214th Week, Jeremiah Chapters 15-19 (Click on the Title for Video Introduction)

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Click on Title for Video Intro

 

Monday, Jeremiah Chapter 15
Jeremiah 15
Verse 21
Bart Strayer

Verse 21:  “I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel.”

THOUGHT
In Chapter 15 we saw Jeremiah doubting God’s helping hand amongst the increasing turmoil of the day. Yet God reassures him that he has the power and will to save Jeremiah from harm. 

How often do we doubt God’s helping hand? How often have we felt like we were going through pain that in our eyes was not justified? It is times like these to reflect back on our lives and gain a deeper appreciation of how God has bailed us out of our troubles in the past and what we were feeling at that time of despair.

Remember, God already has the solutions to problems you don’t even know you have.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we thank You for not giving up on us even when we may at times give up on You. We thank You for Your unchanging hands. We thank You for providing a fortress to run to in times of need. Help us in times of discouragement not to run away from You, but run towards You. In Jesus Name. AMEN


Tuesday, Jeremiah Chapter 16
Jeremiah 16
Verse 19
Jane Jones

Verse 19:  “Oh, Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress.”

THOUGHT
We are now entering the section portraying the coming days of disaster. The Lord has directed Jeremiah as to what he can and can’t do; He has told him what is going to happen to his people, some of whom could be his very best friends (how sad). And the Lord has shared with Jeremiah that He is using him as a living example of God’s truth.

He gave Jeremiah reassurance through all of this. How totally awesome it is that we have God the Father. As Verse 19 states: He is our strength (we can go to Him when we feel weak), He is our fortress (He will shelter us when we feel as if the enemy or devil is trying to prey on us), and He is our refuge in time of distress (we can go to Him when we need rest from our personal problems and stresses in life). 

What reassurance and comfort!

PRAYER
Lord, today we know that we can come to You in times of weakness, temptation, and retreat. We pray that You will use our lives as examples of attention-getters and as illustrations of God’s love and truth. We pray that we may listen for Your direction. AMEN


Wednesday, Jeremiah Chapter 17
Jeremiah 17
Verse 7
Jane Jones

Verse 7:  “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”

THOUGHT
Chapter 17 talks about three things. 1) Trust in Man versus trust in the Lord. 2) The matters of the heart bring on sin. Man’s nature is to sin. 3) Keep the Sabbath Holy.

Verse 7 shares with us that trusting in the Lord leads us to life eternal. Placing our confidence and trust in the Lord brings us true blessings. He gives us strength to meet our needs and in turn help others meet their needs.

PRAYER
Forgive us, Lord, when there are times we are weak and do not trust in Your direction. Forgive us, Lord, the number of times we don’t obey Your calling. And forgive us, Lord, if we do not honor You on the Sabbath.  Help us to rid our hearts of sinful thoughts and fill our hearts with love.  Thank You for Your Son, Jesus, through whom all this is possible. AMEN


Thursday, Jeremiah Chapter 18
Jeremiah 18
Verse 6
Jane Jones

Verse 6:  “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?
Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand. . .”

THOUGHT
This chapter brings to light the parable of the potter and the clay.  God could destroy his sinful people if he so desired. This was a warning to them to repent before he brought judgment. Can you imagine how angry God was at this point? He must have felt such disappointment in his children.

We know that God is all sovereign and all-powerful. He can mold us and shape us into useful vessels to serve him. The important aspect is that we must be receptive and willing to do the desires of his heart.

As the song writer states:
“Mold me, make me,
   Fill me, use me,
Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me.”

PRAYER
In the stillness of this moment we ponder at how often You wish to touch up our imperfections and to fix the impurities of our lives. We pray that we may listen and not let outside selfishness and desires get in the way of a healthy relationship with You, Lord. Thank You for giving us a second chance as You did the city of Judah. AMEN


Friday, Jeremiah Chapter 19
Jeremiah 19
Verse 9
Jane Jones 

Verse 9:  “I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh during the stress of the siege imposed on them by the enemies who seek their lives.”

THOUGHT
This chapter was a hard one for me. It was difficult picking out a verse even. But I kept going back to verse 9. It stuck with me. God must have been so very angry with the people of Judah and Jerusalem to have Jeremiah tell the people, if they did not turn from their evil ways, that the time would come when they would be so hungry from having no food that they would actually eat their own children. How horrible! I just can’t even imagine. 

What was it going to take for those people to hear the Word of the Lord? What does it take for us some days to listen for His calling?  What will it take for the Lord to get our attention?

PRAYER
Today is a new day, Lord. We thank You so much for it. We are so blessed with Your love, Lord. We turn to You to say thank You for getting our attention. Through grace we are saved. Thank You for that wonderful gift. This Bible Study is so important to us. Thank You for joining us and blessing our family. AMEN







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