Scripture: Jeremiah 4: 1-2

“If you, Israel, will return, then return to me,” declares the Lord.  “If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray, and if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ then the nations will invoke blessings by him and in him they will boast.”

Scripture Commentary: Return to the Lord, your God.

Jeremiah told the people to break up the hardness of their hearts and return to God’s will. They needed to remove their sin so that God’s commands could take root.

Likewise, we must remove the sin that hardens our hearts against the Lord. If we resist God’s word then it will not take root and grow in our hearts, and we will not truly walk with him.

We say we love God, but do we live by his ways and his law? Do we spread his word and testify to what he has done in our lives so that people will know that God is in our hearts?

Only you and God know the answers to these questions, and only you can make a change in yourself to welcome him.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Jeremiah Chapter 4

 

Scripture: Jeremiah 44: 16-17

We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord!  We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm.

Scripture Commentary: Listen to the message from the Lord

God told the people of Jerusalem and Judah what to do through Jeremiah. He also told them what would happen if they did not follow his instruction. The people came to Jeremiah, asking him to pray to the Lord. They wanted to know what message God had for them. When God answered, they did not like what they heard.

Have you sought guidance from God, but turned around and ignored it? If you ignore God’s advice, then why are you asking?

God will always answer your prayers. His answers will not always be what you want to hear, but God will tell you what you need to hear. He knows how to overcome your obstacles and he wants what’s best for you.

We learn from our past mistakes and use those experiences as a place from which to grow. If you ask God for help and ignore him, you will repeat mistakes and make no progress. To fail to learn from failure is to ensure failure in the future. Look at your problems and recognize the true source.

When calamity forces you to examine your life, take a close look at God’s instructions for you.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Jeremiah 44

Scripture: Jeremiah 13: 1,4,5,7

Thus saith the Lord unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water. Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Eu-phra’-tes, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. So I went, and hid it by Eu-phra’-tes, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing.

Scripture Commentary: What is the lesson of the linen girdle?

The linen girdle was the garment worn closest to the person and it represented how close the people were to be to God. When God told Jeremiah to remove and hide it, that represented how we distance ourselves from God.  The marred linen girdle, which has no value, represented how a people guided by their own earthly interests are useless to God.

God gave us life so that we may worship him and create his kingdom on earth. He placed us here for a purpose.  There are those among us who ignore that purpose. If we go about our lives living for ourselves then we are living in denial of God’s gift. What good are you without that gift? Without that purpose?

Pride clouds your eyes to the truth

What Jeremiah is conveying in the passage above still applies today. The people had once been close to God, but their pride made them useless. Pride will not let you see the truth; that God placed us on this earth for him and not for ourselves.

Proud people may look important on the outside, but their pride rots their hearts and decreases their value to God. In this chapter, the threat of captivity didn’t even move the people to repent. The lesson of the linen belt illustrates the destiny of Judea.

What is your destiny?  Are you living for God or for yourself?

Read the entire chapter:
Jeremiah Chapter 13

Other Posts on the Book of Jeremiah
God’s Compassion Never Fails
We Must Acknowledge Our Wickedness and Change Our Ways
Woe To Leaders Who Scatter God’s Flock

 

Scripture: Jeremiah 23: 1-2

Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! Saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.

Scripture Commentary: False prophets scatter and destroy

Leaders are responsible for those entrusted to their care. How does a nation become corrupt? False prophets have, do, and will play a large role is misguiding innocent people. We like to hear what makes us feel comfortable; whether it is the truth or not.

A person like Jeremiah will have a message from God that will be unpopular among many people because it shows how corrupt we are. Whether we speak from a pulpit, teach in a class, or share with friends, we are entrusted with accurately communicating and living out God’s word.

True prophets and false prophets are as different as straw and grain. Straw is useless for food and cannot compare to the nourishing value of grain. False prophets may appear to speak God’s message, but they do not live according to God’s principles. They will water down God’s message in order to make it more palatable, often subtly encouraging their listeners to disobey God.  These false prophets tend to be arrogant and self serving.

As you share God’s Word people will look at you and see God in you. Unless it has changed you, why should they listen to your godless talk?

Read the Entire Chapter:
Jeremiah Chapter 23

Scripture: Jeremiah 23: 1, 11, 16, 21

Woe Be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord.(1)   For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord.(11)   Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.(16)   I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.(21)

Scripture Commentary: True and false prophets are as different as night is from day

Be careful about what people say, do, and how they live. We like to be told things that make us feel good, even if it’s wrong. Jeremiah told the people what they did not what to hear. He told them what God had said to him: these people are evil.

True prophets and false prophets are as different as night and day. If we are to be nourishment to our people we must live as God tells us to live. To share and teach the gospel is a great responsibility.

The way we live will show and encourage people either to accept the Word or reject it. People are looking at you, especially if you’re talking about God’s place in your life. If the word hasn’t changed you, why should others let it change them?

Read the Entire Chapter:
Jeremiah Chapter 23

Scripture: Jeremiah 12:1

Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgements: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

Scripture Commentary: Looking for God’s Justice When Other Do You Wrong

Life was extremely difficult for Jeremiah, despite his love for and obedience to God. Jeremiah knew that God’s justice would ultimately come, but he was impatient. He wanted justice to come quickly. Are you patient? Can you wait on God?

God didn’t give Jeremiah a doctrinal answer; he gave him a challenge. If Jeremiah couldn’t handle this how would he handle the injustices ahead?

It is natural for us to demand fair play and cry for justice against those who take advantage of others. If you call on God for relief, God may reply, “If you think this is bad, how are you going to cope when it gets really tough?” Not all of God’s answers to prayer are nice or easy to handle. When we call for justice, we must realize that God gave each of us what we truly deserve.

Do not ask for vengeance. Pray for forgiveness, love, and understanding. Commit to God in everything you do in life, because God is committed to you.

Read the entire chapter:
Jeremiah Chapter 12

Scripture: Jeremiah 17: 5-7

Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

Scripture Commentary: Trust the Lord and Flourish Like A Tree Planted By Water

When you are doing well, and your life is bubbling over, do you thank the Lord Jesus Christ or do you take full credit and thank yourself? Do you rely on God or only on yourself?  Why are you here, and what are you doing with your life?

God tells us “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man.” When you trust yourself or another person to do for you, it will be short lived. The only trust you can have is in God. Trust in the Lord and you will flourish like a tree planted by water.

Do not be like a fool and continue to cherish sin knowing the eternal consequences of it. A sinful life is short, a sinless life is for eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When you put your life in His hands you will see all the good in life. When you put your trust in human man, impoverishment and spiritual weakness will be upon you when trouble comes.

We are weak and have a deep tendency to sin, but God’s love can redeem us. Trust in the Lord and have abundant strength, not only for your needs, but others, and God will remove temptation when it comes.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Jeremiah Chapter 17

Thus saith the Lord; cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and taketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

Jeremiah 17: 5-7

Commentary:

Do you do for yourself, for others, or for God? What do you trust? In these verses the Lord is writing about those who trust in themselves and those who trust in Him. If you are like the people of Judah and trust in yourself then you are like a waterless tree – barren and unfruitful. In contrast, those who trust in God flourish like a tree planted by water. In times of trouble, those who trust in human beings will be impoverished and spiritually weak. But those who trust in Jesus Christ will have abundant strength, not only for themselves, but for the needs of others. Are you satisfied with being unfruitful, or do you, like a well watered tree, have strength for the time of crisis and even some to share as you bear fruit for the Lord? Plant yourself in his pool.