Fri.’s Devo - Following Christ is Not for the Weak

Read: Jeremiah 12:1-14:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-2:9; Psalm 79:1-13; Proverbs 24:30-34

Jeremiah asks the Lord why he lets the wicked prosper and does nothing about it. They talk a big talk about the Lord, yet their hearts are evil. Jeremiah complains that God knows his heart, that he is not evil, yet he suffers. He wonders how long God is going to wait to judge the wicked.

God responds that Jeremiah’s suffering is only going to get worse, so he needs to toughen up. He warns him that Judah’s neighbors will also go into exile, but if they turn to the Lord, God will save them. If they refuse to repent, they will be destroyed. 

God gave Jeremiah several prophetic acts to do to be an illustration to the people of what was coming. He told him to get a linen sash which the priests wore and put it around his waist. This was to be a symbol of Israel as a holy people. After the people saw him wearing it, he was to take it to the Euphrates and bury it in a hole in the rock where it would stay for a while. At the right time he was to go dig it up and show it to the people. It was ruined and good for nothing. 

Then Jeremiah was to tell them the meaning of it. This is what God would do to their pride. They were evil and refused to hear his word and turn their hear to worship him so they would end up like this sash which was good for nothing. 

God told Jeremiah to say, “Every bottle shall be filled with wine.” They didn’t think this was a profound statement because, of course, every bottle was to be filled with wine. But the Lord said that it meant that he was going to fill every leader of Judah with drunkenness. They would be so drunk, they would not be able to save themselves or the country and God would have no mercy for them.

Jeremiah begged them to humble themselves and repent because they were headed for a fall. They would all be killed or taken captive to Babylon. He warned them of droughts to come. God would not send them rain and there would be no harvest. Their sins had caused the heavens to shut and they would have no rain.

The church at Thessalonica was the second church established in Europe. Jews and devout Greeks made up this church. Many prominent women in the city became Christians and this church sent financial support to Paul several times. He wrote his letters to encourage them. Paul knew that many of them had once worshiped idols. The Roman officials and Jews who opposed the gospel were not pleased with this new religion of Christianity and accused them of “turning the world upside down” which was a serious charge of civil disobedience. They were accused of going against the decrees of Caesar claiming to serve another king - Jesus. Many of those who opposed the church were the husbands of the wives who attended. During one of his visits to this church, Paul had to escape at night to save his life.

Paul begins his letter to them by letting them know they are always in his prayers. He is proud of their faith, their labors of love and their steadfast hope in Christ. They had received the gospel joyfully in the midst of great affliction and had been examples to other churches of their conviction and courage. 

Paul reminds them of how he and Silas had been imprisoned in Philippi and God’s angels set them free. They were all experiencing the persecutions of their decision to follow Christ. 

Lord, may we not lose heart when we see the wicked prospering around us, but remember their end. God will save us at just the right time. In the meantime, may we be faithful and diligent in our stand for righteousness and truth.

Thurs.’s Devo - God Alone is God

Read: Jeremiah 10:1-11:23; Colossians 3:18-4:18; Psalm 78:56-72; Proverbs 24:28-29

The Gentiles had many superstitions about eclipses and comets and signs in the heavens that were ridiculous and God told his people not to consider their fears. They made idols and decorated them with silver and gold thinking they had power, but God alone is God and there are no other gods. They were not to fear the human gods. They were stupid and foolish. God is the only living God and he is the King of the earth.

They were to tell those who worshipped idols that these gods did not make the heavens and the earth and they would perish. But God made the heavens and the earth by his wisdom. He made it all with his voice. All the men who made idols and all who worshiped them would be put to shame. 

Jeremiah sees what is coming from the north and warns the people but they refuse to hear. Their shepherds do not look to the Lord for their help. The flock is scattered and have not prospered. Jeremiah pleads for his life to be spared. He asks that God pour out his wrath on the nations that don’t know him who have oppressed Judah. 

God responds and reminds Jeremiah of how he brought them out of Egypt and made a covenant with them to bring them into this land. All they had to do was to keep his covenant with him and worship him as their God, but they refused. He had warned them this would happen if they rebelled against him, but they refused to repent. They went after other gods and refused to serve him, so he is bringing disaster upon them and they would not be able to escape. 

God told Jeremiah not to pray for this people. He would not listen. He had a word for the men of Anathoth who had told Jeremiah to stop prophesying or they would kill him. God would punish them and they would die in the battle or starve to death.

In Colossians, God had a word for the husbands, wives, children, and servants. They were to learn to submit to those over them as unto the Lord. They were to do their work as if they were working for the Lord. He would reward them for their service. 

He told the masters to treat those under them fairly as they wanted God to treat them.

Paul asked them to pray that God would open the door for them to reach more people about the gospel of Christ. 

We are to walk in wisdom in the world and let our words be gracious. The Holy Spirit will give us answers to their questions. 

Paul had sent Tychicus and Onesimus to give them this letter and tell them how Paul was doing. He wanted his letter to be read to the church at Laodicea also and sent greetings from others to them. 

Lord, may we remember that we are to do everything for your honor and glory. May we not lose sight of your humility, and your great power as we navigate through this life.

Wed.’s Devo - May We Not be Deceived But Walk in Truth

Read: Jeremiah 8:8-9:26; Colossians 3:1-17; Psalm 78:32-55; Proverbs 24:27

Jeremiah’s theme today is deceit. The wise men wrote lies, the prophets and priests deceived the people with their words for money. People deceived their own neighbors and it led them from one evil to the next. God’s people no longer knew him. 

God’s only recourse was to refine and test them in the fire. He would do this through war and famine. He would scatter them until they woke up from their sinful slumber and turned back to them. 

They had boasted in having the Temple of the Lord and being the children of Abraham but God called them those who were circumcised only in the flesh, but uncircumcised in their heart.

Paul continues to encourage the believers in Colosse to set their minds on things in heaven and the things of God instead of the things going on in the earth. He told them to put to death the carnal sins that weighed them down and which were only idolatry. God was coming one day to pour his wrath on those who walked in sin. He told them to stop deceiving one another but to put on Christ. 

Christ was holy, compassionate, kind, humble, meek, and patient with man’s short comings. They were to imitate him and let him live through them. Above all Christ was love which makes them one. Christ brings us his peace and make us thankful. 

Lord, may your Word dwell in us richly, teaching us in wisdom. May we sing songs of thankfulness to you in our hearts. May we walk letting Jesus walk through us and do everything in your name. 

Tues.’s Devo - Religion Will Not Save Anyone

Read: Jeremiah 6:15-8:7; Colossians 2:8-23; Psalm 78:1-31; Proverbs 24:26

 Jeremiah saw that the people who sinned had no conscience of their evil. They were not ashamed that they had turned from the Lord and now worshipped gods who could not help them. They still went through the motions of worship to the Lord, but they mixed it with idolatry. Their hearts were far from the Lord. 

God told Jeremiah to go and stand on the gate leading to the Temple. He was to tell those who entered to worship the Lord to repent and change their ways and he would let them stay in this land. He warned them not to trust in the Temple building to save them. They would need to start administering justice to one another. They would need to stop oppressing the foreigner, the widow and the orphan and stop shedding innocent blood. They would need to stop worshiping other gods which only hurt themselves and to turn to him with their whole heart.

He told them to stop believing lies, stop stealing, killing, committing adultery, swearing falsely, and making offerings to Baal and other gods. God told them to go and see what he did to Shiloh, where they used to worship him. Shiloh was a city of Ephraim, "on the north side of Bethel.” Here the tabernacle was set up after the Joshua took over Canaan. It remained here during all the period of the judges till the ark fell into the hands of the Philistines. It was a very secluded spot, which had become a mass of shapeless ruins. God called them to remember this because he would do this to the temple they put all their trust in to save them.

God told Jeremiah to stop praying for these people because he would not hear his prayers. They were bent on worshipping their false gods and had taught their children to do the same. They were doing exactly what he delivered them from in Egypt. Jeremiah could tell them to repent all he wanted to, but they would not turn; they were a nation that did not obey his voice and refused to be disciplined. So their land would become a waste. The bones of the kings of Israel, their leaders, the priests and their prophets would all be brought out of their tombs and laid in the sun to rot. 

Paul made it clear in his letter that Christ was the fullness of God and the ultimate authority. It is in Christ that we are saved and raise to walk in his power and authority. He nailed our sins to the cross and disarmed the rulers and authorities on earth and in heavenly places and put them to open shame. He triumphed over them.

All the rituals of the feasts and the Sabbath were shadows of things to come. He warned them not to get caught up and deceived by the visions of man and their stories. He warned them not to get into legalism and man-made religion. It has no value to making anyone holy.

Lord, with all the information we have available to us, may we keep your Word as our ultimate authority. May we measure everything by your Spirit and your Word. May we not be deceived, but walk in your Spirit and your truth. May we learn like Judah had to learn that religion will not save anyone - only true worship will save us. 

Mon.’s Devo - The Warnings Go Out -

Read: Jeremiah 4:19-6:14; Colossians 1:21-2:7; Psalm 77:1-20; Proverbs 24:23-25

Jeremiah begins by crying out in anguish as he sees the result of the hard hearts of the people. They are wise at doing evil, but stupid in understanding the consequences of their choices. Jeremiah can see what is up ahead for them and it was total devastation. He tries to describe it to them hoping it will make them want to repent. 

The Lord confirms what Jeremiah had told them and says that the whole land would become a desolation. He has made up his mind and he will not change it. 

There is no justice in the land and no truth. No matter what the prophets warned, the people refused to repent. The leaders  took it lightly to oppress the poor. God would use the wild animals to bring retribution to these people. They would destroy their food supply, kill their animals and their children. Their cities would be destroyed through war. 

But, God will not destroy them all. He always reserves a remnant who will live through all the destruction and will be taken to a foreign land to serve them. 

This will happen because there is no fear of God in the land. The people listen to their own false prophets and refuse to hear the prophets of God. Jeremiah warns them to prepare for war even though their prophets lie to them about peace. Everything they owned will be turned over to their enemies because they refused to heed God’s warnings.

The church in Colosse was not a plant of Paul’s but probably of Epaphras who lived there. It met in the home of Philemon. Paul was in prison when Epaphras asked for his help in dealing with the false teaching that was threatening his church. The heresy was a blend of pagan-occultism, Jewish legalism and Christianity. It was an early form of Gnosticism which taught that Jesus was not fully God and fully man, but a semi-divine being that was a mediator between God and man. They believed that enlightened believers could achieve spiritual fullness through special knowledge and self-discipline.

Paul wrote his letter to expose the heresy of Gnosticism and instruct the people in the truth. He warned them not to return to paganism and inspired them to love God and one another.

One of the great mysteries of God that had been hidden for generations was the fact that God was the God of the Gentiles also and that Christ lives in every believer who has given himself to the Lord through Christ. In Christ they would find all the hidden wisdom and knowledge, not through this heresy that was floating around. 

Lord, may we be established and built up in Christ so that we might be forever wise, understanding and thankful. May we not be tossed around by heresies about the mysteries of the kingdom when they are found in your Word. May we do all we can to walk in love and fellowship with one another. 

Sun.’s Devo - A Call to Repentance -

Read: Jeremiah 2:31-4:18; Colossians 1:1-20; Psalm 76:1-12; Proverbs 24:21-22

Israel had out-sinned even the nations around them, teaching them their wicked ways. They oppressed the poor and innocent claiming not to sin. They went after gods of other nations and brought their vile practices back to Israel. 

Judah saw how idolatrous Israel had become and did the same thing in secret, while they claimed to follow the Lord. This was even more evil in God’s eyes. Isaiah calls them both to return to the Lord and admit their guilt and their sin and repent. 

If they did repent, God would give them shepherds like him who would give them knowledge and understanding. They would multiply and be fruitful in the land. He saw forward to a day when Israel and Judah became one nation and worked together. God said when he gave them the land of Israel, he thought they would call him their father and follow him and his ways but they left him for other lovers.

God wanted to bless them and give them his glory, but they must return to him first. He tells them to blow the trumpet and call a day to return to him or he would bring destruction from the north on them. Judgement was coming to wash their hearts clean. They will blame the Lord, but it will be their own doing that brought this disaster. 

In Paul’s letter to the church in Colossi he declares who Christ is. He is the image of God. Jesus is the firstborn of all creation and in him all things were created in heaven and on the earth. All powers and dominions, rulers and kings were created through and for him. He was before all things and holds everything together. He is the beginning of everything and the most important. God is in him and it pleased Jesus to come and live among us that through his death, he could reconcile us to God. Through his death he delivered us from the kingdom of darkness to his kingdom of light. Now we are redeemed and forgiven of all our sins.

Lord, may we be filled with the knowledge of your will with wisdom and understanding. May we be strengthened with your power to endure with patience and joy. Thank you that you have shared your inheritance with us. Thank you that you have reconciled us to you and made peace with us and heaven.

Sat.’s Devo - Jeremiah’s Calling

Read: Jeremiah 1:1-2:30; Philippians 4:1-23; Psalm 75:1-10; Proverbs 24:17-20

Jeremiah was the son of a priest in Anathoth which was in Benjamin. He began prophesying in the 13th year of Josiah’s reign and prophesied until the end of the last king, Zedekiah. Josiah was the last good king who had tried to turn the nation back to God, unsuccessfully. He was followed by his sons who were not the godly leader he was.

Jeremiah was just a youth when God called him and he tried to talk God out of his calling. But, when God put his words inside Jeremiah and touched his mouth, Jeremiah was compelled to say them. He was to be a prophet for the nations - to root out and destroy some, and to build up and plant others. He was commanded not to marry or have children to illustrate his message that Judah’s judgment was imminent. and the next generation would be swept away. His closes friend was his scribe Baruch who wrote all his words down for him. 

His first vision was of the branch of an almond tree. It was to illustrate that God was ready to perform his word. The next thing he saw was a boiling pot. It was to show that the nation to the north was coming to destroy all the cities of Judah for their wickedness and their idolatry. 

God told Jeremiah to prepare to meet the opposition of the kings, princes, priests and the people. He was not to be afraid, because God would protect him and they would not be able to destroy him.

Jeremiah was to remind the people of how they began their journey with the Lord. They had been a holy nation and his first fruit, but they had become defiled and now disaster would come upon them. 

God asked them how had he been unjust to them. They had left him and followed after idols and gods from Egypt. He had brought them into a wonderful land full of blessings and fruitfulness, yet they had defiled it with their abominations and their worship of Baal. God asked them if they had ever seen other nations change who they worshiped. But, Israel had done that. They had exchanged him for the gods of the nations around them. All it got them was destruction, lack and emptiness. When they cry out for the Lord to save them he is going to ask why their gods they chose could’t save them. 

Paul tells the people in Phillipi to rejoice in the Lord and not anxious about anything. God is with them and all they have to do is pray and ask him to supply what they need. He will give them peace that will be a guard about their minds and their hearts.

Paul told them to think on the good things and not the bad. Put into practice the things he had taught them and they will experience God’s peace. Paul had learned that God will strengthen you and give you his peace through all his trials he went through. He learned that God will supply every need we have according to his riches in heaven. You can’t ask for more than that!

Lord, thank you for your strength and joy you give us in the midst of our trials. Thank you that you never leave us or forsake us but fill us with your words everyday.