From: October 30, 2024
“It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth” (Lamentations 3:27 ESV).
There is a worldly saying that describes a way of life that has destroyed many a young person which says, “Sow your wild oats before settling down.” But the Bible says the opposite. The prophet Jeremiah must have observed many a young person who wasted his life following after the flesh. He saw the Babylonian invaders come and either kill or enslave the youth of Judah. So he encouraged young people not to waste their youth, but to “bear the yoke.” The concept of “putting on a yoke” was often used in ancient cultures to describe entering into an apprenticeship under a master in order to learn a trade or religious instruction. “Bear the yoke,” was a way of telling young people to dedicate themselves as apprentices of God’s Word and to follow the Lord from an early age.
Those who submit their lives to the Lord while they are still young avoid many a needless hurt. I have never heard an older person wish they had been more worldly when they were young, but I have heard many express regret at having waited so long to follow Christ.
In Matthew 11:29-30, Jesus invites people to “take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,” which echoes the idea of apprenticeship. He offers a way of discipleship that, while it involves commitment and learning, is also gentle and light compared to the burdensome legalism of the time. His use of the yoke imagery speaks to this familiar concept of learning through an intimate, guiding relationship.
Don’t waste your youth. Choose to bear the yoke of Christ from an early age.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we have taken the yoke of Christ and gladly bear it. For we are His disciples. We have come under His apprenticeship, desiring to become like Him. We submit our day to You today. Strengthen us to be the hands and feet of Christ today. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: October 30, 2023
“I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” (Lamentations 3:24 NLT).
The prophet Jeremiah cried out to God for the fallen city of Jerusalem, and for his own homelessness and suffering. Yet, in the midst of this sorrowful lament, Jeremiah looked to God for his inheritance. Rather than look to worldly things, he looked to the Lord Himself as his reward. Jeremiah’s hope was in God.
We can know this hope. And we can know it with even better understanding because of Christ. As the apostle Paul wrote, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Rom.8:32). Our portion, our inheritance, is the Lord Himself!
PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us when we worry about our future or our retirement accounts. For You are our inheritance. We set our hope on You. We are co-heirs with Christ by faith. All that is His is ours, so why should we despair. Our future is secure in Christ. Strengthen us with Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: October 30, 2022
PRAYERS FROM THE PIT
The prophet Jeremiah had been cast into a pit because of his preaching. His own people hated the word he preached so much, that they cast him into a cistern, which “had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud” (Jer. 38:6). If it hadn’t been for Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an important court official, Jeremiah would have perished. But Ebed-melech ran to King Zedekiah when he heard of Jeremiah’s plight. And the king gave him permission to rescue the prophet. Surely, Jeremiah was thinking of this while writing about his prayers from the pit. He knew that the Lord had rescued him by sending the Ethiopian.
Have you ever prayed from a pit? You fell so far that your feet felt mired in mud, and the only thing you could do was cry out to God? For some of us, it seems to take a pit to move us to prayer. We have to hit bottom before we’ll look up. But why wait for the pit? Why not look up today? Regardless of where you are, call on the name of the Lord. For He hears and cares for you.
PRAYER: Dear Father, whether on the mountain, or in the pit, we look to You. We pray in the name of Jesus. For that is the only name under heaven by which we are saved. Rescue us and set our feet on solid ground that we might serve You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: October 30, 2017
Do you know a “talebearer?” They always know the latest gossip and rumor. They speak with a wink and a whisper. Their words never elevate your estimation of others, but always tend towards disunity and strife. Yet, their news seems irresistible to the ears, like the “tasty” morsels of Turkish Delight were to Edmund’s stomach. Their words “go down” sweet, but sour your heart towards others. If you know a talebearer, rebuke them. And if they continue, avoid them. Watch out! Their next tale will be about you!
From: October 30, 2016
Jeremiah’s lament for Israel’s condition turned from complaint to calling. He invited his people to join him in repentance. “Test” your motives. “Examine” your actions. Where either are out of alignment with the Lord’s, let us “return!” Our criterion is Christ and His Word. Wherever we have moved or acted contrary to Christ, let us repent and return to Him!
From: October 30, 2015
This Hebrews passage is one of the four pillars of Christology (John 1, Phil. 2, and Col.1 are the other three). Here, we see His threefold office of Prophet, Priest and King revealed.
1) Prophet: “spoken to us by His Son.” He is God’s ultimate, supreme and final revelation.
2) Priest: “purged our sins.” He is both God’s great high priest and perfect sacrifice.
3) King: “heir of all… made the worlds… brightness of His glory… express image… upholding all… right hand of Majesty.” He is owner, creator, God of very God, sustainer and king.
This is whom we have believed and received. This is our Redeemer and Friend, Jesus Christ. There is no other name by which we may be saved (Acts 4:12). Worship Him!