Jeremiah 17:7-8–"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."
The reality of this verse can be most keenly seen in its converse. When people do not trust in the Lord they have no roots to secure them in times of trouble, no stability when the winds of life blow, and fail to produce lasting fruit of eternal value. But this is precisely what trusting in the Lord means. To trust in the Lord means that we will rely upon Him for our provision, our strength, and our guidance in life. There is no surer Rock than the Lord Himself. What Jeremiah says is still as true as ever. Let us never forget this as we strive to live a life based upon trusting in the Lord.
Showing posts with label Jeremiah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeremiah. Show all posts
Friday, March 21, 2014
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Jeremiah 17:14–Heal Me and I Will Be Healed
Jeremiah 17:14: "Heal me, o Lord, and I shall be healed; save me and I shall be saved, for You are my praise."
I like this verse; it touches me. It speaks of faith in the One that heals. The truth of life is that we all, everyone of us, is wounded and in needed of healing. Each one of us is lost and in need of being found. And everyone of us is in need of salvation. But it is God who heals. God who finds. And God who saves us. This is why we praise God!
For He does heal, and He does save us. Let us always keep this truth before us as we allow it to form the basis for everything we do!
I like this verse; it touches me. It speaks of faith in the One that heals. The truth of life is that we all, everyone of us, is wounded and in needed of healing. Each one of us is lost and in need of being found. And everyone of us is in need of salvation. But it is God who heals. God who finds. And God who saves us. This is why we praise God!
For He does heal, and He does save us. Let us always keep this truth before us as we allow it to form the basis for everything we do!
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Jeremiah: God Knows Our Hearts
Jeremiah 17:9 reads: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"
Which is followed by v. 10: "I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."
Who can weigh the content of their own heart? Even the most self-aware person can be unable to see the obvious parts of themselves. But even more so, we do not have the ability to weigh our sin against the holy perfection of God. Only God can truly weigh our heart's content. Being holy, He alone can truly ascertain the depth of sin's pervasive venom in our hearts. This is why He had to forgive us from our sin, because only He could know how deep our sin disorder went. Praise be God that knowing our hearts He sent His Son to forgive us and restore right relationship with us!
Which is followed by v. 10: "I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."
Who can weigh the content of their own heart? Even the most self-aware person can be unable to see the obvious parts of themselves. But even more so, we do not have the ability to weigh our sin against the holy perfection of God. Only God can truly weigh our heart's content. Being holy, He alone can truly ascertain the depth of sin's pervasive venom in our hearts. This is why He had to forgive us from our sin, because only He could know how deep our sin disorder went. Praise be God that knowing our hearts He sent His Son to forgive us and restore right relationship with us!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Jeremiah 23:24–Nowhere to Hide
Jeremiah 23:24: "'Can a man hide himself in the secret places so that I cannot see him?' declares the Lord. 'Do I not fill heaven and earth?' declares the Lord."
There is nowhere to hide from God: He is omnipresent. His presence fills all of existence while sustaining it by the power of His Word. But isn't it just like a human to think he can find a quiet spot to hide from the Almighty God? This is simply an impossibility. And we should find great comfort and strength in this truth: that God holds everything in His hands. Let us not forget this truth but rather let it it from the basis of life before the Holy Lord!
There is nowhere to hide from God: He is omnipresent. His presence fills all of existence while sustaining it by the power of His Word. But isn't it just like a human to think he can find a quiet spot to hide from the Almighty God? This is simply an impossibility. And we should find great comfort and strength in this truth: that God holds everything in His hands. Let us not forget this truth but rather let it it from the basis of life before the Holy Lord!
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Jeremiah: Necessary History
Christians have a tendency towards the New Testament. This is a natural reaction to the fact that our faith is based on the life and work of Christ, which is chronicled in the Gospels and applied in the letters of Paul, Peter, John, James, Jude, etc. However, as per Jesus' own words, He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to complete them (Matt. 5:17). And if we, as Christians, are to have a greater understanding of Christ, we need to be willing to mine through the books of Old Testament for their worth, both in practical matters as well as theological. The book of Jeremiah is one such book worth studying. It is not only valuable for its significant contribution to prophecy about Christ but also for the history of Israel and Jeremiah himself.
Called to be a prophet as a young boy (1:6), Jeremiah grew up in a time in which Israel was in a maelstrom of tumult and turmoil (around 590 BC). More than a century earlier, the northern kingdom, which included 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel, was conquered and taken into exile by the Assyrians. The southern kingdom, however, based in Jerusalem, was protected by God. The people responded in haughtiness, believing that God's providential hand could never be removed because of their covenant, despite the prophesies made by Isaiah indicting them for their sin.
As a result of such arrogance, the "prophets" of Jeremiah's time looked superciliously at the words of Jeremiah, which were prophesies of judgment to come at the hands of the Babylonian empire, newly revitalized under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar. As a result of such disdain for his work, Jeremiah was ignored, mocked, beaten, and even thrown in prison. Despite such harsh treatment, Jeremiah stayed perseverant to the call that God had given him and, in the end, his prophesies were proven when the Babylonians finally sacked Jerusalem, first in 597 and definitively in 587.
Jeremiah's contribution to the corpus of Scripture is twofold: first is in regards to judgement; second, in regards to redemption. Jeremiah preached repentance to Judah in order to maintain the covenant that God had provided for them. He prophesied judgement because of their increasing sin and lustful sin. However, Judah turned in pride and self-delusion away from God and was punished justly for their conceited unbelief. But that is not the whole story. In Jeremiah 31:31-34, Jeremiah prophesies of a new covenant that God will inaugurate that surpasses the old covenant in its scope and its effect. As Christians, we know this new covenant to be made in the blood of Christ and introduced at the Last Supper.
To be sure, this has been a brief introduction, a cursory synopsis, of some of the important points of note in regards to the book of Jeremiah. The purpose has been to show the significance for Christians to study and to examine the books of the Old Testament because they speak of God, and of Christ Jesus. We should be eager to learn more about them, then, because in doing so we will be growing in our knowledge of God. Let us then dig into the Word so as to dig into God Himself!
Called to be a prophet as a young boy (1:6), Jeremiah grew up in a time in which Israel was in a maelstrom of tumult and turmoil (around 590 BC). More than a century earlier, the northern kingdom, which included 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel, was conquered and taken into exile by the Assyrians. The southern kingdom, however, based in Jerusalem, was protected by God. The people responded in haughtiness, believing that God's providential hand could never be removed because of their covenant, despite the prophesies made by Isaiah indicting them for their sin.
As a result of such arrogance, the "prophets" of Jeremiah's time looked superciliously at the words of Jeremiah, which were prophesies of judgment to come at the hands of the Babylonian empire, newly revitalized under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar. As a result of such disdain for his work, Jeremiah was ignored, mocked, beaten, and even thrown in prison. Despite such harsh treatment, Jeremiah stayed perseverant to the call that God had given him and, in the end, his prophesies were proven when the Babylonians finally sacked Jerusalem, first in 597 and definitively in 587.
Jeremiah's contribution to the corpus of Scripture is twofold: first is in regards to judgement; second, in regards to redemption. Jeremiah preached repentance to Judah in order to maintain the covenant that God had provided for them. He prophesied judgement because of their increasing sin and lustful sin. However, Judah turned in pride and self-delusion away from God and was punished justly for their conceited unbelief. But that is not the whole story. In Jeremiah 31:31-34, Jeremiah prophesies of a new covenant that God will inaugurate that surpasses the old covenant in its scope and its effect. As Christians, we know this new covenant to be made in the blood of Christ and introduced at the Last Supper.
To be sure, this has been a brief introduction, a cursory synopsis, of some of the important points of note in regards to the book of Jeremiah. The purpose has been to show the significance for Christians to study and to examine the books of the Old Testament because they speak of God, and of Christ Jesus. We should be eager to learn more about them, then, because in doing so we will be growing in our knowledge of God. Let us then dig into the Word so as to dig into God Himself!
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