Jeremiah 11-14

"Oh man!"  

Today as I read through Jeremiah 11-14, that phrase takes on layers of meaning.

It's never good when the chapter header is "The Covenant is Broken."  

The agreement between God and His people is no good anymore.  That is so hard to read and really understand.

Jeremiah goes throughout Judah and Jerusalem warning people of the captivity, drought, famine, and sword that is to come because of their misguided ways of living.  

As you might imagine, the stuff Jeremiah has to share doesn't go over well at all.  In fact, people want Jeremiah dead.  And yet because he is working with and for God, he faithfully keeps going.

Sure that says a lot about Jeremiah's faith, but I think it says even more about God's goodness and power.  Jeremiah knows God and knows serving Him far outweighs the hazards and hardships.

What are we to do with these words today?  This is another case where God's words contradict what we know about the forgiveness, grace, and compassion we have forever in Jesus.  

Why is our loving God and savior so upset?

I think it's because God so longs to bless His people by making His promises a reality.  Yet, people won't give Him the time of day He needs to see His promises through.  God is frustrated.

In answering why the covenant is broken and destruction is coming, God says,

"because you have forgotten me

   and trusted in false gods."

Jeremiah 13:25

Notice, God is not letting His people down.  People have let God down, so He can't fulfill His promises.

God wants us to remember Him in all that we do.  And, I think He calls us to honestly examine our lives.  These kinds of verses in the Bible are meant to be a wake up call to us, a reality check with our Savior.

To put it ever so simply, God wants us to trust Him, not others, not stuff.

God is reminding us that He is our security in life.

We can learn from these words.  We can be thankful for the saving grace Jesus brings to our lives today.  He changes everything, including knowledge of God and our relationship with Him.  We can remember that Christ died for us, so that we live.

"Oh, man!"  

How we need You, Lord!

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for being faithful to me and to Your believers.  

Forgive us for all the ways we trust in things and people instead of in You.

I pray for You to open my heart to the ways I need to serve You and live for You.  Guide me where I need to keep going, and stop me in the areas of my life where I need to change directions. 

Show me what I need to let go of and what I need to hold onto more tightly in order to fully follow You. 

I know I can be hard of hearing and seeing You.  Lord, I need You to speak in ways that are obvious to me.  Lead me with Your strong hands.

What and who do I need to bring to You in prayer today?

[Spend time listening]

You are our Rock and our Redeemer, Lord.

In Jesus' name I pray,

Amen

Peace of Christ,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Everyday Reading Project: Week of August 10-16

I would love for you to jump in and join me in reading!  For more on this Everyday Reading Project click here.

Jeremiah 7-10

The message in Jeremiah 4-7 is clear.  God's people have gone their own ways, and God desperately wants His people to return to Him.

It's so simple and easy to point fingers as we read at the people during Jeremiah's days because they don't seem to understand God at all.  

Yet, we make the same mistakes by our own means.  As we go through the circumstances of our lives, it's easy for us to become head strong, charging ahead, instead of becoming strong in Christ, our Savior. 

I kept thinking as I read these harsh and difficult words today how naturally and unintentionally self-destructive we can be as a people, from generation to generation.

God has a remedy, a solution that still stands the test of time.  He breaks it down with one simple act He needs us all to do with faithful intentions.

Repent (Jeremiah 8:6).

It's a one word answer that really works.

Repenting means claiming our mistakes and inequities before God.  And by doing that, we are claiming God's sovereignty in our lives.  God Himself, through Christ, works in us, helps us, and sets us free under His direction!

None of us are exempt from this humbling and life-giving advice.  God reminds all of us, 

Let not the wise boast of their wisdom

or the strong boast of their strength

or the rich boast of their riches,

but let the one who boasts, boast about this:

  that they have the understanding to know me,

that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, 

  justice and righteousness on earth,

  for in these I delight

Jeremiah 9:24

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You that, in Christ, I am forgiven and saved from my own mistakes and mess-ups big and small.  Thank you for loving me the way You do, always with open arms.

Forgive us, Your beloved people, for all the ways we follow the stubbornness of our hearts instead of the transforming power of Your Holy Spirit that is in us.

Help us, Lord, walk humbly in obedience to You because Your way is so much better than ours.  I pray that You will give us the understanding to really know Jesus and Your will for our lives.

Show me where I need to let go of my ways for Your ways.  I need Your help even in repenting.

Use me, Lord.  Use us, Your people.  Guide us by Your hands and show us how to exercise kindness, justice, and righteousness in the world.  

How can I be the hands and feet of Christ today for You?  How can I  work with others for You?

Hear my prayers, Lord.  Examine my heart, and make me new in Christ.  Transform my stubbornness, my fears, and my hesitation to action for You.

In the name of Jesus, our Savior, I pray,

Amen

Love and peace of Christ,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Jeremiah 4-7

People aren't listening to God in Jeremiah 4-7, and from the sounds of it, I'm not sure they're even aware that they aren't listening.

It happens, you know.  It's part of our humanness.  We keep on keepin' on for way too long without realizing what we're really doing to ourselves.  When that happens, at best, life is just "okay," but it could be so much better, so much more.

Jeremiah's just the messenger.  He's not making this stuff up.  It's coming straight from God, but people aren't taking him (or God) seriously.  

Today I just want to name the mistakes and mess-ups Jeremiah describes in our reading.  I want to know them and examine them.  I want to use them for direction and faith building in our own lives... 

God's people are in trouble because...

• They refuse to "repent" (Jeremiah 5:3).
• God's word "is not in them" (Jeremiah 5:13).
• They have "eyes but do not see, ears but do not hear" (Jeremiah 5:21).
• Their ways are sinful, and depriving them of good (Jeremiah 5:25).

As I read, I realize these offenses are certainly not specific to the days of Jeremiah.  We can learn from Jeremiah's words telling us where we often go wrong.  They are so applicable to life.

We can intentionally soak in God's advice.  He tells us exactly what to do...

Stand at the crossroads and look;

  ask for ancient paths,

  ask where the good way is, and walk in it,

  and you will find rest for your souls.

Jeremiah 6:16

ASK GOD.

That's what he wants us to do in our lives and with our lives.  

Every day, really, is full of crossroads.  We have to decide which way we will go.

By asking God which way to go, God is able to fulfill His biggest and best promises in us. 

A prayer for today-

  

Dear God,

Thank You for Your grace and Your forgiveness.  Thank You that when we ask, You fill our lives with Your direction and Your good.

Forgive me for all the ways I fail to ask for Your direction in life.

Open my eyes and my ears to You, Lord.  Keep my heart open-wide to You, Lord.  Show me Your way.

I pray for _________________ who is/are at a difficult crossroads right now.  Fill __________________ with Your presence, Your power, Your direction, and Your goodness.

You, Lord, are the way and the truth and the life we all need.

In Jesus' name I pray,

Amen

In Christ's love,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Jeremiah 1-3

Today we meet another prophet and begin another book in the Bible as we read Jeremiah 1-3.  

Just to give you a perspective on time and setting, Isaiah shared God's word around 700 BC, and Jeremiah is called to the job in Judah around 585 BC.  Assyria, Babylon, and Egypt are the major world powers at the time.

Being a prophet is a true calling from God, as we see from the beginning with Jeremiah, and Jeremiah faithfully serves God in this way for 40 years.

Jeremiah has to deliver news that God's people absolutely do not want to hear.  God's people have forgotten about Him in their day to day lives, and they need repent and refocus their time and their energy on their Savior.  

But, they are stubborn people.

It's a case in which living in denial is much easier than facing the truth.  And as a result, Jeremiah is not a popular guy.  His work is hard and trying.

As I read, I keep looking for the words with God's direction for our lives today.  How can we be faithful now and learn from this example?

God sums up where His people go wrong with one really simple and powerful question,

They did not ask, "Where is the LORD..."

Jeremiah 2:6

That's it in a nutshell.

God wants us to ask this question everyday, wherever we are and in everything we do.  

Why?

Because HE IS WITH US.  And when we look for Him, we will find Him---no question about it.

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

I thank You for being with me in all that I do and showing me the way I should go.

Forgive me for all the ways I forget to look for You and find you throughout my days.

Where are You today, LORD?  Where are revealing Yourself to me?

I give You my day.  Empower me by Your Holy Spirit as I seek to serve You.

I also pray for ____________________.  Help him/her/them look for You and find You and Your graceful love.

You are sovereign and at work.  Help us all to see and appreciate Your power and presence each and every day. 

In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit I pray,

Amen

Peace of Christ,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Isaiah 60-66

Isaiah 60-66 calls us to see and remember all that God has already done for us so that we won't ever forget His power and presence that is here with us right now, today, moment to moment.

And so, that's where my mind and my heart are today.  Looking back at all the ways God has been with me.

When I do, it just strengthens my trust in God, my counselor and mighty Savior.

Isaiah reminds the Israelites that there were times in their lives when things were difficult that God was actually carrying them.

In his love and mercy he redeemed them;

  he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

Isaiah 63:9

There are times in our lives when we are in God's arms too.  He picks us up and  carries us.  He saves us because that's what God's love means for our lives.

God wants us to know HIM beyond a shadow of a doubt.  He doesn't ever want us to forget that He is here with us and at work in our lives.

Sometimes in the moment it seems impossible to understand what God is doing and how He is working, but as time goes by (in His timing) and things unfold we are able to see glimpses of His good and perfect plan.

God promises His people, and that includes you and me...

In my faithfulness I will reward my people

  and make an everlasting covenant with them...

All who see them will acknowledge 

  that they are a people the LORD has blessed.

Isaiah 61:8-9

Following God for our life's direction and purpose transforms us so others will see us and know God and His glory.

God blesses us to be a blessing in the world.

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for always being with me and for picking me up and carrying me when I need You the most.  Thank You for all the ways You work wonders in my life and in the lives around me.

Forgive me for all the ways I take Your power and presence for granted in the busyness of my days.

Open my heart to forever walk in gratefulness and trust wherever you lead me.  And as you pour out your blessings in my life, soften my heart to all the ways You call me to be a blessing to others.

I pray to You today about ______________________.  Please, Lord, I ask that You lift ____________________ up and carry him/her/them/the whole situation in Your loving and healing arms.

I delight greatly in You, Lord.  My soul rejoices in You, God.  

You have clothed all of Your believers with garments of salvation and arrayed us in robes of Your righteousness.  You fill us with Your Holy Spirit and Your promises.

May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

In Christ's love,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Isaiah 55-59

God gives us an invitation today in Isaiah 55-59.

God's invitation is meant for ALL of us.  He wants us to realize that choosing to live our lives humbly with God means finding a purposeful and satisfying life of "more."

I need this reminder sometimes...

Why spend money on what is not bread,

  and you labor on what does not satisfy?

Isaiah 55:2

How about you?

In other words, God is saying many of us get it wrong.  We get caught up being so busy, wasting our time and money on things that will never be enough.  

And then, God offers us this invitation, calling us to life with Him, a life of "more" following His voice that speaks to us again and again.

Give ear and come to me;

  listen, that you may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

  my faithful love promise to David.

Isaiah 55:3

Now, we're really talking.  That's an awesome promise because David was a blessed man.  God really transformed David's life, and David's relationship with God made all the difference.

God's promise to David is certainly worth reading again, especially since it applies to us who are willing to accept God's invitation (just click the green link).

The LORD will guide you always;

  he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

  and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

  like a spring whose waters never fail.

Isaiah 58:11

God will satisfy our every need, if we let Him.  

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for filling me with Your promises that stand the test of time.  Thank You for loving me the way You do.

Forgive me for all the ways I spend my time and energy on things that don't matter, things that will never satisfy me.

I pray that You will guide me always, and satisfy my needs.  Show me how to spend my money and my time each day.  Open wide the doors that need opening, and slam shut the doors that need to be shut before me.

Strengthen me, Lord, just like You did David.  Make Your promises real in my life too.

I also pray that You will fill ___________________[name people, situations, organizations, groups, etc] with Your Holy Spirit, and make him/her/them/it like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.  

Help me hear Your voice and direction each day.  Pour out your blessing and power upon the work You are calling me to do _________________ [pray for your work]and please, dear LORD, let it be a source of Your transforming love in the world.

I want to make a difference for You, our Savior.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

Peace and joy of Christ to you today and always,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Isaiah 50-54

Isaiah reveals a little about how tough following God's call to share His holy words has been in Isaiah 50-54.  And even though Isaiah's job has caused him frustration, abuse, and I would imagine some fear, Isaiah faithfully keeps going because he knows that God's word sustains people and gives life.

We hear more about Jesus, our Messiah, who we know today, lived, died, and was raised from the dead so that we might have eternal life.  It really amazes me to think about God sharing this good news with Isaiah before it actually happened. 

I am reminded of just how big and purposeful our loving God is.  And yet, God never stops revealing Himself and his power in our everyday human lives.

And I love that we get another really awesome and everlasting promise (in addition to Jesus) from God in today's reading.  

God connects this new promise to the promise He made with the rainbow in the days of Noah.  Then God promised He would never again cover the earth.  And in today's reading, God promises He will not be angry with us for our inequities.

God tells us,

"To me this is like the days of Noah, 

  when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.

So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,

  never to rebuke you again.

Though the mountains be shaken 

  and the hills be removed,

yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken

  nor my covenant of peace be removed,"

  says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

Isaiah 54:9-10

I see this promise as huge for our faith.  It's a breakthrough in our relationship with God.  Though by our very nature we will continue to stray from God's will, instead of anger taking over, God will forever come to us with compassion.

Thanks to Jesus, our faith isn't about religious rules, our deeds and sacrifices, and the consequences that follow.  It's so much more than that.

Even though we will continue to fail at times in our lives, God's love is unconditional and unfailing.

Now our faith is about knowing and following Jesus' way with the comfort that 
God's grace is more than enough to get us where He needs us to go for Him.  

We can forever hand our lives over to God without fear, letting Him transform us to be the purposeful people He designed us to be.

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

I thank you so much for Your great promises for my life.  I am so thankful for Jesus who was crushed for our inequities and whose wounds heal us for eternity.

Thank You, that even though I mess-up and fall short of Your will, You come to me with compassion and peace.  I am forever grateful for my relationship with You, Lord.

Forgive me for all the ways I fail to do what You call me to do.

Help me to follow Jesus' example in my life.  

I pray that You will breakthrough the self-centeredness and the barriers, routines, and comfort zones that keep me from going into the world and serving and generously loving others like Jesus.  

Open my heart where it has become guarded and numb.  Move me to the places You need me to go and guide my hands and feet by Your Holy Spirit.

Speak to me today, Lord.  Open my ears, my eyes, and my mind to Your word.

[Spend time listening for God's voice]

I pray today for/about ___________________.  Show me Your way when it comes to ____________________ .

Teach us, Lord.  Teach our children, teach their children, and their children's children for generations to come.  Fill us with Your peace and transform our lives and our world.

In the name of Jesus, our Savior, I pray,

Amen

Peace of Christ,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Everyday Reading Project: Week of August 3-9

I would love for you to jump in and join me in reading!  For more on this Everyday Reading Project click here.

Isaiah 45-49

If you ever struggle in the trust department, if you are searching for a transforming spirit lifter, or need God's hope to fill you, these words from today's reading are for you.  

God, himself, reminds us through Isaiah 45-49 that He is truthful and faithful.  He wants us to turn to Him and be saved by Him here and now, letting go of our mess-ups.  

He wants us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is God, our Lord and Savior.  He is with us, and His purpose will stand the test of time.

God knows we can be stubborn, and He works in our lives to refine us and help us grow in His purpose.

God sends us out into the world "endowed" with His Spirit (Isaiah 48:16).

Man, that's so awesome.

Even though we forget God way too easily, God won't ever forget us.  He works hard to remind us of His redeeming grace.

I am the LORD your God,

  who teaches you what is best for you,

  who directs you in the way you should go.

Isaiah 48:17

We are restored in Christ.

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..

Isaiah 49:16

God loves and cares for us wherever we are.

And God promises us,

...those who hope in me will not be disappointed.

Isaiah 49:23

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

I thank You for Your word that transforms me and fills me with Your hope.  Thank You for Your truth and Your faithfulness.  Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to save Your people.

Forgive my stubbornness and the ways I put my hope in people and things instead of in You.

Teach me what is best for me and direct me in the way I should go.  Refine me with Your redeeming grace, Lord. 

And as I go out into my neighborhood, my community, my town, my state, my nation, and this world (all created by Your hands), show me how to be a blessing wherever I go.

What are You calling me to do today, tomorrow, this week, this month, this year and in the years to come? 

[Think about situations, people, and places that are on your heart]

I pray that You will pour out Your blessings and hope on ____________________.  Restore ___________________ by Your grace. 

My hope is in You, Lord, today and always.

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

Love and prayers to you,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Isaiah 41-44

Isaiah 41-44 is full of God's endless mercy and grace.

God reassures us that even though we mess-up ever so terribly, HE is the one who grabs us by the hand and helps us.  We don't have to be afraid when we give God the time attention He needs in our lives.

God wants us to know that He is real and at work with us.  

And through Isaiah so many centuries ago, God tells about Jesus, our Messiah, long before anyone knew about Him.  So, today, as we read through God's Word as believers following Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, we know God's truth and His faithfulness even more fully.

Sometimes for us to really know God's power and presence in our daily lives, He gives us hints of what is to come.  

God says,

See, the former things have taken place,

  and the new things I declare;

  before they spring into being

  I announce them to you

Isaiah 42:9

I think God wants us to pay attention to Him and open our eyes, our ears, and our hearts to the ways He speaks to us and guides us.

Despite the ways we let God down, He tells us to we don't have to be afraid.  

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

  I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

Isaiah 43:1

God knows us by name, and He claims us as His own.

When things are bad (no matter how bad) when we are lost (no matter how lost), God has a message of hope for us.

Forget the former things;

  do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:19

Believing in Jesus and His way for our lives means we are completely free from our sins and old ways, no strings attached.  

I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,

  your sins like the morning mist.

Return to me,

  for I have redeemed you.

Isaiah 44:22

Nothing we do (or don't do) can separate us from the love we have in Christ.  

As the book of Isaiah points out, God needs to get our attention sometimes to draw us closer to Him.  God works through our circumstances, good and bad.

We are HIS witnesses for today.

So, how might God be working to get your attention today?  How is He speaking to you?  What is He saying?

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

I thank You for Your enormous love for me.  I thank You for Jesus who shows us how to live faithful lives close to You.  And I thank you for Your Holy Spirit that is always with me, guiding me.

Forgive me for all the ways I burden You with my sins.  Forgive me for all the ways I see many things but do not pay attention, for all the ways I hear but do not listen.

I know I especially need Your grace when it comes to _____________________________.  Make me new in Christ.

Help me forget the former things.  Help me to not dwell on the past.  Help me, Lord, to see and appreciate the new life You will for me each and every day.

I also pray today that You will pour out Your blessings and Your Spirit upon ____________________.  

You, Lord, are the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens and spreads out the earth.  You are our Rock and our Redeemer.  

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

In Christ's love,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.