From: October 14, 2024
“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:23-24 ESV).
God gave Jeremiah the difficult task of prophesying Judah’s fall to Babylon. But He also gave him a fuller revelation of Himself. For God revealed His omnipresence and omniscience to Jeremiah, helping him to understand that God is ever-present and all-knowing. There are no secrets hidden from the Lord. For He sees all. He knows all. There is no running nor hiding from God.
Reading God’s Word we tend to look for specific answers for our situation and we often find that kind of help there. But the greater revelation is of God Himself. For the Bible is primarily about God and how we can be brought near to Him through Jesus, His Son.
Whether we believe in God or try to hide from Him, denying His existence, He is the God who is there. He is real. Indeed, He is the ground of all reality and the Creator of all. And He has revealed Himself to us through His Word and most fully through His Son, Jesus.
In the book of James we are told, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). Where is God in your life today?
PRAYER: Dear Father in Heaven, we draw near to You today. We want to know Your presence in our lives. Fill us afresh with Your Spirit that we might know You better and walk according to Your will. Thank You for revealing Yourself to us that we might know You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: October 14, 2023
“He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:14 NLT).
What is glory? The dictionary defines it as “high renown or honor,” with an accompanying aspect of “magnificence or great beauty.” The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Thessalonica, reminding them that even though they were experiencing trouble in this world now, one day they would share in the glory of Jesus.
What is this glory that believers share with the Lord Jesus Christ? First, it is a present glory. Remember the prayer of Jesus in John 17? He said, “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one” (John 17:22). The present glory we share with Christ is oneness with the Father and unity with other believers. Unity is a glorious thing! And being right with God and having His Spirit indwell us is even more glorious! We have been given the glory of eternal life, adopted as God’s children, and received the righteousness of Christ credited to our account. This is our present glory in Christ Jesus!
Then there is the future glory we will share with Jesus. Not His essential glory, which is uniquely His as the Son of God. But the blessed glory, which is ours by a gift received from Him. For we will share eternity with Him as joint heirs as the ages roll by. It is hard to describe this future glory. For as the apostle Paul quoted Isaiah, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor.2:9). There is a future glory we will share that is beyond comprehension!
PRAYER: Dear Father, we are in awe of You and of Your Son, Jesus. That You would save us is amazing. But that You would allow us to share in the glory of Jesus is beyond compare. Help us not to glory in the things of this world. Instead, we rejoice that our names are written in heaven! In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: October 14, 2022
THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD
The Lord spoke to Jeremiah, describing the difference between a false prophet and a true one. He said the false prophets talk about their dreams and tell lies in my name, but the true prophets proclaim my every word. The difference between the two is like the difference between “straw and grain.” For the words of the false prophets have no power. But those who preach the Word of God have real power. For the Word is like whole-grain bread, it has the power of life. It is like a burning fire that purifies and draws people to repentance. It is like a mighty hammer that smashes rocky hearts to make them receptive to the seed of the gospel.
Yet, just as the people of Jeremiah’s day wouldn’t listen to him, preferring the words of the false prophets, so are the people of these last days. As the apostle Paul wrote, “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear” (2 Tim. 4:3).
Which prophets do you prefer? Do you have “itching ears” for the words of the worldly prophets of this age? Or do you have ears to hear the powerful, convicting, life-changing Word of God? As Jesus often said, “He that has ears to hear, let him hear!”
PRAYER: Dear Father, give us preachers that will preach Your Word and give us people that will hear and obey it. May your Word burn like fire and break rocky hearts. We ask You for revival. May our generation not be like Jeremiah’s, who wouldn’t listen and repent. Cause our nation to repent and be revived. Begin with us, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: October 14, 2016
In the midst of Jeremiah’s prophecy of judgment against Judah, the Lord revealed His purpose for disciplining them. Namely, it was so that they might “return” to Him with their “whole heart.” God desires whole hearted worship. And this requires a new heart that only God can give. His desire is that we know Him as the Lord. Ask the Lord to examine your heart today. Have you surrendered your “whole heart” to Him?
From: October 14, 2015
Apparently, the first century church suffered from false prognosticators just as today’s church does. Paul warned believers not to be deceived and therefore so “troubled in mind” (v.2) as to be shaken in their faith. Instead, they should “stand fast” (v.15) and continue remembering the calling of the gospel. We await Christ’s return best by proclaiming the gospel to all.