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.