‘Thus says the Lord to me, “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water.”’ (Jeremiah 13:1 ESV). The Lord often gave the prophet Jeremiah physical assignments in order to illustrate His feelings about Israel and Judah. After Jeremiah would perform the assignment, the Lord
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23 ESV). The apostle Paul instructed bondservants to obey their earthly masters and to work for them as “for the Lord.” Perhaps he had the story of Joseph in mind as he wrote this instruction. For Joseph worked with sincerity and
“Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” (Jeremiah 9:1 ESV). The LORD had revealed the coming destruction of Jerusalem to the prophet Jeremiah. He had called Jeremiah to warn the people of Judah
“So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you. You shall call to them, but they will not answer you” (Jeremiah 7:27 ESV). There are many times that we may feel as if no one is listening to the Word of God. That our words are in vain.
“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face” (Colossians 2:1 ESV). Paul often “struggled” for the believers in towns and cities where he had been before, but had left behind in order to
‘In those days, declares the LORD, they shall no more say, “The ark of the covenant of the LORD.” It shall not come to mind or be remembered or missed; it shall not be made again’ (Jeremiah 3:16 ESV). Jeremiah prophesied of a coming day when the Ark, the symbol of God’s presence, would no
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5 ESV). Jeremiah was born to be a priest, specifically from the town of Anathoth, which was a Levitical city in the territory of Benjamin (Jeremiah 1:1). Yet
“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14 ESV). Like an olympic runner stretching for the finish line, the apostle Paul “strained forward” toward the “goal” of
“I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare” (Philippians 2:19-20 ESV). Paul wrote this epistle to the believers in Philippi while imprisoned in Rome (See
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s