Sat.’s Devo - Restore Our Joy

Read: Lamentations 4:1-5:22; Hebrews 2:1-18; Psalm 103:1-22; Proverbs 26:23 Today we read a picture of the siege in Jerusalem. The people who were once God’s finest gold had been reduced to pots of clay. They were doing tragic unheard of things just to keep alive. They were eating their own children and had become worse than animals. No one would have believed the sight of Jerusalem. Yet it happened because of the sins of their prophets and priests. Thrones who were spiritually responsible for keeping Judah walking according to the law had failed the people. They had prophesied falsely and led the people into the worshipping of idols. They had sacrificed so many innocent children that the people didn’t even want them to touch them. None of their sacrifices had worked; all those children died in vain. They had waited for Egypt and other nations they had paid to be their allies to rescue them, but they never came. The change that has happened to their city is unimaginable. It is so obvious because it happened in such a short time though the seeds had been growing underground for a long time. Bad seeds produce bad results. It reminds me of 2020 in America. Sin had been maturing for years but its manifestation came quickly. Jeremiah ended with, “But Lord, you remain the same forever! Your throne continues from generation to generation.” He prays for God to restore them and bring them back to him and to restore their joy. It is my belief that God is not going to do to America what he did to Jerusalem because we are living in a different dispensation. The children of God have repented in America and come back to our roots and God has heard our prayers. We are watching as God is exposing sin and uprooting bad trees to plant good ones. I truly expect to see the map of the United States go red on November 3rd and all the glory will go to the Lord who has come to rescue his nation. Hebrews is almost too wonderful to believe. Hebrews talks so much about angels and lets us know that they were not perfect. Many angels sinned and followed Satan and they will be punished. Even though we are made lower than them, we will be crowned with glory and honor and given authority over all things just like Jesus is. Jesus had to become a man so that he could die and break the curse of death. We can now live without the fear of death. Lord, what you are bringing us into is an age that we have only heard about and know so little about but we are trusting you to lead us into it. Thank you that you have saved the best wine for last.

Fri.’s Devo - God’s Steadfast Love

Read: Lamentations 3:1-66; Hebrews 1:1-14; Psalm 102:1-28; Proverbs 26:21-22 Jeremiah laments being under God’s rod of punishment. He feels like he is surrounded by darkness with no way of escaping the prison he is in. His people feel helpless and abandoned. Nothing is tasteful and nothing he sees can raise them from the depression they are in. Yet in his despair he dares to hope as he remembers that God’s love never stops; His mercies never come to an end but are refreshed every morning. God is good to those who depend on him. Jeremiah realizes that God never abandons his people forever. In the midst of grief, he shows compassion. God gets no delight in hurting people or causing sorrow. Why should man complain when they bring their own sorrow on themselves. Jeremiah called on the Lord to avenge his enemies. I love Hebrews! No one knows for sure who wrote Hebrews either. Most think that Paul wrote Hebrews. In the age before, God spoke through the law and the prophets, but in this new age, God was speaking through Jesus, his son. The son was the expression of God’s own glory and he was able to cleans us from sin and now sits at the right hand of God, the place of highest honor. All the angels worshipped him when he came to earth as a man. The earth was made for a time, but one day it will be destroyed, but God will never end. He lives forever. Hebrews lets us know information about angels. We learn that they have names (verse 4). They are below Jesus, even in his earthly form. And, verse 14 tells us that they are sent to earth to serve and care for us who will inherit salvation. Lord, thank you for the genius of your plan. Thank you for sending us a Savior in the man of Jesus. Thank you that he know dwells in us and we are never alone.

Thurs.’s Devo - Lamentations Over Jerusalem

Read: Lamentations 1:1-2:22; Philemon 1:1-25; Psalm 101:1-8; Proverbs 26:30 Lamentations was first named “How!” or “Alas” since that was the first word of the book but was later translated into English as “Lamentations”. Tradition says it was written by Jeremiah though no one knows for sure. It is the songs of sorrow over the overthrow of Jerusalem. The people of Judah considered themselves the “chosen ones” and Israel the “wayward ones.” So, they believed that they would always be blessed with good things. First and Second Chronicles gives the account of the downfall of Judah into sin. The last king, Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar causing them to come and attack them, destroy Jerusalem and take all but the poorest to Babylon. Jeremiah had opted to stay with the remnant left behind. In these first two chapters, Jeremiah is looking over the burnt and destroyed Jerusalem remembering her former glory. He cries for his people as a father would for his own children. As an intercessor he takes responsibility for her sins as if he was guilty also. All the nations have watched as Jerusalem fell and they laughed and were glad. Jeremiah asks for vengeance for his nation. Jeremiah realizes that it was God that brought them down and not the Babylonians - they were only his tools. Their false prophets had told them lies and they had believed them. Now, everything he told them has happened and it is gut-wrenching. Jeremiah calls them to cry out and repent even now. To understand Philemon we have to know the background story. Paul led Philemon to the Lord in the church he started in Colosse. Philemon had a slave named Onesimus who had escaped to Rome. While in Rome, Onesimus met Paul and became a convert to Christianity. He became a great help to Paul while he was in chains there. (The name Onesimus means “helpful”.) Paul was sending him back to Philemon so they could restore their relationship. They were not only slave and slave-owner but now they were brothers in Christ. Paul was hoping that Philemon would forgive him and send him back to Paul. To help him in his decision, Paul reminds him that he owes him his very soul. That was a pretty good bargaining chip! Owning slaves was an accepted way of life in their day. How they treated their positions was important to God. Owners should treat their slaves as sons and slaves should treat their owners as fathers. This could only happen if both were Christians. Lord, help us to learn to honor one another as fellow believers part of the same family. We honor You as our maker and Lord over all the earth.

Wed.’s Devo - Jeremiah’s Last Word

Read: Jeremiah 51:54-52:34; Titus 3:1-15; Psalm 100:1-5; Proverbs 26:18-19 Jeremiah told them to use their spiritual ears and hear the sound of Babylon falling. God was coming to bring just punishment because he always repays in full. Jeremiah saw the walls of Babylon completely leveled to the ground. He put this message on a scroll and gave it to Seraiah, a staff officer who was going to Babylon with King Zedekiah to present their homage to him. He told him when he got to Babylon he was to read it to the captives of Judah there, then wrap it around a stone and throw it into the Euphrates River to be a picture of what would happen to the Babylonian kingdom. They would sink, never to rise again. His word came true 70 years later. This was the last word Jeremiah gave to the people. Chapter 52 is a summary of Zedekiah’s reign, the last king of Judah. He was 21 when he became king and he was a bad king. In the 9th year of his reign Babylon came and built siege ramps around Jerusalem. By the 11th year, the famine had become so severe they had run out of all their food. Zedekiah and his men tried to escape through a broken down section of the wall and were caught on the plains of Jericho. Nebuchadnezzar made Zedekiah watch as he killed all of his sons then his army officers. Then Nebuchadnezzar had Zedekiah’s eyes gouged out and led him in chains to Babylon. The Babylonians came back and burned down the city and took most of the people to Babylon. He left the poorest of the poor in Jerusalem to care for the vineyards and the fields. They took every thing of worth from the Temple and carted it off to Babylon. The chief officer of Babylon’s army took the heads of the Temple and the heads of state and killed them at Riblah. He came back for more captives and ended up taking 4,600 people captive from Judah. Thirty-seven years later, a new king came to the throne named Evil-merodach. He was kind to Jehoiachin and released him from prison, gave him new clothes and allowed him to eat with him for the rest of his life. This shows God’s favor on his people even in exile. In Titus, Paul instructed Titus to tell the people to be model citizens and honor their leaders even if they disagreed with their decisions. They were once sinners themselves so they made bad decisions too. He reminded them of the mercy and grace God had extended towards them. He warned them of having conversations that were senseless and couldn’t change the matter. Paul was sending Titus some helpers to undergird him in his ministry. We all need help. Lord, thank you that even in the worst of times, we can see your grace and your mercy toward your chosen ones. You are a good Father.

Tues.’s Devo - God’s Hand

Read: Jeremiah 51:1-53; Titus 2:1-15; Psalm 99:1-9; Proverbs 26:17 The destroying of Babylon in their time mirrors the destruction of Babylon in Revelations. Babylon means “confusion” and it is the last kingdom to come down. God commanded them to not even spare her best soldiers but to let her army be completely destroyed. God did this to prove that he had not abandoned Israel and Judah but he was still their God, even though their land was filled with sin against him. (That should give us hope about America.) Babylon’s sins were so great that her punishment couldn’t be measured. The Lord would use the Medes to carry out His vengeance on Babylon. “Mede” means “my measure: my garment.” They were God’s hand of judgement. They were his battle ax and sword. The people who crafted the idols were a fraud and their idols were ridiculous lies. All their wicked deeds would be repaid. To Jerusalem, God said he would be their lawyer to plead they case and avenge them. When Babylon falls, the heavens and the earth will rejoice. He warned the people to flee and not stand around to watch. Paul had something to say to Titus for everyone. Teach the older men to have self-control, be respectful and live wisely. Let their faith be filled with love and patience. To the older women he told them to live so that their lives honored God. They were to be examples and teach the younger women how to love their husbands and children. Titus was to teach the young men to live wisely and he was to be an example of the things he taught. Slaves were to obey their masters and do their best work as if they were working for Christ. They must not talk back or steal but be examples of Christ. Jesus gave his life to free us from every kind of sin and cleanse us to make us his very own people who are totally devoted to doing good deeds. The last thing Paul said was to remind Titus that he had the authority to correct them when they needed it. The Church is suppose to discipline the Church. The Lord disciplines the world. Lord, may our lives be living epistles for the world to see what you look like.

Mon.’s Devo - Nations and Leaders

Read: Jeremiah 49:23-50:46; Titus 1:1-16; Psalms 97:1-98:9; Proverbs 26:13-16 Jeremiah spoke against Syria and told them basically the same thing he told Moab, Ammon, and Edom. Babylon was coming to destroy Damascus, their capital, with fire and their people would be killed. Next would be Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor. They were the nomadic tribes of the Arabs. The Bedouins were the descendants of the second son of Ishmael. They dwelt in the north-west of Arabia and lived in black hair-tents. To "dwell in the tents of Kedar" was to be cut off from the worship of the true God. God sent the Babylonians to defeat them. They ran for the caves to hide. God called their nation a wealthy, careless, complacent nation, but now their peace was going to be disrupted. God spoke to Elam which was a son of Shem. Elam was Persia and they were being judged because they helped Nebuchadnezzar against Judea. They were know for their archers. God would one day restore them through Cyrus, the king. Last, God would destroy the Babylonian kingdom who he used to judge the other nations. Darius, the Mede, who lived north of Babylon would be their destroyer. But one day, God’s people would return to their land and their eternal covenant with the Lord would be remembered. Babylon would become a barren wasteland while Jerusalem would become a thriving garden. Today we start reading the book of Titus. Titus was a devoted convert of Paul’s at the church at Crete. He was a Greek who never got circumcised which shows that he never bought the lie of the Judaizers. Paul’s letter to him was to make sure he found good leaders to help him to proclaim the faith and teach the people how to live godly lives. The leaders he chose needed to be able to handle and rule their own households well because those who could raise a godly family could raise a godly church family. These leaders also needed to love people and be able to give encouraging and convicting teachings. Crete was known for being a city full of liars, cruelty and laziness so that was what he was to fight against. Lord, thank you that you judge the world with justice and the nations with fairness. We trust in your hand upon our lives and our nation.

Sun.’s Devo - Furthering the Kingdom

Read: Jeremiah 48:1-49:22; 2 Timothy 4:1-22; Psalms 95:1-96:13; Proverbs 26:9-12 God gave Jeremiah messages from him to all the nations. He started with Moab, Ammon and Edom. Both of them are in what is now Jordan. It is to the east of Israel. The Moabites worshipped the Chemosh - the destroyer, subduer, or fish-god. They were known as mighty warriors and they had never gone into exile or been destroyed but God said that they would be soon be destroyed because they rebelled against the Lord and ridiculed the people of Israel. It would no longer be a nation because it boasted against the Lord. As the caused people to flee in terror from them, they will now do the same. The land of the Ammonites was land that was allowed to Gad and yet the people of Gad had all left it and not occupied their inheritance. God was going to destroy it and then give it back to Israel. Edom was last which was named for Jacob’s brother, Esau. Edom would be punished because Esau had despised God and his own brother, Jacob. The people there were known for their wisdom, but man’s wisdom is foolishness to God. It was about to be stripped bare. Paul finished his letter encouraging Timothy to keep preaching the Word of God, patiently correcting, rebuking and encouraging the people until Christ comes back. He told him not to fear suffering like he had because a crown of righteousness was awaiting those who poured out their lives for the sake of Christ. Paul longed for Timothy to come and encourage him. He had had his first trial before the judge and all his friends had abandoned him. Only God stood with him and he was able to tell his story and preach the gospel. Lord, may our lives be as Paul’s who considered suffering for Christ a small price to pay in order to fulfill his destiny and pour out his life to further the kingdom of God.

Sat.’s Devo - A Word to Those in Egypt

Read: Jeremiah 44:24-47:7; 2 Timothy 2:22-3:17; Psalm 94:1-23; Proverbs 26:6-8 Jeremiah told the women who were bent on offering their libations to their Queen of Heaven to keep doing it. The Queen of Heaven is believed to be Inanna, Anat, Isis, Nut, Astarte or Asherah. They were goddesses of war, fertility, love, power, etc. Since they had chosen to worship these gods, God told them they could not invoke his name as long as they lived in Egypt. Those from Judah would suffer war and famine and only a few will survive to return to Judah. As a sign to show them his words were true, Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt would be turned over to his enemies just like God turned King Zedekiah over to Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah told Baruch, his trusted friend that God would spare his life and reward him for his faithfulness. God gave Jeremiah a lament for Egypt because the Babylonians were going to attack and win. He told the Pharaoh that he was a “loudmouth who missed his opportunity.” He and his people would be taken into captivity in Babylon. When the time was right, God would turn and punish all of Israel’s enemies and bring them back to their land. Paul told Timothy to run from things that stimulated his lusts and run to righteous living, faithfulness, love and peace. He should seek out friends that worshipped God with pure hearts. Paul gave a description of the people who would be living in the last days which describes our nation. Paul told Timothy to stay away from these people. They love themselves and their money, are prideful and boastful, scoff at God and disobey their parents and are ungrateful. They are unloving, unforgiving, slander others, and have no self-control. They are pleasure-seekers who act religious, but reject the power that could make them godly. They use guilt to control people. They have no desire to suffer for what they believe like Paul did. Paul told Timothy to remain faithful to what he had been taught in the Scriptures. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us, correct us, and prepare and equip us to do every good work God has prepared for us. Lord, may we walk in your Word, fully armed and equipped to do the work you have ordained for us to walk in.

Fri.’s Devo - God’s Word to the Remnant in Egypt

Read: Jeremiah 42:1-44:23; 2 Timothy 2:1-21; Psalms 92:1-93:5; Proverbs 26:3-5 Johanan and Jezaniah were military leaders who had lead the people into other nations to flee the Babylonians. They had come back to Judah when they learned the Gedaliah had been made governor. Now that Gedaliah had been killed and there was no leader they came to Jeremiah to ask God what they should do next. They promised that they would do whatever He said. After 10 days, God did speak to Jeremiah and told him to tell them not to go to Egypt because they would encounter famine, disease and war. If they stayed in Judah everything would go well for them. Johanan and the other military officers refused to listen, even though they had promised to. They packed up everyone, including Jeremiah and went to Egypt. When they came to the city of Tahpanhes God told Jeremiah to take some large rocks and bury them under the pavement stones at the entrance of Pharaoh’s palace. Jeremiah told the people that God was going to bring the army of Nebuchadnezzar to Egypt and he would set his throne over these stones that he had hidden. The war and famine that they fled would come to them. Jeremiah spoke to the Judaens that were living in the large cities of Egypt and said that God was going to judge them for worshipping the gods of Egypt. They would be killed by war, famine and disease because they refused to repent. The women argued that all this was happening because they had stopped worshipping the gods of Egypt. Jeremiah responded that it was because they had worshipped the gods of Egypt. God’s judgments are not immediate. He waited a long time to punish them because he is so merciful. They had provoked him for years and years and he could no longer bear it. Paul encouraged Timothy to pass down to his people the things he had learned from Paul. He explained that he needed to be like a soldier and obey his officer. Like an athlete he would not win the prize unless he followed the rules. And, like a farmer, he would reap the fruits of his hard work. These are the tenets of the Kingdom: follow God, obey his Word and reap the rewards. What we do on earth determines our state in eternity. He gave us secrets in how to be used for God’s special work. Those who keep themselves pure will be used in special work and those who aren’t concerned about their walk will only be used for everyday stuff. Lord, may we not be stubborn in our walk but stay separate from the world’s enticements by washing our soul with the water of the Word.

Thurs.’s Devo - God’s Protective Favor for the Faithful

Read: Jeremiah 39:1-41:18; 2 Timothy 1:1-18; Psalms 90:1-91:16; Proverbs 26:1-2 Jeremiah had been prophesying for years about the destruction of Jerusalem and now, 11 years after Zedekiah became king, the Babylonians broke through the wall and took the city. Zedekiah and his officials tried to escape even though Jeremiah had warned him not to. They were captured and taken to Riblah, Nebuchadnezzar’s campaign headquarters where they made Zedekiah watch as they killed his sons. Then they gouged out his eyes so the last thing he would remember seeing was the slaughter of his own sons. After that, they led Zedekiah in chains to Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar told his captain to find Jeremiah and give him whatever he wanted. He could choose to come to Babylon or stay behind. This is what God does for his faithful. He makes even their enemies to be at peace with them. Jeremiah had a promise for the Ethiopian that had rescued him from the cistern. God promised that He would keep Ebed-melech safe to reward him for his faithfulness to God and his kindness to Jeremiah. As Zedekiah was being led in chains to Babylon, Jeremiah was released from his chains and set free to go where he wanted to go. Jeremiah chose to go back and help Gedaliah in Judah. He had been made governor, by the Babylonians, of the ones left in Judah. When the Judeans who had fled to Moab, Ammon and Edom heard the news that Gedaliah was now governor of Judah, they returned to live in Judah. One of the relatives of Zedekiah was Ishmael and he thought he deserved to be the governor since he was of royal blood, so he plotted to kill Gedaliah. Johanan tried to warn Gedaliah but he refused to believe it. Sure, enough Johanan was right and Ismael killed Gedaliah and all the Judea and Babylonian soldiers in Mizpah. The next day, when 80 men came to worship in the Temple there, Ishmael killed 70 of them. The other 10 bribed him with promises of wheat, barley, olive oil and honey. Ishmael took all the people in Judah captive and planned to take them to Ammon. Johanan, the military officer who had tried to warn Gedaliah about Ishmael, found out about what he had done and came with an army and rescued the people and took them to a village where he planned to take them to Egypt. They were afraid to stick around and see what the king of Babylon would do when he found out that the governor he had set up had been killed along with his soldiers. Paul wrote a second letter to Timothy reminding him of the faith he had inherited from his grandma Lois and the gift that had been given him when Paul laid hands and prayed for him. Paul encouraged Timothy to fan the flames of his heart and not give in to the spirit of fear and timidity but to use the gift of faith that God had given him which was full of power, love and a sound mind. He reminded Timothy and us that we were not called into this holy life because we deserve it but because it was God’s plan from the beginning. It was to show us his grace and power to the world. Even if everyone deserts us, like all of Paul’s friends did, we are to carefully guard this precious truth that has been entrusted to us. Lord, may we victoriously endure till the end.

Wed.’s Devo - Jeremiah’s Persecution

Read: Jeremiah 37:1-38:28; 1 Timothy 6:1-21; Psalm 89:38-52; Provers 25:28 Zedekiah was Josiah’s third son and the last king of Judah. Even though Zedekiah didn’t listen to what Jeremiah said, he still wanted him to pray for him. The Babylonians had laid a siege to Jerusalem but when they heard that the Egyptians were coming to possibly help the Israelites, the Babylonians left Jerusalem and went to fight Egypt. This gave Jerusalem a small respite from the Babylonians. The Babylonians promised they would return, which they did. Jeremiah sent word to Zedekiah saying that the Babylonians were returning so he didn’t need to think everything was going to be fine. They would come back and burn Jerusalem to the ground. During that time Jeremiah left Jerusalem to check out some ancestral property he needed to claim. The city guard stopped him and accused him of deflecting to the Babylonians. Jeremiah tried to plead his case but there was no justice in the land so he was flogged and put in the dungeon. After a while, Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah to ask him if he had any message from the Lord. He said, “Yes, you will be defeated by the Babylonians.” (Lol!) Then he asked what he had done to be thrown in prison. He begged him not to send him back. Hezekiah had him put in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace instead. He was to be fed fresh bread every day which was more than the people were eating. Four of the officials complained to the king that the prophesies of Jeremiah were hurting the morale of the army. He needed to die as a traitor. Zedekiah obviously had no backbone because he told them that whatever they did, he couldn’t stop them. They took Jeremiah and lowered him into a muddy cistern with no food or water. Ebed-melech, the Ethiopian official found out what they had done and rushed to tell the king and save Jeremiah’s life. The king ordered him to get 30 men to pull Jeremiah out. He was returned to the courtyard where he remained. One day, Zedekiah called Jeremiah in secret and asked him to tell him his future. Jeremiah thought it was useless but told him anyway. If he surrendered to the Babylonians he would not die and it would go well with him. If he didn’t, he would die. The city would be burned to the ground. King Zedekiah was afraid to surrender to the Babylonians because of his fear of what his own people who deflected might do to him. Jeremiah promised that he wouldn’t be turned over to them. If Zedekiah refused to surrender, the women in his palace would be given to the Babylonan officers and all his wives and children would be led out to the Babylonians but he wouldn’t escape. (Sadly, that is exactly what he tried to do.) Zedekiah made Jeremiah promise not to tell anyone of their conversation. As soon as he was taken back, Jeremiah was interrogated about his conversation with the king. He didn’t tell them anything. In Timothy, Paul teaches that if your boss is not a believer then you should work in a way that he would have nothing bad to say about the Christ in you. If you work for a believer then you work to honor your Christian brother so he can be blessed. Our contentment should not be in the things of this world but eternal blessings. Trust in the world and money will eventually lead a person astray and bring sorrow instead of blessing. If a person is blessed with material wealth, they can use it to bless others. We should be rich in good works and generous to others in need. Lord, may we use the resources you have given us to bring blessing to others and glorify Your kingdom.

Tues.’s Devo - Righteousness on Display

Read: Jeremiah 35:1-36:32; 1 Timothy 5:1-25; Psalm 89:14-37; Proverbs 25:25-27 Today we will go back to when Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son was king. God told Jeremiah to set up the Recabites as examples of righteousness. They had made a covenant with God not to drink wine, plant gardens or vineyards or settle and build houses. Jeremiah brought one of the Recabite families into the Temple and into a separate room where no one would ever know what happened in that room. There, he offered them wine. They refused to drink it and explained that their ancestor had given them the command not to drink wine or own land and they had obeyed it through the years. Jeremiah then went and told the people of Judah about the faithfulness of the Recabites. The Recabites had not broken the covenant of their ancestors and yet Judah had broken their covenant with God. Because they had disobeyed the Lord, he was going to send disasters upon Israel and Judah. As for the Recabites, they would always have descendants who served Him. During Jehoiakim’s fourth year of his reign God told Jeremiah to write down all the words God had given him about the destruction of Jerusalem so maybe they would repent and then God could repent from his plan. Jeremiah sent for Baruch, the scribe to write them down and take them to the Temple on the Day of Atonement and read the prophecies. When the Temple officials heard Baruch’s words they called him in and listened to them in secret. They were scared because they saw their errors. They told Baruch to take Jeremiah and hide out while they took his scroll to read to the king. The king cut the scroll as it was being read to him and tossed the pieces into the fire. Even though three of his officials begged him to pay attention to the words, his other officials and the king were unaffected by them. Jehoiakim ordered his four sons to go and kill Baruch and Jeremiah, but the Lord had hidden them. God told Jeremiah to write down the same words and send them back to Jehoiakim and tell him that because he burned the last one, none of his sons would sit on the throne. He also added more words to the first one. I must admit that this chapter in Timothy is an eye-opener. What if we did our benevolence programs like they did it then? To get help, you had to prove that you had lived a life worthy of receiving care of. A widow under their welfare had to be 60 plus, have been faithful to her husband, well respected by everyone because of all the good she had done, brought up her children well, been kind to strangers and served other believers humbly, helped those in trouble and was always ready to do good. Wow! We might need to reform our system! If the widow had believing relatives, she should be their responsibility and not the churches. The elders, preachers and teachers should be well paid. Accusations against an elder should be confirmed by two or three witnesses. Sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church to be a warning to others. Every act of sin or righteousness will be revealed either now or later. Lord, may the fear of you fall on our nation and your people so that we will walk in your ways and in holiness.

Mon.’s Devo - Be An Example of Holiness 10-19-20

Read: Jeremiah 33:1-34:22; 1 Timothy 4:1-16; Psalm 89:1-13; Proverbs 25:23-24 God tells us to ask him about the future and he will tell us what is going to happen. He will let us in on his remarkable things he is planning. God told them not to even fight the Babylonians when they came. Their sins had made it impossible for them to stand a chance of winning. But, there was good news about their future. In their future, they would come back to their land and God would raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line to do what is just and right. Then, there would always be Levitical priests to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings to the Lord. Jeremiah told Zedikiah that Jerusalem would be taken and burned to the ground. Zedekiah would try to escape but be caught and taken to Babylon to see the king Nebuchadnezzar face to face. He would die there but be mourned by his people. Before Zedekiah received Jeremiah’s message he had made a proclamation for everyone to free their slaves. It was in the law that slaves were only to serve six years and the seventh year they were to go free. They had done that, but later had forced them back into slavery. Since they did that to their own people, he was going to set them free to be destroyed by war, disease and famine. They broke his covenant so he was breaking them. The bodies of the officials would be food for the vultures and wild animals. This is the fate of the wicked in Revelation. Paul described the people in the church like the officials of Jeremiah’s days. Paul called them hypocrites and liars whose consciences were dead. They would condemn marriage and certain foods. God has ordained marriage and all foods to be clean by His Word and prayer. They were so concerned about the things pertaining to the body but not things pertaining to their heart. Physical training is good for us right now but does not follow us when we die. Godly training not only is better for us now, but also benefits our life in the life to come. No matter what our age is, we can be an example to all believers in the way we live, in our love, our faith, and our purity. Paul told Timothy to focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers and teaching them until he could come himself. He reminded Timothy to grow in his spiritual gift that God had given him when the elders laid hands on him. Lord, may the words of Paul encourage us also to live as examples from pure hearts of love and commitment. Lord, you are faithful, no matter what we are going through. You are the hope and the resurrection.

Sun.’s Devo - Our Everlasting Covenant

Read: Jeremiah 31:27-32:44; 1 Timothy 3:1-16; Psalm 88:1-18; Provers 25:20-22 “The day is coming.” God said that three times to Jeremiah talking about the future of Jerusalem. In the tenth year of Zedikiah’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar did come against Jerusalem and put it under siege. The people had torn down their houses to build siege ramps but God said it would all be in vain. They would be captured and taken to Babylonia, but one day they would return. God wanted him to believe in the restoration and return to Jerusalem so much that he told him to buy land from his relative that was going to come and ask him to buy his land. It made no sense to Jeremiah but he obeyed. He bought the land and had the deed signed in front of witnesses in the courtyard of the guardhouse. Jeremiah was in prison at the time. He told Baruch to take his sealed deed and the unsealed copy and put them in a pottery jar to preserve them for a long time. This was to show them that one day people would return and again own property and buy and sell land and houses. After he had done that he went into his cell and asked God what that was all about. God told him it was a promise that one day the people would return and that they had a deed to the land. Jeremiah never came back to Jerusalem to enjoy that property he had just bought but God’s covenants are everlasting. Who knows if in the millennium, Jeremiah might live in that very place since it is covenantally his. In Timothy, Paul describes a mature Christian who is ready to lead others. That person is above reproach, faithful to his wife, exercises self-control, lives wisely, and has a good reputation. He enjoys having guests in his home and must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome and not love money. He must manage his own family well and have children who respect and obey him. This should be the our goal of all believers as we grow to maturity. Lord, thank you that we have an everlasting covenant with You and your promises. None of them will fall to the ground.

Sat.’s Devo - The End Result is Wonderful

Read: Jeremiah 30:1-31:26; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; Psalm 87:1-7 Proverbs 25:18-19 God told Jeremiah to write down all the words He had given him for the record. They had all been words of destruction and war with just a small bit of restoration. But, today, he was given a big picture of the restoration. He summed all the bad up in a picture of a woman in labor, but there was a baby in the end which would make all the labor worth it. After the 70 years in captivity, God was going to bring them home again from all over the world. God would destroy the nations that held them and punish them. God had to punish Israel and Judah because her sins were incurable. Jerusalem would be rebuilt and the fortunes of the people would be restored. The palace would be reconstructed with joy and songs of thanksgiving. The Jews would be honored and their children would prosper. They would be established as a nation and have their own rulers. They would be happy once again and dance for joy. Gd would comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing. Jeremiah got all this good news in a dream. He woke up and proclaimed that his sleep had been very sweet! That was probably the best night’s sleep he had had! God said in Jeremiah that he was doing something new. In the New Testament everything was new. Jesus had brought a new age and they were having to change their way of life. Paul instructed Timothy and the people in Ephesus to do things differently than they were used to living. The men were to praise God with holy hands and put away their anger and controversy. Women were to dress moderately to let people see the inner beauty instead. They were also to be quieter and learn to listen. The Greek women, which were not submissive had always ran the everything. They were not raised like the submissive Jewish women. Paul was trying to calm them down so their husbands would rise up and take a more responsible place in the home. The men were the picture of Christ and the women were the picture of the Bride. By nature, women are more easily deceived than men. For example, Eve was deceived by the serpent. But, Paul said that women would be saved in childbirth as they continued to walk in faith, love, holiness and modesty. I can’t say that I understand everything God meant by that but I do know that having children changes your priorities completely. A woman’s heart is changed by having someone other than herself to care for. Lord, thank you for giving us each other to care for so we won’t be so self-absorbed. Thank you for good news of a bright and wonderful future you have prepared for us.

Fri.’s Devo - God Defends His Own

Read: Jeremiah 28:1-29:32; 1 Timothy 1:1-20; Psalm 86:1-17; Proverbs 25:17 Jeremiah met the false prophet, Hananiah. His name means “the grace of Jehovah”, but it was not time for God’s grace. It was time for his judgment. He gave a message of grace saying that in two years, God would bring back all the treasures of the Temple that King Nebuchadnezzar had carried off to Babylon. Jeremiah said he wished that everything he was saying was right, but the proof would be in the pudding. If what Hananiah had said happened, they they will know he spoke from the Lord. Hananiah then took the wooden yoke off of Jeremiah’s back and broke it as a dramatic display. Jeremiah left and went home. Later, God sent Jeremiah to Hananiah and told him that God had replaced the wooden yoke with an iron one. He told Hananiah that because he had not spoken the truth he would die that year. Two months later, he died. Jeremiah sent a letter to the captives in Babylon telling them to settle in because they were staying for years. They should marry and have children and marry their children because they will be there for 70 years. If they blessed the nation they were taken to, it would go well for them and God would bring them back to their own land. To the people who stayed in Jerusalem, they would be turned over to war famine, and disease. They were the bad figs in the basket that would be hated everywhere they went. They had refused to heed the word of the Lord through Jeremiah. But, they were not the only ones who had refused to listen. The ones taken to Babylon were no different. They had refused to listen also. They touted that they had their own prophets there. They were prophesying lies, so God was going to turn them over to Nebuchadnezzar and they would be executed before their eyes. Jeremiah sent a second letter to Babylon rebuking the false prophet Shemaiah for wanting Jehoiada’s replacement, Zephaniah to kill anyone who prophesied in the name of the Lord. This was directed exclusively to Jeremiah. Zephaniah brought the letter straight to Jeremiah who sent an open letter to be read to all the exiles in Babylon saying that Shemaiah was a false prophet. God was going to punish Shemaiah so that he and none of he family would see the good things God was going to do for his people. Today we begin the words of Paul to Timothy. Timothy’s mother was Lois who was a Jew in Lystra. She was converted to Christianity probably during Paul’s first missionary journey to her city. Her husband was a Gentile and when Timothy had been born, he refused to let him be circumcised. Paul and Timothy became very close. Paul urged Timothy to be circumcised to avoid offending the Jews since his mother was Jewish. Timothy’s challenge was to remove the false legalism that wanted to mix law with grace. He was also fighting the writings that had been added to the law like the Mishnah and the Talmud. Paul explained that the law was written for those who wanted to sin. It was to show them it was wrong but those who walk in love will fulfill the law and the law of grace. Lord, may we walk in the law of grace and love. Thank you that You defend your own like you did for Jeremiah. May your righteous rule defend your people.

Thurs.’s Devo - Heed the Lord’s Words

Read: Jeremiah 26:1-27:22; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18; Psalm 85: 1-13; Proverbs 25:16 The book of Jeremiah is not in chronological order so today we will go back in time to where Jehoiakim was king of Judah. He was Josiah’s son who, unlike his father, chose idolatry and wickedness. Jeremiah was sent to the Temple to prophesy its destruction because of their sins. When he finished the priests, prophets and the people mobbed him, wanting to kill him. The political officials rushed over and stopped the mob and swiftly set up court to hear the matter. Jeremiah pled his case saying that God had sent him to tell them that they had these choices: repent and live, or keep sinning and die. The officials deemed him innocent and not deserving of death because he spoke in the name of the Lord. Some of the old wise men stood up and defended Jeremiah. They reminded the people of the prophet Micah who had prophesied the same thing. The people had repented and God repented of the evil he had promised. Later, Uriah prophesied the same thing and the king had hunted him down and killed him for his words. The words of the wise men kept the people from killing Jeremiah. God told Jeremiah to make a yoke and fasten it on his neck with leather straps. He was to send messages to Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon that the Babylonians were coming to take their countries. If they surrendered to them, it would go well for them, but if they fought them they would die. If they submitted to the king of Babylon they would be allowed to stay in their own country and farm their own land. The message to Judah was also to submit to the king of Babylon. Their city would be destroyed. Their false prophets had said that the gold articles from the Temple that had been taken to Babylon would be restored back to them, but Jeremiah told them that they would not be returned and the sacred things they had left in the Temple would be taken to Babylon. Jeremiah was saying the opposite of what the false prophets were saying. Jeremiah said that the people would also be sent to Babylon until God called them home. In Thessalonians Paul tells us that the Lord is faithful and will establish us and guard us from the evil one. Paul rebuked those who didn’t work because they thought Jesus was coming back then. There was this teaching going on which was why Paul told them that first there must be a falling away first, the rapture and then anti-christ had to appear. It wasn’t going to happen yet so they needed to get back to their lives and their jobs. And then, there were those who didn’t work and lived entitled lives busy about what everyone else should be doing instead of doing what they should be doing. Lord, may we heed your words to us and open our ears to your voice and our eyes to what you are doing. May our hearts beat with your heart.

Wed.’s Devo - The Anti-Christ and the End

Read: Jeremiah 23:21-25:38; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17; Psalm 84:1-12; Proverbs 25:15 Jeremiah rebuked the false prophets of his day. They claimed that God had given them their words, but He hadn’t. They were deceitful, inventive and everything they said was false. They told their dreams that they made up and did prophetic signs like smashing rocks to show that that was what was going to happen to their enemies when in reality, that was what was going to happen to them. God said that from then on, anyone who claimed that God told them something when He hadn’t, would be punished. Josiah’s son was Jehoiakim. He died trying to escape. His son Jehoiachin became king but 3 months and 10 days later, he was exiled to Babylon. After he left, God gave Jeremiah a vision of two baskets of figs. They were placed in front of God’s Temple. One basket was filled with fresh, ripe figs, while the other was filled with rotten figst. The good figs represented the exiles He sent from Judah to Babylonian. They were the ones God would watch over and bring back. The bad figs represented the people left in Judah under the last king, Zedekiah. They would become an object of horror and a symbol of evil to every nation on earth. Everywhere God scattered them, they will be disgraced, mocked, taunted and cursed. God had sent word after word to them to return. Jeremiah had been telling them for 23 years to repent, but they kept partying and acting like everything was going to remain the same. It was all over now and they would be in captivity for 70 years. Then God would punish the king of Babylon and his people and bring destruction on them for what they had done to Israel and her people. God gave Jeremiah a cup filled with his anger and he was sent to all the nations to have the king of that nation drink from it. He went to Jerusalem, towns in Judah, Egypt, the land of Uz, Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, Ashdod, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, Sidon, Dedan, Tema, Buz, Arabia, Zimri, Elam, Media and finally Babylon. All drank from the cup of the Lord’s anger. These were all the kingdoms of the earth. Once they drank from it, God pronounced their destruction. This is a picture of the end of the earth. Even in Paul’s time, they were looking for the end of the world. Paul explained that it was not time for the anti-Christ to appear. First there will be a great rebellion against God in the world. Then the anti-Christ will appear. There is one who is holding him back and when that person steps out of the way, he will be revealed. I wonder if that person isn’t the Church, the Bride. Once she is taken up, he will be revealed. But, when Christ comes back, the anti-Christ will be destroyed. The anti-Christ will come with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort us and strengthen us in every good thing we do and say.

Tues.’s Devo -Our Present Rest - Our Future Reward

Read: Jeremiah 22:1-23:20; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12; Psalm 83:1-18; Proverbs 25:11-14 God told Jeremiah to go and speak directly with the king and tell him to change what he was doing. He needed to start judging fairly and protecting the poor, widow and the orphan - those who can’t care for themselves. He needed to stop murdering innocent people. He warned him that if he didn’t change, his palace would become a pile of rubble. The royal palace would be dismantled and burned. People would talk about it and say: ‘see what happens to a nation that breaks its covenant with the living God?’ Jeremiah told them not to mourn the dead king but to weep for the captive king for he would never return to his palace. The dead king would be Jehoiakim who built his palace with slave labor. It was a beautiful palace but his palace didn’t make him a good king like his father Josiah. No one would mourn his death. His son, Jehoiachin, the captive king, would be carried off with his mother into Babylon and die there. He was the broken jar that Jeremiah prophesied about in chapter 19. When he is shattered, the people will be scattered. He would die a failure with no children to succeed him on the throne. God always leaves us with hope. God spoke of the day when Ezra would lead his people back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and return to their own land. God pronounced his judgment on the priests and false prophets. These were the ones responsible to teach the people the truth about God and what He was saying. They gave the people false hopes and made up what they said. They were about to see the true words of the Lord in their lives. Paul commended the church at Thessalonica in a second letter. He continued to hear about their steadfast faith in the Lord in the midst of persecution and hardships. God was using their trials to make them strong, but he would punish their persecutors. He encouraged them with the God’s rest for now, his glorious coming and their future reward. Lord, may we live in the present with our hope in the future. Thank you for your rest and your grace to continue pressing on. You are our reward.

Mon.’s Devo - Heal Our Land

Read: Jeremiah 19:1-21:14; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12; Psalm 8:1-18; Proverbs 25:11-14 God told Jeremiah to take a good clay pot and summon the leaders to go with him to the valley of Ben-Hinnom also known as Topheth. Here, he was to smash the pot as a symbol of what God was going to do to them because of their sin. He brought them to this place because here was where they sacrificed children to Molech. The word “Topheth” means drums. They would beat the drums loudly to drown out the cries of the children they were burning to their false god. God told them that because they thought nothing of shedding the blood of innocent children, he would think nothing of what he would do to their bodies. They would be piled in this valley so high that no one would be able to bury them. The worms that never die would eat them and the fire that never dies would burn them. That was just another way of saying their bodies would burn in hell. This couldn’t be clearer than what is going on in our nation right now with innocent children and innocent babies. Passhur heard what Jeremiah had prophesied and had him arrested and thrown into prison. He was whipped and put in stocks until the next day. Passhur was the head of one of the priestly courses and the chief governor of the temple. When Jeremiah was released he told Pashhur that God had changed his name to “The Man Who Lives In Terror”. He told him that all his wealth and he himself would be taken to Babylon. There he would die. Pashhur changed his tune when Babylon started attacking Judah. He and another priest - Zephaniah came to him begging him to ask God for help. They now wanted a miracle! Jeremiah told them to tell the king that He would make their weapons useless against Nebuchadnezzar. They had sealed their fate. The only way they would live would be to surrender to the king of Babylon. To fight would cost them their lives. In Thessalonians, Paul shows us how not to become as Israel did. He told them that they were children of the light. Children of the light encourage one another and build each other up. They work hard and give spiritual guidance. They live peacefully with each other. They take care of those who are weak and have patience with everyone. They don’t pay back evil for evil but try to do good to all people. They are always joyful and never stop praying. May we be these people that Paul described and choose to walk in love and not judgment. Forgive us our sins and heal our land.

Sun.’s Devo - Obedience Comes With a Price, But So Does Disobedience

Read: Jeremiah 16:16-18:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:3; Psalm 81:1-16; Proverbs 25:6-8 God asked the simple question: “Can people make their own gods?” This was what his children were doing. They had rejected him - the only true God who had shown himself so strong for them with miracles and wonders for worthless pieces of wood they had carved with their own hands. Because of this, the wonderful things God had preserved just for them would slip from their hands. God would tell their enemies to take them from their land. The remnant of people who didn’t serve idols and trusted in the Lord would be blessed. They were the fruitful trees that are not affected by trials and temptations. God examines the heart and rewards it according to what he finds. Those whose hearts turned away from God will be disgraced. Jeremiah had told the people all these things and yet nothing seemed to happen. The people in his town plotted to kill him and everyone hated him for his predictions and rebukes. Jeremiah cried out to the Lord for him to do the things he had promised - to judge the people. God’s response was to send Jeremiah to the gates of Jerusalem. He was to go and stand at each gate of the city and tell them to stop trading on the Sabbath. If they would do this, their gates would remain and people would always use them. If they refused to obey and continued selling on the Sabbath, then the gates would burn with fire. Next, God sent Jeremiah to the potter’s house where he was to observe the potter making a pot. He started one but didn’t like the way it was turning out so he crushed it into a new lump of clay and started over. This was a picture of what God was doing to Israel. They were not turning out the way he wanted them to so he would crush them and start over. I’m sure this response was not what Jeremiah was wanting. The people were plotting a way to stop Jeremiah from prophesying. They decided to spread false rumors about him and ignore what he said. They dug a pit to throw his dead body in. They planned all this for the person who was trying to save their lives. Jeremiah’s only hope was in God. Paul was dealing with the same sins that Jeremiah was. He warned the church against following in the sins of the pagan. The answer was to love God and each other, then they wouldn’t be tempted to violate each others’ wives or fall into sin. He encouraged them with the resurrection. This life is so temporary. One day we will all leave this earth and be raised to live with the Lord in heaven. Lord, help us to see beyond this earth and live our lives with eternity as our goal. Let your love be our aim and may we love you with all our hearts.

Sat.’s Devo - Be Strong, Blameless, and Holy

Read: Jeremiah 14:11-16:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:9-3:13:Psalm 80:1-19; Proverbs 25:1-5 God told Jeremiah to stop praying for the people of Judah because their time of repenting was over and their judgment was set. God would bring war, famine and disease. God was sending four kinds of destroyers against them: the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, the vultures to devour, and the wild animals to finish up what was left. Manasseh had led the people to into all sorts of idolatry and wickedness and now it was time to pay. No nation would pity what was going to happen to Judah. They refused to repent and God was no longer giving them mercy. Jeremiah cried out for his own self. He was hated and cursed by everyone because of the word he was called to give. God comforted Jeremiah telling him he would take care of him, but he would experience everything his people did. Jeremiah plead for mercy. He didn’t understand why he had to be punished for something he didn’t do. He had followed the Lord and done everything that pleased the Lord. The persecution of his own people had been painful for Jeremiah. God responded by saying that if he would continue to call the people back to repentance and not be afraid to speak what God told him to speak, God would take care of him and rescue him. His enemies that wanted him dead would not win. God also told Jeremiah not to marry or have children in this place. The children would die of diseases with no one to mourn or bury them. He told Jeremiah not to go to funerals and mourn the death of them because He had removed his protection from them. Jeremiah was to show them that the time was coming when no one would be there to mourn their deaths. God told Jeremiah not to go to any of their parties or to drink and eat with them. All of their parties would come to an end. When they asked why he was not attending their funerals and parties he was to tell them that because they worshiped other gods and served them and abandon the Lord, God was going to throw them out of the land and send them into a foreign land where they had never seen. There they would be able to worship all the idols they wanted. One day they would be talking about the God who brought them back to their land. Paul commended the Thessalonians for their eagerness to accept his teaching of truth and righteousness. Even though they were young believers and Paul could not come to them, they remained steadfast in their belief in God. Timothy had gone to visit them and was so happy to find that their faith was still strong. He had brought back to Paul such great stories of their joy and love. Paul told them that he earnestly continued to pray for them for their hearts to be strong, blameless, and holy. Lord, that is our prayer. We pray that when you return, you will find us standing in holiness eagerly awaiting your return.

Fri.’s Devo - Be Courageous!

Read: Jeremiah 12:1-14:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:8; Psalm 79:1-13; Proverbs 24:30-34 Jeremiah makes a great claim about the Lord. He says that He always gives us justice when we bring a case to God. We can stand on that one. I can relate to Jeremiah’s frustration about the wicked. He saw how the wicked were doing great and prospering and he was ready for God to judge them. He was tired of their lack of faith in God to tell the future, their hypocrisy and complaining against the Lord. God replied that he had turned them over to their enemies which was about to play out. He certainly saw all that they were doing. They were about to be ashamed. God was going to judge not only Judah, but all the nations that were lusting for her land. All the nations would have a chance to make the Lord their God, but those who didn’t would be destroyed. Jeremiah was directed by the Lord to get another loin cloth that was not washed and put it on and take his own loin cloth down to the Euphrates River and hide it in the hole in the rocks. At a much later, God told him to go and dig it up. It was rotted and falling apart. This was to be a picture of how the Lord was going to rot away the pride of Judah and Jerusalem. Jeremiah pled with the people again to repent and acknowledge the Lord before it is too late. Over and over, he tells the people that the Chaldeans were coming and everything they have would be taken along with themselves. Yet, they refused to be moved. Paul had traveled to Thessalonica after he was let out of prison in Phillipi (Acts 16:13-40). He had preached in the synagogue and started a church there. The church at Thessalonica was comprised of mainly Gentiles but had some Jews also. Thessalonica was a very important Roman city where Paul roused the anger of the church and the government. He called Jesus “Lord” which was a term reserved for the Roman emperor and the religious accused Paul of “turning the world upside down.” Paul and Silas had to flee to Berea for their lives but when the Jews from Thessalonica learned where they were, they followed them and tried to stir up confusion there also. Back in Thessalonica, their host, Jason was arrested. Paul was concerned about the new church in Thessalonica, but because of the danger was not allowed to return. He sent Timothy instead who came back telling him of their faith and growth. Paul commended them for being an example to all the believers in Greece. They were bold in spreading their faith. Paul wanted them to know how proud he was of their walk and how much he loved them. Lord, may we be bold in our faith and examples to those around us of our unwavering courage to follow you.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Only Wise God

Read: Jeremiah 10:1-11:23; Colossians 3:18-4:18; Psalm 78:56-72; Proverbs 24:28-29 Jeremiah warned them against reading the stars like the heathen and making idols out of wood and metals to worship. Worshipping man-made idols made no rational sense. God made heaven and earth by his power and everything in it. He is the only one worthy of our worship. Jeremiah told them to pack their bags and prepare to be taken out of their land into exile because that was exactly what was going to happen. The irony of it was that there was no physical evidence of an enemy coming to take them away. Jeremiah was seeing into the future and they could only see what was right before them. Jeremiah warned them that God was going to suddenly uproot them. Families would be divided, never to be reunited. Flocks would be scattered and towns destroyed. God reminded them of the covenant he had given Moses and the people of Israel when they came out of Egypt. He told them to go back and read it. It would show them their sins and tell them what the penalty of turning from the law is. God saw all their idolatry and had given up on their return so he told Jeremiah to stop praying for them. God saw great judgement for Anathoth, Jeremiah’s home town because of the harm they wanted to bring to Jeremiah. Paul addressed everyone in the household to love and honor and respect one another. Then he addressed the employer or slave to work as they were working for the Lord. The master was told to be just and fair and reminded that they were masters of Christ. Paul personally commended people by name for their gracious deeds. Lord, may we be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gives us. May we do it with love and honor.

Wed.’s Devo - A Cry of Warning

Read: Jeremiah 8:8-9:26; Colossians 3:1-17; Psalm 78:32-55; Proverbs 24:27 Chapters 7-9 of Jeremiah took place during some public festival. Josiah had died and Jehoiakim had taken his place. Jehoiakim led his nation into rebellion and idolatry and the fall of Shiloah was a picture of what was coming. Jeremiah had stood in the midst of the crowd and given these words. He told them that having the word of the Lord wouldn’t save them because they didn’t read it or have understanding teachers to teach it. They had rejected it and now they would lose everything they had so worked to get. The leaders had lied to the people with the promise of peace and favor when instead, they would see destruction and terror. In his spirit, Jeremiah could hear the snorting of the warhorses on their way to Jerusalem. The people were oblivious to what was going on. They continued feasting and partying while their demise had been ordered in heaven. From heaven, God was calling for the mourners to come and lament what was about to happen. Nineveh did, and God repented when He was about to destroy it. But, Jerusalem continued to close their hearts and continued to boast in their own wisdom and power. God compared them to the Egyptians, Edomites, Amonites, and Moabites whose hearts were far from being circumcised. Paul had the same sermon that Jeremiah had. He encouraged his people to have God’s perspective and not the earth’s. Paul was dealing with the same sins in the church as Jeremiah was dealing with in Jerusalem. Paul urged them to turn away from their sinful lives and choose forgiveness and love. They were all one body so they should live in peace with one another. They should be singing with thankful hearts and counseling one another as representatives of Christ. Lord, help us to do these very things so we can be a healthy body fit for your service.

Tues.’s Devo - Salvation Comes Through Repentance

Read: Jeremiah 6:16-8:7; Colossians 2:8-23; Psalm 78:1-31; Proverbs 24:26 God told his people to ponder their choices. When they come to a crossroads of decisions he told them to stop and consider the path of their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and God’s laws. But they didn’t want that road to righteousness. God sent them watchmen to sound the alarm and try to wake them up, but they refused to be awakened. God said that they could stop doing their sacrifices and rituals to please him because he was not impressed. The Chaldeans were coming from the north and Jeremiah saw how terrorizing they would be. Jeremiah was the tester of metals and God saw the people as rejected silver. God’s mercy is so great. He told them that even now if they repented he would allow them to stay in their own land. Some of the people were saying that nothing would happen to Jerusalem just because God’s temple was there. God said, not to listen to them. God was never impressed with a Temple made of man’s hands. He was always more interested in the temple they built in their hearts. The “Temple” would not save them. He encouraged them to go to Shiloah which was a place where they had set up a place of worship to him. God had totally destroyed it because it had been so defiled with idol worship. If God destroyed Shiloah, he would also destroy Jerusalem. Jeremiah wanted them to mourn before it happened instead of afterward. If they mourned and repented beforehand, God would be merciful to them in the midst of it. God told Jeremiah that his duty was to tell the people but not to expect them to listen. That was not his responsibility. He was God’s voice of warning. God knew they would not heed it, but they would not be able to blame God for not warning them when it happened. In Colossians, Paul warned them of being deceived by high-sounding nonsense that was full of empty philosophies that came from human thinking rather than God. Salvation made us a new creature in Christ and his way is simple. God doesn’t require rituals to gain his favor or to conquer their flesh. God offers power in the blood of Jesus that can conquer any principality or power that we face. Self-denial will only cause frustration; trusting and loving God brings victory over sin. Lord, help us to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, not the power of our own flesh. All things are possible with you.

Mon.’s Devo -Awake and Repent!

Read: Jeremiah 4:19-6:15; Colossians 1:18-2:7; Psalm 77:1-20; Proverbs 24:23-25 Though Jerusalem was living in ease and safety, Jeremiah saw the destruction played out over and over in his spirit. He could hear the blast of the trumpets of war and see their houses destroyed in a day. The people he was trying to warn were deaf and blind to his warnings. They were about to die and no one seemed to care. They continued their lives of gluttony for sin and pleasure. They abused the poor and needy and didn’t see that they were soon going to be those people. Jeremiah gave a detailed picture of their future devastation but he promised that God would not blot them out completely. He will leave a few and then even they will be picked over again. The people refused to listen and heed Jeremiah’s warnings. They refused to repent. In Colossians, Paul was writing to a church that to most of them, he had never met. They had heard of him but he wanted them to know that he was not the head of the Church - Christ was. The church is the Body of Christ. Christ made peace with everything in heaven and on earth when he died on the cross. We have been given that same peace with everything in heaven and on earth because Christ’s blood now flows through us. The secret of God’s mystery that had been kept for the people before, was now made manifest. That secret was that the Gentiles were invited into God’s family; Jesus died for all. This is common fact to us, but to them it was so new and revolutionary that the devil did everything he could to keep them from grasping it. God wanted them to be confident in his love for them. Lord, thank you that your love is ours no matter what; it is sure and strong. May we be awake to the day we are living in and always looking for your return.

Sun.’s Devo - Return

Read: Jeremiah 2:31-4:18; Colossians 1:1-17; Psalm 76:1-12; Proverbs 24:21-22 Jeremiah describes Israel as being more sly than an experienced prostitute in finding other lovers. They had reached out for allies of other countries but they had all let them down and Egypt would be no different. The land was polluted with shrines to every kind of god imaginable. God had divorced Israel for her sins but Judah had done worse. She pretended to return to the Lord but her heart was not sorry for her sins. The bottom line was that the Chaldeans were coming from the north and would destroy everything in their path. Jerusalem had a short time to repent because everything they saw now would be torn down. Their idolatry had caused this to happen. The church in Colosse was probably an offshoot of the church in Ephesus. Paul had never been there himself. The church met in the home of Philemon and Epaphras was probably the founder of the church. It was dealing with false teaching that was a blend of pagan/occultism, Jewish legalism, and Christianity. It resembled the early form of Gnosticism. Gnosticism taught that Jesus was not fully man and fully God, but just a semi-divine being that bridged the gap between God and man. So he lacked in authority and ability to meet the needs of the saints. The only way to ‘enlightenment’ was through special knowledge and rigorous discipline. Paul wrote this letter to expose these lies and give the truth. Paul begins by building them up in their faith and commending their love for God and each other. Paul prays that God will give them complete knowledge of his will and spiritual wisdom and understanding He prays that they will bear good fruit and grow to learn to know god better and better. Lord, may we grow and be filled with joy for You have rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of Your dear Son who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Sat.’s Devo - Jeremiah - Called and Commissioned

Read: Jeremiah 1:1-2:30; Philippians 4:1-23; Psalm 75:1-10; Proverbs 24:17-20 Jeremiah which means “God will cast forth” came from the priestly town of Anathoth. He started prophesying during the reign of Josiah who was a good king. Jeremiah never married or had children to show Judah that his message of judgement would void the next generation. He prophesied through three kings. God told him that he was called from the womb to be a prophet to the nations. He thought he was too young but God told him he was not and that He would send him where He wanted him to go and he was to speak what He told him to speak. He was to stand up against nations and kingdoms and to some he would speak words to uproot and destroy and to some his words would build up and plant. He saw the people of the north, the Chaldeans coming and destroying Jerusalem for all their idolatry and rebellion. God sent him to tell the people their sins against him and to call them to return. He reminded them of the nations that had enslaved Israel because of their idols. They had made an alliance with Egypt to help them if the Assyrians came but what good would it do against God’s power. God had done everything he could to awaken them to their sins and they refused to listen. They had killed his prophets but everything the prophets had said would happen. In Philippians, Paul appealed to two of the deaconesses to settle their disagreement but commended their works of spreading the gospel of Christ. He tells us to be full of joy in the Lord. Rejoice, because he is coming back and there is nothing to worry about. Pray about everything and tell God our needs. Once we do, we will experience God’s peace that will guard our mind and hearts. If we fix our thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable and think about the things that are excellent and worthy of praise we will walk in love and peace. Lord, we chose to think about your goodness and your mighty power to save. We pray that your children who are called by your name will repent and turn to you. We pray that those who don’t know you will come to the knowledge of your light.

Fri.’s Devo - Our Future Hope

Read: Isaiah 66:1-24; Philippians 3:5-21; Psalm 74:1-23; Proverbs 24:15-16 This is the last chapter of Isaiah and it is like the Revelation of Isaiah. He sees the very end when Israel will have the veil taken from her eyes and accept Jesus as her Messiah. Their nation will be birthed all at once - in a single day, a mere moment. The wealth of other nations will pour into her. The earth will be punished by fire and by his sword. Those who worship idols and do detestable things will come to a terrible end. God’s glory will be revealed in all of this and he will perform a sign among them. Those who survive God’s punishment will be sent as messengers to the nations to declare his glory to those who have not heard. They will all come back to worship the Lord in Jerusalem. God will appoint some of them as Levites and priests. They will observe God’s holy days and when they come to the Temple, they will pass the dead bodies of those who have rebelled. The worms that devour them will never die and the fire that burns them will never go out but will remain as a reminder of their fate. In Philippians, Paul gave them his testimony. He was born into a strict Hebrew family from the tribe of Benjamin. He was a member of the Pharisees and a good one. He was a strict follower of the law and he persecuted all who believed otherwise…like the Christians. He once took pride in his education but after his conversion he considered it worthless and inferior to the knowledge of Christ. He came to see that knowledge and following rules had nothing to do with having faith and the power of the resurrection. Paul lived looking to the future and finishing his race of faith which kept him from the pitfalls of this earth. Paul lived in the kingdom of heaven above this earthly kingdom. He encourages us to do the same. Lord, thank you for a future of hope and resurrection. This earth is not our home but we have a wonderful home promised us and we pray to run our race with power and joy till the end.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Grape Harvest

Read: Isaiah 62:6-65:25; Philippians 2:19-3:4; Psalm 73:1-28; Proverbs 24:13-14 God had commissioned certain prophets to pray day and night until they saw God’s desired result for Jerusalem. God wanted Jerusalem to be the pride of the earth. His promise was to never hand them over to their enemies again. God told Isaiah to go out through gates and prepare a highway for his people to return on. God did this through John the Baptist but this is talking about the end days. They were to pronounce that the Lord was coming. He would be the one whose robes had been stained with blood - this is the second coming of Christ. He speaks of grapes because grapes were harvested in the fall and in the fall feasts we have the return of Christ and the Rapture. He trampled the grapes in the Tribulation but next comes the Feast of Tabernacles. Isaiah took Israel through her history and told of all the times God had lovingly cared for her and done miracles for her. He had mercy and compassion on Israel and was now coming to save them for the last time. In this time, the angels will separate the redeemed from the cursed. The redeemed will get a new name but the cursed will be destroyed. God will create new heavens and a new earth which will be one of happiness and joy. There will be those who live through the tribulation and they will live as long as trees. Only the unrighteous who make it will die prematurely. People will enjoy all of their inheritance and the fruit of their labors. Their prayers will be immediately answered and there will be peace on the earth. Even the animals will be tame and harmless. Paul was writing the Philippians from prison. Since he couldn’t come to visit, he was sending Timothy and Epaphroditus to them. Epaphroditus had been one of their own flock who had come with a contribution from their church to Paul. Epaphroditus had gotten sick and had to stay with Paul for a while but was not well enough to go home. Paul warned them of the doctrine of the Judaizers who preached you had to be circumcised to be saved. Satan loves to bring hoops for us to jump through and stipulations to grace. God’s grace is the free gift. Romans 5:15-16. Lord, may we walk in your free gift of grace and mercy without condemnation. May we be aware of the enemies tactics and not be deceived. Your gift of salvation is free and abundant.