Unworthy Shepherds

Jeremiah 50:6 (HCSB)

      My people are lost sheep;

      their shepherds have led them astray,

      guiding them the wrong way in the mountains.

      They have wandered from mountain to hill;

      they have forgotten their resting place.

 

Breakthrough! But I don’t like it, because it refers to me… to my kind… to shepherds. These are not good shepherds. They led the people astray. I do not know if they deliberately led them astray. They were probably just lost themselves. In their arrogance they did not know the way but they would not admit their mistake. Instead, like a man driving a car they refused to pull over and ask directions. They kept going, getting further and further away from their “resting place.”

 

What is this “resting place”? It is the Lord! He is our resting place. When we put our trust in Him there is peace. When we try to figure things out ourselves and trust in our own abilities we get into trouble. Part of that trouble is anxiety—the opposite of rest. Once we start down that road of relying on our own resources to find our way and solve our problems we have to keep thinking and striving to covers our mistakes, and then we have to keep thinking and striving to cover those mistakes, and then we have to…. Get the picture? It’s a vicious cycle that gets us lost on the outside and knotted up on the inside.

 

The alternative is to obey God and trust Him. I heard Charles Stanley say once, “When we obey God He is responsible for the consequences of our obedience.” I’ve not forgotten that. The Chief Shepherd never gets lost. As long as we follow Him we can lie down in safety and not be afraid. The way may not be easy, but we have His peace on the inside. We also have His promise that, whatever we face along the path, He will supply us what we need to push through. 

Dry Spells

I’ve read about a dozen chapters of Jeremiah since yesterday and… nothing. If it’s there I’m not seeing it. Just nothing is speaking to me. Since I’ve started this blog I feel compelled to say something. So maybe there is a lesson here.

 

What do you do when you’re not getting anything out of your daily Bible reading? Keep reading! There are periods like this. I assume everyone has them. Jeremiah lived a pretty long and eventful life and he only wrote fifty-two chapters. If he had used his imagination he could have written fifty-two books. But since he was committed to write only what the Lord gave him, well, fifty-two chapters is what we get.

 

That is not to say that God does not have something to say to us everyday, but He may just say it in different ways. In fact, sometimes God cannot say it to us—He has to show it to us.

 

Anyway, the point is this: keep reading. You will not get a bombshell revelation every day. That’s okay. Just keep reading. Keep praying. Keep on keeping on.

 

I heard a guy put it like this: “I have been married for thirty years. Most every day of those thirty years my wife has cooked for me.  For the life of me I don’t remember what was on the menu for one single meal. Don’t get me wrong; my wife is a great cook. But no single meal just jumps out at me as outstanding. Does that mean I didn’t get anything out of it? Look at me! Do I look malnourished? I’m as healthy as a horse. It’s the overall effect of consistency.”

 

I’ve had thousands of quiet times, but no single time jumps out as outstanding. I’ve had some of those; I just can’t remember any of them off the top of my head. I’d probably be hard pressed to remember one if I sat down and strained my brain over it. But am I spiritually undernourished? I’m still here. I’m not where I want to be but I have grown. The Holy Spirit has given me every day what I needed whether I was aware of it or not.

 

So, hang in there. Keep reading. Keep digging. The breakthroughs will come. 

No Forgiveness without Repentance

Jeremiah 36:3 (HCSB)

Perhaps, when the house of Judah hears about all the disaster I am planning to bring on them, each one of them will turn from his evil way. Then I will forgive their wrongdoing and sin."

 

Judah did not repent. Nebuchadnezzar besieged and conquered Jerusalem. Many perished. Most were deported. Only those who had either escaped or were too weak to travel were left behind. God did this because His people refused to repent of their idolatry. He still had a plan for His people, but it was not carried out through this generation. In fact, seventy years past before the Jews returned to their homeland under Nehemiah and Ezra. A whole generation knew nothing but Babylonian slavery.

 

Hegel said, “God will forgive; after all, it is his business.”

 

He was a fool. God does forgive, but it is never without repentance.

 

Please understand that: God will not forgive deliberate sin without repentance. If we willfully disobey God, but refuse to repent, God does not forgive that sin.

 

I have had ladies say to me: “My husband is cheating on me. He refuses to stop seeing this other woman. Should I just forgive him?”

 

The answer is “No—not until he repents.”  God does not forgive without repentance. He does not just look the other way and pretend everything is okay. He is very patient, but He does punish sin—even the sin of His own children.

 

But God will forgive—every time—if we turn away from our sin.

 

 

Prophecy Fulfilled

Jeremiah 33:10–11 (HCSB)

"This is what the LORD says: In this place which you say is a ruin, without man or beast—that is, in Judah’s cities and Jerusalem’s streets that are a desolation without man, without inhabitant, and without beast—there will be heard again a sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the bride, and the voice of those saying,

      Praise the LORD of Hosts,

      for the LORD is good;

      His faithful love endures forever

as they bring thank offerings to the temple of the LORD. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as in former times, says the LORD.

 

God has made promises to Israel. He is going to keep those promises. One day He will bring them all back to the land that He pledged to give them-- and they will possess all of it. They will live in peace and they will worship in that land again—but they will not offer all the sacrifices described in the Bible. They will offer “thank offerings.” There will be no need to offer sacrifices for atonement because there will be no more need.

 

Jeremiah 33:14–18 (HCSB)

"Look, the days are coming"—‹this is› the LORD’s declaration—"when I will fulfill the good promises that I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

In those days and at that time I will cause a Branch of righteousness to sprout up for David, and He will administer justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely, and this is what she will be named: The LORD Is Our Righteousness. For this is what the LORD says: David will never fail to have a man sitting on the throne of the house of Israel. The Levitical priests will never fail to have a man always before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices."

 

That “Branch of righteousness” is Jesus Christ. A branch is an offshoot and a piece of wood. Jesus is a descendant of king David and He died upon a wooden cross. He is become “Our Righteousness.” We do not have to do anything to make us right with God any longer. Everything that needs to be done has been done for us! He suffered outside the gate of Jerusalem—perhaps in that same place where God slew an animal to make clothes for Adam and Eve. He is our Righteousness. And He is our Priest. He has offered one eternal sacrifice for us. That blood remains upon the altar and it still works it’s power today.

 

Jesus is the fulfillment! 

God's friends

Jeremiah 33:1–3 (HCSB)

While he was still confined in the guard’s courtyard, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time: “The LORD who made the earth, the LORD who forms it to establish it, the LORD is His name, says this: Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and wondrous things you do not know.”

 

Jeremiah was locked up in a prison cell. He was there because he faithfully declared the message of the Lord—a message the king did not like.

 

I am sure he felt lonely... isolated… cut off. He may have even felt betrayed—he had spoken God’s message and look where it landed him! Had the Lord abandoned him? He may have been struggling with some doubts. You know the devil came to him and said, “You’re here because God doesn’t love you. He doesn’t care about you. He can’t help you. He’s not strong enough. Why, He may not even exist!”

 

Does this sound familiar to you? You might say, “Yeah, I’ve been there!”

 

Maybe you’re there right now.

 

Has God abandoned you? Has He forgotten about you? Are you there because God cannot do anything about your situation? Or maybe He does not really care about you?

 

Watch what happens. The LORD spoke to Jeremiah. He needed that! Listen to what the LORD said, “I am the LORD who made everything.” He reminds Jeremiah, “I’m a BIG God! I can handle anything—even your little predicament.”

 

Then he says—and this is the most precious thing of all—“Call on Me and I will show you great and wondrous things you don’t know.”

 

“I’ll tell you a secret. I’ll lay it all out for you.”

 

Isn’t that amazing? Like to get some of that?

 

It comes in the same place—in the prison!

 

God reveals His secrets to His friends, those He can trust to be faithful with the information. It’s not an easy life. It is sometimes very hard. The rewards are not convertibles and condos at the beach. The reward is a more intimate relationship with Him. The reward is to hear His secrets… to hear His heart. The reward is power with God.

 

You can have what you want. What do you want: an easy existence or a closer relationship? 

He's A Big BIG God!

Jeremiah 32:26–27 (HCSB)

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

"Look, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?

 

Of course God is asking Jeremiah a rhetorical question. The answer is an emphatic one: “Nothing is too difficult for God!”

 

We need to be reminded of both facts. First, that He is the God of all flesh. He created everyone. We all belong to Him whether we acknowledge that fact or not. Ultimately He is in control of our lives, even those who don’t know Him.

 

Second, He is a Big God! He can do all things.

 

What are you faced with today? Are you feeling overwhelmed and under-qualified? Do you feel that your problems are insurmountable?

 

Remember this: your problems are not too big for God. He loves you. He can do all things. He will move heaven and earth to come to your rescue. He will help you. He is our Deliverer, our Refuge and our Strength. Call on Him in your trouble. Rely on Him. Watch Him work.

Does God Speak Through Dreams?

Jeremiah 31:26 (HCSB)

At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been most pleasant to me.

 

Jeremiah received a message from the Lord in his sleep. People ask me occasionally, “Do you believe God speaks through dreams?”  Well, does He? Allow me to make a few observations.

 

First… why not? God can do anything, right? So if He wants to speak to us through a dream He can.

 

Second, the Bible backs it up. God spoke to people through dreams in the Bible. I believe the Bible is a pretty reliable witness (my tongue is way up in my cheek!).

 

Third—and very important—any message God gives in a dream is going to gee haw with His Word. The test is never our experience, but God’s Word. That could be last night’s pizza speaking. If God said it then it will never contradict His Word—it will always agree with His Word.

 

Fourth, if God gives you a message in a dream and Scripture affirms it then you better get with it—I mean right now! Don’t stand before God one day and have Him look at you and say, “How many ways do I have to speak to you before you get it?”

 

Fifth, if it is from God you’ll wake up feeling refreshed.  In fact, it may be the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had!

 

Don’t ever put limits on what God can do. If you do then prepare to be stretched.