Sat.’s Devo - Warnings to Repent

Read: Jeremiah 4:19-6:15; Colossians 1:18-2:7; Psalm 77:1-20; Proverbs 24:23-25 It is noteworthy to know that Jeremiah began prophesying the takeover of Jerusalem 40 years before it happened. He began prophesying when Josiah was king. Josiah had implemented great spiritual reform but reform has to happen in the heart and the people didn’t have a heart to be reformed. They continued to worship their idols and reject the Lord. *** Jeremiah described the people as clever at doing wrong and having no idea how to do right. There leaders, priests, and prophets were all corrupt so their was no righteous leadership. *** Jeremiah got vivid pictures of the destruction that was coming and tried to relay those images to the people, but they didn’t want to hear. He went to the leaders but they didn’t want God either. *** They rejected his warnings of the war and famine that was coming, saying that God wouldn’t do this to them. God sent Jeremiah to tell them that a distant nation was coming with deadly weapons to devour their harvest, their sons and daughters and everything they had. They would destroy the cities they thought were so safe. When the people ask why God did all this, they were to say that it was because they rejected him and gave themselves to foreign gods. Then, they would serve foreigners in a foreign land. *** The people oppressed one another. They denied justice to the widow and the orphan. The prophets gave false prophecies and the priests ruled void of mercy or compassion. *** What will happen to them when God brings judgment? They will be destroyed because they are wicked through and through. From the prophets to the priests, they are all frauds. The whole city will fall because they refused to repent. *** In Colossians, Paul continues his letter to the church in Colosse warning them against the false teachers. He explains that Christ is the head of the church, not just another entity created by God. We as the church are his body. Christ is the our beginning and supreme over all who will rise from the dead. Christ was who God lived in to reconcile us to him. Through Christ’s blood, we have peace with God. This gift is for all sinners. This is the great secret that had been kept until now. Now, Christ lives in us. This is how we know that we will one day share in his glory. *** This truth is what drove Paul to continue pouring his heart out to the different churches. He wanted to be able to present them before God spotless and blameless and with the right doctrine of truth. His goal was that they continue to grow stronger and stronger in their walk with Christ. *** Lord, this is our goal. May we continue to grow in you. May we stand strong when all seems to be falling apart. We know that you will continue what you started and the end will be victorious.