreams of hope that were not encouraging the people to repent. After King Jehoiachin and the officials were carried into exile to Babylon, The Lord showed Jeremiah two baskets of figs. One basket had good figs in it and the other had bad figs. God would watch over his good figs which were the people he sent into exile into Babylon. God would bring them back to the land. The bad figs would be judged according to the wickedness of their hearts. They would die by sword, famine or plague.
Jeremiah reminded them that he had warned them for 23 years of what would happen if they didn’t repent. God also sent other prophets to warn them, but they refused to listen so they would be judged for 70 years in the land of Babylon. Everyone would be judged for their sins.
In Thessalonians there had been some bad teaching that the Lord had already come back. He assured them that this had not yet happened and before it did, the antichrist would arise and oppose and exalt himself above everything of God. He will set himself in God’s temple proclaiming himself to be God. He will do counterfeit miracles and signs and wonders. People will be given a spirit of delusion so that they will believe the lie of the Antichrist. But, Paul encourages the church that they have been chosen from the beginning to be saved and have the power to believe the truth.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by this grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. Amen.