Thurs.’s Devo - Prayer For the Nation

Read: Lamentations 4:1-5:22; Hebrews 2:1-18; Psalm 103:1-22; Proverbs 26:23 Jeremiah compares the people to gold and they have lost their luster. The ones who once wore beautiful clothes and ate delicious meals are now in rags scrounging in garbage cans for food. Some have even eaten their own children to stay alive. Again he compares their destruction to that of Sodom and Gomorrah that fell in a day and no one came to their aid. It would be better to be killed in battle than to starve to death. *** No one would have believed Jerusalem could be taken. It all happened because her priests and prophets shed innocent blood to idols. The ones once so revered are hated and disgraced. No one could escape. The king had tried and was caught. They had thought their king could protect them against anything, but no one could protect them against the Lord’s anger. *** Edom rejoiced when they heard Jerusalem had fallen, but they would be next to fall. Jerusalem will be rebuilt, but Edom’s punishment was just beginning. All her sins will be exposed. *** In Chapter 5, Jeremiah cries out to the Lord and describes their condition. They have lost everything and no one can help them. They have run out of food and there is so much violence, they can’t offer safety to their people. The have all become slaves and their hearts were weary and sick. *** But…Jeremiah praises the Lord. God remains the same and his throne is from generation to generation. He prays that God will restore them and bring them back to him. He prays for joy and for God’s favor to return to his people. *** In Hebrews, we learn that if the angels were punished for their disobedience then how much more will we be punished if we ignore the salvation God promises us? God confirmed his promise by giving us signs and wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The writer quotes Psalm 22 which is Jesus promising he will proclaim God’s name to his Jewish brother’s and sister’s. He will put his trust in God and so will the children God gives him. *** Because we are flesh and blood, Jesus had to become flesh and blood, so he would defeat the power of death and give us freedom from death. Jesus became our merciful and faithful High Priest. He offered the sacrifice that took our sins away…his own self. He endured testing so that he could empower us to endure testing. *** Lord, thank you for saving us and being our High Priest. We come to your throne of grace and ask for help for our nation and the nations of the world that are in great distress. Deliver us and save our land. You are our only hope. Forgive our sins and set us free from our taskmasters. Return your joy to our nations and may we live to praise you in our streets.