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.