August 26 - Jeremiah 39:11-18 | Jeremiah 40:1-6 | 2 Kings25:8-21 | Jeremiah 52:12-27 | 2 Chronicles 36:15-21 | Lamentations 1:1-22

Good morning everyone,

Today as we begin in Jeremiah, just as the prophet had been telling them would happen,  king Nebuchadnezzar along with Nebuzaradan, the commander of the imperial guard, have come in to the city of Jerusalem and are effectively tearing it down. They set fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem, reducing it to rubble while carting off anything and everything that had value. They used teams of soldiers to knock down the wall surrounding the city while Nebuzaradan corralled all the people who had remained in the city, which included the priests, the young, the old and those who had fled from Babylon seeking shelter in Jerusalem, marching them off into exile leaving only the poorest of people to work the land and vineyards. 

Jeremiah was among those who had been led away, but you’ll remember that God had promised to rescue Jeremiah from his troubles and so it was that because Jeremiah had been preaching to the Jews, “Babylon is going to win, surrender, go with them peacefully” that Nebuchadnezzar and company assumed he was a traitor. They freed Jeremiah, told him he could go anywhere he wanted, offered him protection and gave him supplies. Jeremiah chose to go back and live in with the people who were left in the land. 

What an incredibly sad time for God’s chosen people. For forty years Jeremiah had been warning them, over and over prophesying their fate should they not turn from false gods and the ways of the world. Encouraging them to once again worship God, to turn back to the one true God, but his ministry did not see even one convert. No one believed the words of the Lord and so their sin ultimately led to their death while Jeremiah weeps for them. 

In Galatians 6:7-8 it says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” Much the same as the message Jeremiah was sent to give the nation Judah, over and over and over again our dear, loving Abba gives us a message through pastors and teacher using His God breathed Words of the Bible, “BE WARNED” stay away from the evil ways of the world, choose to live your life according to God’s plan. Don’t let Satan trick you into doing anything different. Do not let his wicked selfish attempt to take anyone and everyone down with him subtly charm you away from the God who loves you. Satan is called the father of lies for a reason, he knows the end of the story, you should too, we all should know the end of the story. The Bible tells us the enemy is going down. Enemy, by definition is, “a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something, a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another; an adversary or opponent.” This is Satan, this is misery and misery loves company. 

I wonder, have you gotten way too busy in your life, not going to church anymore and you’re maybe drifting back to the ways of the world? Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” and it is never too late as Isaiah 46:4 tells us, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” God loves you. In Lamentations we read how a broken hearted Jeremiah journals his way through his sorrow for a people he tried to save through the prophecy of the Lord. God has that same heart for us, he grieves when we are lost and He rejoices with the angels in heaven we find our way back. Amen?!

Have a great day and to God be the glory.

God bless you all …..