Have you ever spent an entire night before and examination studying in the hopes that you can earn a passing grade? I never found cramming to be an effective way of learning. The rapid review of facts may give and illusion of comprehension but there will be no knowledge. “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not, who have ears, but hear not. Do you not fear me? declares the LORD. Do you not tremble before me? I placed the sand as the boundary for the sea, a perpetual barrier that it cannot pass; though the waves toss, they cannot prevail; though they roar, they cannot pass over it. But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. They do not say in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.’”Jeremiah 5:21-24 Continue Reading…
Turn, walk, and love the fear of God: Jeremiah 5 and 6
Choice is a matter of volition, faith a matter of heart: Jeremiah 3 and 4
What choice have you made? The choice is one of devotion and dependance. Will you choose to depend on the idols that clutter your life or will you depend wholeheartedly on God alone as the source of sufficiency? The story of Israel in Jeremiah speaks to the wayward human heart that battles against God. The word of God to Israel, ”Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, ‘Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD. Return, O faithless children, declares the LORD; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.’” Jeremiah 3:12-14 Would you turn away from your idols and back to God if you were Israel? Are you worshiping idols today, will you forsake them and cling to God? Continue Reading…
Eloquence and strength manifested: Jeremiah 1 and 2
How would you react if God told you that were set apart to declare His truth to an obstinate and headstrong nation? Would you fear the people you were going to reprove? Would you question whether God had the correct person for the job? “But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them. And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the LORD, to deliver you.” Jeremiah 1:17-18 Continue Reading…
God’s blessing and curse set before Israel in Deuteronomy 11 and 12
See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today, and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28 NASB
You were there when God worked through, for, and among His people. You saw God working in your midst! Do you remember? Moses continues to express God’s loving desire for the Israelites in Deuteronomy chapters 11 and 12. As the people are preparing to cross the Jordan and enter the promised land they need to be reminded of everything they knew. The people saw God’s wrath, His anger when they disobeyed, and His activity in their midst and they needed to remember those moments when they entered into the Promised Land. Continue Reading…
Uncommon Hero
I sit and dream of glory, love, and adventure. Is it the boy in me that wishes he were able to rescue a girl? Is it the hero’s in the books I read that makes me want to be one? Is it the adventure I see in the movies I watch and the video games I play? At first glance I feel stuck where I am and I don’t see any way out of the monotony of my life in to the life I wish for myself. I wonder if this life I live is all that I will ever have? I think it is common that people desire more in their life but I think my problem lies in my perspective. As the saying goes “The grass is greener on the other side of the fence.” but in my life if I hop the fence I will find a barren wasteland. Continue Reading…
