Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 18–20

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” – John 9:1-2

This was a question that had been asked for generations, and continues to creep into our thinking today. There is this expectation that I won’t have to pay the consequences for my sins. There is this comfortable theology that says if I am a righteous person who turns from my righteous behavior and starts to do sinful things, I am somehow protected by my previous status with God and will not be held accountable for today’s decisions. But our righteous God made Himself clear through the prophet Ezekiel.

And this is my rule: The person who sins is the one who will die. – Ezekiel 18:4b

“‘What?’ you ask. ‘Doesn’t the child pay for the parents’ sins?’ No!…The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness. But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done.” – Ezekiel 18:19-22

Even while displaying justice, God is also showing mercy. Our holy God who punishes sin is also the God of grace who is making a way for the lost to find their way back to Him.

GOD IS NOT WANTING ANYONE TO PERISH.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

This same message is evident in the book of Ezekiel. Even as God is prophesying the destruction of Jerusalem as a punishment to His people for their sins, He speaks of His desire that all should come to repentance – then none should perish. He appointed Ezekiel as a “watchman” to tell those who were sinning to repent and to encourage those who were not sinning to continue in their righteousness (Ez.33:7-9). The same message of God’s desire to save the lost and to bless His people is presented in chapters 18 and 33 of Ezekiel.

“As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live… The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins. When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. I will destroy them for their sins. And suppose I tell some wicked people that they will surely die, but then they turn from their sins and do what is just and right…then they will surely live and not die. None of their past sins will be brought up again, for they have done what is just and right, and they will surely live.” – Ezekiel 33:11-16

GOD NEVER GIVES UP ON US.

I love that our God never gives up on us – that He is always willing to forgive, always desiring for His children to come to repentance. Often we give up on the chance that our friend or loved one will ever turn from their sinful lifestyle, but God never gives up. Just like Ezekiel, HE HAS APPOINTED US ALL AS WATCHMEN. He wants us to help bring back the lost sheep and watch over the flock so that they will not wander away. He is a loving God who wishes to extend grace to His people. But our God is also a jealous God and a just God. We have a choice to either sin or not sin, and we will be judged by our choices.

“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die, says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins.” – Ezekiel 18:23-24

CREATE IN US A WATCHMAN’S HEART so that we will care passionately about the lost souls around us. Give us eyes to see the lost and a heart of grace to reach out to them. Use us to bring back the lost sheep and care for those in your flock, that none would be lost. Thank you for being a God of love and grace. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 12:21-15:8

Israel: “Time passes and prophecies come to nothing.”

God: “I will put an end to this proverb, and you will soon stop quoting it.”

New proverb from God: “The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled!”

God: “I am the Lord! If I say it, it will happen. There will be no more delays, you rebels of Israel. I will fulfill my threat of destruction in your own lifetime. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

Israel: “He’s talking about the distant future. His visions won’t come true for a long, long time.”

God: “No more delay! I will NOW do everything I have threatened. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” – Ezekiel 12:21-28

THEY HAD LOST THEIR FEAR OF GOD.

God’s people were no longer taking Him seriously. There were even false prophets telling them what they wanted to hear — that peace would come to Jerusalem. If I say everything will be alright because I want to believe that everything will be alright, it doesn’t mean that everything will be alright.

“You have discouraged the righteous with your lies, but I didn’t want them to be sad. You have encouraged the wicked by promising them life, even though they continue in their sins.” – Ezekiel 13:22

No more lying. No more telling people what they want to hear. No more building popularity. It is time to obey God and say what He is telling you to say.

THEY HAD LOST THEIR PURPOSE FROM GOD.

God also expressed his frustration toward those who were embracing things that were leading them into sin. They were pursuing the things of the world and then seeking God for advice or answers. God let them know that if they were going to reject him, He was going to reject them. They could not be apathetic towards God and still benefit from His blessings. Like a vine that bears no fruit, they had become useless. And if a vine exists for the purpose of producing fruit, yet produces no fruit, what else is it good for?

When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing. But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it. – Hebrews 6:7-8

“And this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among the trees of the forest. Since they are useless, I have thrown them on the fire to be burned. And I will see to it that if they escape from one fire, they will fall into another. When I turn against them, you will know that I am the Lord. And I will make the land desolate because my people have been unfaithful to me. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” – Ezekiel 15:6-8

Vines are only good for bearing fruit. If they are not going to bear fruit, then they are only useful for building fires – but even their fires burn too quickly, so they are still useless. We are created to live a fruitful life – a life of righteousness and good works that flow out of our faith relationship with God.

GOD WANTS A RELATIONSHIP WITH US.

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.” – John 15:1-6

Father God, thank you for creating us with a purpose in mind for our lives. Thank you for placing a desire in our hearts to please you and to serve you. As we go through our day, give us quiet moments of pondering the purpose for which you have us here today. Prune us and mold us into a grapevine whose produce comes straight from the desires of your heart. May your words in Ezekiel encourage us to turn our attention to You and remove every trace of idols from our lives. May it never be said of us that we have become useless; may our hearts be tender and responsive towards God.

And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. – Ezekiel 11:19-20

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 8-12:20

The story of Ezekiel’s life is bizarre and interesting, but it comes down to one simple statement – Ezekiel was WEIRD because God called him to be WEIRD. He was willing to be WEIRD if that’s what God wanted him to be, if that’s what it took for God to get the attention of His people. And things were about to get even more weird for Ezekiel.

God took a hold of Ezekiel. In a split moment, Ezekiel went from entertaining the leaders of Judah in his home to facing what appeared to be a man who looked like gleaming ambers from the waist up and a burning fire from the waist down. He reached out with what seemed to be a hand and took Ezekiel by the hair, lifting him into the sky and transporting him back to Jerusalem in a vision from God.

God showed Ezekiel the detestable and wicked sins that were being committed in the Temple, sins committed in dark secret rooms but seen by God. Then Ezekiel watched as God’s wrath was poured out on the city – no mercy, no pity. The Temple courtyards filled with corpses. Then Ezekiel saw what appeared to be a throne above the heads of the cherubim.

“Then the glory of the Lord rose up from above the cherubim and went over to the door of the Temple. The Temple was filled with this cloud of glory, and the courtyard glowed brightly with the glory of the Lord. The moving wings of the cherubim sounded like the voice of God Almighty and could be heard even in the inner courtyard…Then the cherubim rose upward…Then THE GLORY OF THE LORD MOVED OUT from the door of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim…” – Ezekiel 10:4-5,15a,18

EVERY SIN HAD BEEN SEEN BY GOD AND EVERY THOUGHT KNOWN BY GOD.

God knew those in exile in Jerusalem were bragging about their freedom and how they would now get all the land that was owned by those who had been taken into exile. Even in the horrible situation they were in, they were greedy and prideful (11:5,15-16). Those in exile continued to have rebellious hearts, refusing to see and hear the God they believed was still in the Temple in Jerusalem (12:2).

So God called Ezekiel to be WEIRD once more. During the day, Ezekiel packed all of his belongings and moved them outside of his home – a scene that immediately caught the attention of God’s people. Then, as night fell, Ezekiel went back into his home and began digging a hole in the wall with his bare hands, just as a captive would need to do in order to escape imprisonment. He then crawled out of the hole and lifted his pack on his shoulder. His WEIRD antics had everyone’s attention now. He then gave them a message from the Lord, prophesying about the way in which King Zedekiah would soon be leaving Jerusalem. He would be captured and brought to Babylon to be a captive just as they would be. His army would be scattered and their last chance at being rescued by their king would vanish (Ezekiel 12).

“Even Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at night through a hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him. He will cover his face, and his eyes will not see the land he is leaving.” – Ezekiel 12:12

EVERY SIN HAD BEEN SEEN BY GOD AND EVERY THOUGHT KNOWN BY GOD.

Even the appointed king would experience the consequences of his actions. When given the opportunity to humble himself and surrender to God’s plan, Zedekiah had cowered in fear and chose to do things his own way. There were no more chances; he had refused to obey God for the last time.

So what happens if God asks us to humble ourselves before him and repent? What will we do if God asks us to swallow our pride and surrender our authority? How will we respond if He asks us to be WEIRD for Him? What happens if He asks us to do something that seems unreasonable, ridiculous, or just plain WEIRD? Are we willing to go there? Are we willing to put pride aside and do whatever God asks us to do?

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 4-7

God called Ezekiel to be WEIRD. I am not sure that there is a better word to describe his calling. God used some very dramatic visual aids to be performed by or lived out by Ezekiel, getting the attention of his audience with visual messages that would be hard to forget. Ezekiel could have let pride get in the way and could have said, “No God, that’s just WEIRD. What would people think of me?” But instead Ezekiel experienced things like no one else ever had or ever will, all because he was willing to be WEIRD for God.

Ezekiel took a brick and drew a map of Jerusalem on it. Similar to a young boy playing with Legos, Ezekiel built a wall around the brick and then set up enemy camps to surround the city/brick, with little miniature siege ramps and battering rams. He took an iron griddle and placed it between himself and the brick (Ezekiel 4:1-3).

Then Ezekiel lay on his side facing the replica of Jerusalem and placed the sins of Israel on himself. He was tied up with ropes and confined to this position for 390 days, one day for each year of Israel’s sin. Then Ezekiel turned over and on his right side for another 40 days, one for each year of Judah’s sin. For 430 days (that’s 14 months), Ezekiel laid on his side, tied up with rope, baring his arm and prophesying Jerusalem’s destruction (4:4-8).

During this time, Ezekiel ate food he had prepared in advance and rationed out. He did this to show how food in Jerusalem would be hard to find and rationed in small portions. God asked him to prepare this bread using human dung to show how the Israelites would be forced to eat defiled bread in the Gentile lands to which they would be banished. This was when Ezekiel had a please-not-that-God moment. God relented and allowed Ezekiel to bake his bread over cow dung instead (still gross but not quite as WEIRD).

Then Ezekiel shaved his head and divided the hair into three piles. He took 1/3 of the hair and laid it on the brick replica of Jerusalem. He then acted out the siege with his miniature enemies, just as a young child would play with their toys. He took another third of his hair and spread it across his battle ground and then chopped it up with a sword. Then he took the last third of his hair and lifted it for the wind to scatter. He then took some of the hair in front of him and threw it on the fire. Some of God’s people would not survive the famine, some would die violent deaths in the battle, and some would be scattered into exile.

“But I will let a few of my people escape destruction, and they will be scattered among the nations of the world. Then when they are exiled among the nations, they will remember me. They will recognize how hurt I am by their unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes that long for their idols. Then at last they will hate themselves for all their detestable sins. They will know that I alone am the Lord and that I was serious when I said I would bring this calamity on them.” – Ezekiel 6:8-10

The story of Ezekiel’s life is bizarre and interesting, but it comes down to one simple statement – Ezekiel was WEIRD because God called him to be WEIRD. He was willing to be WEIRD if that’s what God wanted him to be, if that’s what it took for God to get the attention of His people.

So what happens if God asks us to be WEIRD for Him? What happens if He asks us to do something that seems unreasonable, ridiculous, or just plain WEIRD? Are we willing to go there? Are we willing to put pride aside and do whatever God asks us to do? Hmmmm. That’s a hard question to answer honestly. I think I will go back for a second cup of my morning coffee and seek the heart of God on this one…

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 1-3

Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. – Psalm 37:24

While Jeremiah was hearing from God from within the walls of Jerusalem, Ezekiel had already been exiled to Babylon when “he felt the hand of the Lord take hold of him” (Ezekiel 1:3). I love that description! Can you testify to that action in your life?

HAVE YOU FELT THE HAND OF THE LORD TAKE HOLD OF YOU?

The call on Ezekiel’s life was a very difficult one but God equipped him for what was ahead, just as He equips us today. Through visions, Ezekiel’s eyes were opened to the horrific things God’s people were doing — the reason God was so angry and His punishment was so harsh. That is a lot for one person to know; that is a heavy burden for one man to carry. With this call came a great deal of responsibility, which added to the weight already on Ezekiel’s shoulders.

“Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, warn people immediately. If I warn the wicked saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me.” – Ezekiel 3:17-19

The call on Ezekiel’s life was great, but so is the God who called him and who would equip him! All he had to do was respond in obedience to what God was calling him to do and say. He was not responsible for the choices of others, but he would be held accountable for his own response to God.

Just as Ezekiel saw the horrible and heartbreaking actions of his people, he also saw the glory of God and was filled with the Spirit. He had difficulty even describing what he saw, so he described it as best he could by using descriptions such as “looked like” or “what appeared to be” or “this is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me”.

Above the surface was something that looked like a throne made of blue lapis lazuli. And on this throne high above was a figure whose appearance resembled a man. From what appeared to be his waist up, he looked like gleaming amber, flickering like a fire. And from his waist down, he looked like a burning flame, shining with splendor. All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me. When I saw it, I fell face down on the ground, and I heard someone’s voice speaking to me. “Stand up, son of man,” said the voice. “I want to speak with you.” The Spirit came into me as he spoke, and he set me on my feet. I listened carefully to his words. – Ezekiel 1:26-2:2

I am so thankful that the Spirit of the Lord continues to fill us and set us on our feet when we feel overwhelmed. God also gives us His words to fill and prepare us for what is ahead.

“Open your mouth and eat what I give you.” Then I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me. It held a scroll, which he unrolled. And I saw that both sides were covered with funeral songs, words of sorrow, and pronouncements of doom. The voice said to me, “Son of man, eat what I am giving you – eat this scroll! Then go and give its message to the people of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he fed me the scroll. “Fill your stomach with this,” he said. And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth…Then he added, “Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.” Then the Spirit lifted me up… – Ezekiel 2:8b-3:3,10-12a

What God is calling you to do today is no heavier than the call He gave Ezekiel. Perhaps you are feeling overwhelmed and have fallen on your face before the Lord. Trust God’s Spirit to lift you up off your face and fill you.

REST IN HIS HAND AS YOU FEEL THE STRENGTH OF THE LORD’S HOLD ON YOUR LIFE

“The Spirit lifted me up and took me away. I went in bitterness and turmoil, but the Lord’s hold on me was strong.” – Ezekiel 3:14

Notice Ezekiel did not say that he went in joy and peace, but rather bitterness and turmoil. God allowed Ezekiel’s heart to break at the things that were breaking His heart. The road ahead of Ezekiel would not be an easy one but neither would God leave him alone to face what He was calling him to do. In the same way, God will not leave you alone.

Are we ready to accept God’s call? When He places His Word in front of us and tells us to eat, will we find the time to consume his words and let them sink deep into our heart, listening carefully to what He has to say to us?

DO YOU FEEL THE HAND OF THE LORD ON YOUR LIFE? HIS HOLD ON YOU IS STRONG – Do not resist.

I will steady him with my hand; with my powerful arm I will make him strong. – Psalm 89:21

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 37-38

God gave one man the opportunity to save the city of Jerusalem from destruction. King Zedekiah was given the chance to surrender to God by surrendering to the Babylonians, saving his own life and sparing Jerusalem from being burned to the ground. Out of fear, the king chose to ignore God’s message and keep Jeremiah in prison. In great selfishness, Zedekiah put his own needs above the needs of the people he was called to lead (Jeremiah 38:17-28).

In a similar way, God had a plan to use one man to bring his people back into a covenant relationship with Him. Through the obedience of this one man came the gift of salvation; from the sacrifice of God’s only Son came a new and life-giving way.

“The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will NOT be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves a wife,” says the Lord. “But this is the NEW COVENANT I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people…And I will forgive them their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” – Jeremiah 31:31-34

These words of God are repeated in Hebrews 8:8-12 and explained in Hebrews 9 & 10, helping us understand that the new covenant was put in place when Jesus died as a sacrifice for our sins. Let’s look at Romans 8:3, “The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.”

Hebrews 9:1 and verses 6-8 explain why the temple and its traditions had to be destroyed as Jeremiah prophesied: That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth…When these things were in place, the priests regularly entered the first room as they performed their religious duties. But only the high priest ever entered the Most Holy Place, and only once a year. And he always offered blood for his own sins and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. By these regulations the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use.

With the old covenant, God’s people were not given access to freely enter His presence as we are given now. Because Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins by the power of the eternal Spirit, He mediates a new covenant with God as he appears before God on our behalf.

By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. – Heb. 10:20-22a

So here I am today, enjoying my morning coffee in the presence of a God I can trust and it all goes back to the time we have studied as we read through 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, as well as the books of the prophets and now the book of Jeremiah. The fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple Solomon built led the way to a new and everlasting covenant through the death of the perfect sacrifice – Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank you for writing this covenant on my heart. You have given me one heart and one purpose: to worship you forever! You have placed a desire in my heart to worship you and I will never leave you! I will find joy in doing good for you because you find joy in doing good for me. I will serve you faithfully and wholeheartedly because you are a faithful and wholehearted God! Lord, I soak in your presence this morning with a sincere heart, fully trusting you! Amen.

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 35-36, Psalm 50

When we choose a spouse, we are not only getting a husband or wife, we are getting a whole family! Some of you are already laughing because you know the hard core truth of that statement. The love of your life comes with parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins… They come with their traditions, their norms and their expectations. So when I said my vows to Scott, I was also making a commitment to become a Sherwood. I love them with all my heart. They are my people.

“I will be their God and they will be my people.” – Exodus 6:7

These are the powerful words of God when He made a covenant with His people; this is the promise Moses held onto as he went to Pharoah with the command to let His people go. It is not a coincidence that God uses these words again through the prophet Jeremiah as His people are once more entering captivity. He reminds them that, just as He rescued them from Egypt, He has plans to deliver them from the exile they are beginning in Babylon.

We may read right over those words without thinking much of them, but to the people of Judah, “I will be their God and they will be my people” meant something. It reminded them of their covenant with God to obey His commandments, the first of which they broke over and over again: “You must not have any other god before me” (Exodus 20:3).

“The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will NOT be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves a wife,” says the Lord. “But this is the NEW COVENANT I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people…And I will forgive them their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” – Jeremiah 31:31-34

This new covenant would not be written on stone tablets; it would be written on their hearts. The old covenant required obedience and faithfulness to the God who was willing to meet with their leader on the mountain while they stayed at a distance. The new covenant would be deep within each individual child of God, written on their hearts as each one had the opportunity to experience a personal God living within them.

What a God of restoration we serve! God’s people were experiencing the fury of God while He equipped Babylon to destroy Jerusalem and take His people captive for 70 years. Yet, in the midst of this sentencing, God was expressing love and promising to bring them home again starting over with a new covenant that would draw them closer to Him instead of pushing them away – a covenant that would last forever!

“They will be my people, and I will be their God. And I will give them one heart and one purpose to worship me forever, for their own good and for the good of all their descendants. And I will make an EVERLASTING COVENANT with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put a desire in their hearts to worship me, and they will never leave me. I will find joy doing good for them and will faithfully and wholeheartedly replant them in this land.” – Jer. 32:38-41

Oh the heart of a God who loves us that much! He finds joy in doing good for us, even when we have a history of walking away from Him. He puts a desire in our heart to worship and serve Him. He is a God of justice who calls us to follow Him and live out the righteousness His Spirit is producing inside of us, and He is also a God of grace and mercy who pursues the restoration of our relationship with Him. He is the kind of God who can look at His rebellious children and say, “I will be your God and you will be my people.”

“Bring my faithful people to me—
those who made a covenant with me by giving sacrifices.”
Then let the heavens proclaim his justice,
for God himself will be the judge. – Psalm 50:5-6

“If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the path of salvation.” – Psalm 50:23b

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 32–34

A big part of Jeremiah’s message to the people of Judah was that there was HOPE FOR THEIR FUTURE. Jeremiah wanted the people to know they could trust God and that this return to Jerusalem someday was possible because nothing was too difficult for God. What a great message for me to savor in my morning coffee.

God told Jeremiah to buy a piece of land that Jeremiah’s cousin was going to ask him to purchase from him. He wanted Jeremiah to do this in order to show the people that he trusted God and fully believed the Promised Land would once again be theirs. As you can imagine, for anyone to purchase land at this point in the battle would appear very foolish yet what Jeremiah was doing was MAKING AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE THAT GOD WAS PROMISING – that’s how much he trusted his God!

DO WE TRUST GOD THAT MUCH?

“O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and the earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!… You have all wisdom and do great and mighty miracles… You have made your name famous to this day. You brought Israel out of Egypt with mighty signs and wonders, with a strong hand and powerful arm, and with overwhelming terror. You gave the people of Israel this land that you had promised their ancestors long before – a land flowing with milk and honey.

Our ancestors came and conquered it and lived in it, but they refused to obey you or follow your word. They have not done anything you commanded. That is why you have sent this terrible disaster upon them…Everything has happened just as you said. AND YET, O Sovereign Lord, you have told me to buy the field – paying good money for it before these witnesses – even though the city will soon be handed over to the Babylonians.” – Jeremiah 32:17-25

This sounds like a conversation we might have with God at times, pointing out to God how ridiculous it is that He would ask us to do ______________________when we are in the midst of ___________________ (fill in the blanks for how that applies to your life right now). God calls us to trust in His promises, just as He wanted Jeremiah to show his trust in God.

Then the message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?” – Jeremiah 32:26

TRUST IN GOD, WHO CAN DO ANYTHING!

This is the same question God asked Sarah when she struggled to believe in His promise that she would bear children, even at her age (Genesis 18:14). She quickly learned that God can be trusted to keep His promise.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. – Hebrews 10:23

And this is what God was promising His people at this time as they were gathering everything they could from within the city of Jerusalem to strengthen the walls against the siege ramps, trying hard to fight the Babylonians and resist captivity:

“Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s wounds and give it prosperity and true peace. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their towns. I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellions. Then this city will bring me joy, glory and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them.” – Jer. 33:6-9

ENTER INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND TRUST HIM.

What battle are you fighting right now? I pray you are reminded this morning that we serve a God who heals, restores, rebuilds, cleanses and forgives. I encourage you to enter into the presence of your God and trust that nothing is too hard for Him!

What is God asking you to do today to show that you trust Him, regardless of the circumstances in your life? Enter into the presence of your God and listen closely with a heart willing to obey.

What is your answer to God when He asks, “Is anything too hard for me?” Enter into the presence of your God and seek the answer to that question.

Nothing is too hard for our God. He wants us to enter into His presence, trust in His promises and give Him every situation we are facing. He wants us to remember how He conquered death and believe in His power to conquer anything. Let’s go to Him with sincere hearts, fully trusting in our great and mighty God.

By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, LET US GO RIGHT INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD with sincere hearts fully trusting him. – Hebrews 10:20-22a

“Is not Israel still my son, my darling child?” says the Lord. “I often have to punish him, but I still love him. That’s why I long for him and surely will have mercy on him. Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Mark well the path by which you came. Come back again…” – Jeremiah 31:20-21

These verses sum up the prophecies of Jeremiah well. Because God loves, he punishes. Because He is our Father, he longs for us to respond to punishment so He can have mercy on us. He wants us to find our way back to Him. This is why Jesus died on the cross for us, in order that we could experience forgiveness and restoration. This is why He rose again – to give us hope for our future!

Jeremiah is a difficult book to read. It’s hard to hear chapter after chapter of the painful consequences God’s people suffered due to their sin and unfaithfulness. But there are several chapters here in the middle of Jeremiah that speak strongly of God’s love and His mercy – of HOPE FOR THE FUTURE of God’s people.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11

When we take this verse and study the context of the time in which it was originally spoken, it does not take away from its meaning but rather enhances how we can apply this verse to our lives. God’s people had been unfaithful generation after generation, and He was handing them over to the King of Babylon as a consequence of their sin. After bringing them into the promised land of Canaan, after 40 years of wandering in the desert and then dwelling among them in the beautiful temple Solomon built, God was taking away His gift and sending them into exile for a period of 70 years as a punishment for their sins. That would be like someone returning today after being exiled in 1950.

At the time Chapter 29 was written, the attack on Judah and Jerusalem had been going on for years. Thousands of the Israelites had already been captured and exiled to Babylon, but many (including Jeremiah) were imprisoned in the heart of Jerusalem while the attack on the city continued. After years of proclaiming the MESSAGE of PAINFUL CONSEQUENCES, now God had a MESSAGE of HOPE for His people. God wanted them to know He loved them, and that their time of pain and suffering would not last forever – that He had a plan to bring them back, a plan to bless their lives once again.

Let’s read through these verses of hope and allow God to speak to our hearts. To get the full message, I encourage you to read through Jeremiah 29-31. I have pulled a few verses and phrases that speak to my heart. I pray that as you read them the Spirit will fill you with the message God has for you today.

“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce…Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper…”

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. For I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity…” – Jeremiah 29:5,7,10-14a, NIV

“I will restore…For I will bring you home again…For I am with you and will save you…I will give you back your health and heal your wounds…There will be joy and songs of thanksgiving and I will multiply my people, not diminish them…You will be my people and I will be your God.” – Jeremiah 30:3,10,11,17,19,22

I love this part! Even in the midst of suffering, God promises His people that they will find blessings:

“Those who survive the coming destruction will find blessings even in the barren land, for I will give rest to the people of Israel…I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel. You will be happy again and dance merrily with your tambourines…Tears of joy will stream down their faces, and I will lead them home with great care….The Lord, who scattered his people, will gather them and watch over them as a shepherd does his flock…Their life will be like a watered garden, and all their sorrows will be gone…I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing…Do not weep any longer…There is hope for your future,” says the Lord…”For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing” (Jeremiah 31:2-4,9-10, 12-13, 16-17, 25, NLT).

THERE IS HOPE FOR YOUR FUTURE.

This is a wonderful promise for those who have walked away from God’s perfect plan and are wondering what comes next. There are often natural consequences to our sin, to a life of doing what we want to do instead of following God’s plan for our lives. But God’s plan does not go away! When we seek Him with our whole hearts, we will find Him! Even in the midst of suffering the results of our sin, God will be with us and we will see His blessings in our lives. He will restore us and bring us joy. He has a plan.

It’s time to stop resisting God’s plan for our lives. If you seek Him, He will be found and there will be HOPE for your future. Lord, I thank you for the hope you give us even in the darkest of situations. I thank you for your love for us that is revealed when you restore and renew us. Thank you for being the God who gives rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing. Help us to trust you and find hope for our future. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 23-26

After 23 years of proclaiming the message of repentance to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, Jeremiah made it clear to God’s people what was about to happen and why. He had been warning them to turn from the evil road they were traveling, to stop the evil things they were doing, and to quit provoking the anger of God, but they would not listen. Therefore, God was allowing King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to come in and destroy life as they knew it.

I will take away your happy singing and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard. Your millstones will fall silent, and the lights in your homes will go out. This entire land will become a wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. – Jeremiah 25:10-11

The Lord gave Jeremiah a vision of two baskets of figs sitting in front of the temple in Jerusalem. One basket was full of fresh, ripe figs; the other basket was filled with figs too rotten to eat. The first basket represented those who had been exiled to Babylon and God had a word of hope for them:

“I will watch over and care for them, and I will bring them back here again. I will build them up and not tear them down. I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them hearts that recognize me as the Lord. They will be my people and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly.” – Jeremiah 24:6-7

The basket of rotten figs represented the king of Judah, his officials, and those left behind in Jerusalem or Egypt. God would make them an object of horror. They would be disgraced and mocked, taunted and cursed. They would experience war, famine, and disease. God had had enough!

“What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people — the shepherds of my sheep — for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,” says the Lord. – Jeremiah 23:1

After the 70 years of exile, God would gather His people together and give them new leaders — responsible shepherds who would care for them. But those who had led God’s people to this place of destruction would themselves be destroyed. This included the prophets who were claiming to speak the words of the Lord without hearing from God. They were saying, “God told me this” or “I heard from God and He said this” without taking the time to listen to what God wanted them to say. But God was listening to them carelessly run their mouths.

“Have any of these prophets been in the Lord’s presence to hear what he is really saying? Has even one of them cared to listen?…If they had stood before me and listened to me, they would have spoken my words, and they would have turned my people from their evil ways and deeds. Am I a God who is only close at hand?” says the Lord. “No, I am far away at the same time. Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord. – Jeremiah 23:18, 22-24

We see clearly in these chapters that we serve a God of justice who is jealous when we serve something other than Him and who is angry when we are self-serving at the expense of others. He does not tolerate our misrepresentation of Him and He will not stand by and let leaders deceive His people — to destroy and scatter the very ones they are expected to care for.

But we also see in the book of Jeremiah that we serve a God of love and mercy who plans for the redemption of His people. He cares about us when we turn away from him; He pursues us for the sake of our salvation. Even as God was declaring the consequences of their sinful actions, He was unveiling His plan to redeem them through a Savior. Jeremiah’s message of hope for God’s people included prophecy regarding a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will rule with wisdom and his name will be “The Lord is Our Righteousness” (23:5-6).

“But if you stop your sinning and begin to obey the Lord your God, he will change his mind about this disaster that he has announced against you.” – Jeremiah 26:13

This God we serve — the God of justice and the God of mercy — is a God of forgiveness if we will only repent and begin living in obedience. He is a jealous God because He is a loving God. This God of punishment is also the God who would leave the ninety-nine to go in pursuit of the one who is lost. What a privilege it is to serve this God! What a joy it is to share my morning coffee with one who loves me that much!