216th Week, Jeremiah Chapters 25-29 (Click on Title for Video Introduction)

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 Click on Title for Video Intro

Prayer before each day's reading:
Lord, we want to read your Word with understanding, applying it to our lives in the ways You want us to.  Help us to make space in our lives to read the Bible daily.  As we do, send Your Spirit to guide us into the truth.  AMEN


Monday, Jeremiah Chapter 25
Jeremiah 25
Verse 5
Tanya Ruden

Verse 5:  “Turn now each of you from your evil ways and your evil practices.”

THOUGHT
What a hard request!  It sounds so simple, but it is our biggest struggle as Christians every day. Without God’s help it is impossible to turn from evil. I think it is what God was trying to tell His people.  Turn to Me, and in turn, you will turn from evil.  Then you will have great rewards!!

PRAYER
Dear Jesus, You are AWESOME!! We are humble servants serving You here on earth. Help us each day with support to turn from evil, because without Your help it is impossible to avoid evil.  We know that by turning to You and away from evil, we will have great rewards. You have promised us that! Thank You for this great promise! We love You, Jesus.  AMEN


Tuesday, Jeremiah Chapter 26
Jeremiah 26
Verse 2
Heather Williams

Verse 2:  This is what the Lord says: “Stand in the courtyard of the Lord's house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word.”

THOUGHT
God made it clear to Jeremiah that He wanted His entire message to be told, the unabridged version. I can imagine how difficult that would have been for Jeremiah to share this message with the people. Many parts of it were fairly harsh and definitely not good news to bring.  However, Jeremiah was obedient to God and didn’t worry about what the people would think of him despite the consequences.

We can use this as an example of the witnesses we should be to the world. We shouldn’t be ashamed to share God’s Word, all of it, even the difficult parts.

PRAYER
Dear Lord, thank You for Your wisdom and the gift of Your Word. Help us to be salt on this earth at our job, in our neighborhood and in our daily lives. I pray that we would not be ashamed to share Your Word with any one at any time. Help us to hold, You, as Lord in our hearts and be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks for the reason for the hope that we have.  AMEN


Wednesday, Jeremiah Chapter 27
Jeremiah 27
Verse 5
Heather Williams

Verse 5:  ‘With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please.’

THOUGHT
God is definitely in control of everything. It is evident that God is in control of this situation. He chooses Nebuchadnezzar to administer judgment on the people’s sin. God has the power to use whoever He chooses for any circumstance including correcting us. We should be observant and prepared to accept God’s improvement even from unexpected individuals.

PRAYER
Lord, I thank You that You are in control of my life. When life gets crazy and things seem hopeless, I’m so thankful that I can lift my eyes to You knowing that You are surrounding me with Your love. Help me to be open and aware of my surroundings and situations, not to miss any person or situation You may have placed in my life. I surrender my life to You daily. AMEN


Thursday, Jeremiah Chapter 28
Jeremiah 28
Verse 9
Heather Williams

Verse 9:  But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.

THOUGHT
As discussed in Jeremiah 27, Jeremiah is getting a bit of slack for preaching such horrible prophecies to the people.  Despite his unpopular truth, he is willing to share God’s Word with the people. Now Hananiah shows up and starts preaching false hope to the people. Even though it may have been nice for them to hear at the time, it definitely would be more disappointing to them once the predictions failed and did not come true. 

We need to test the words we hear preached to us and compare them to the scriptures. God’s Word is true and must be used as our point of comparison. Unfortunately, there are still false prophets in today’s world. The scriptures tell us in 1 John 4:1 that we ‘should not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.’  Hananiah is an example of one.

PRAYER
Father God, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for loving and caring for us so that You provided us with Your wisdom. Help us to use Your wisdom to decipher what is truth and what isn’t.  AMEN


Friday, Jeremiah Chapter 29
Jeremiah 29
Verses 11-13
Heather Williams

Verses 11-13:  “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

THOUGHT
What an encouragement! God’s plans for our lives are good and full of hope. Even in our times of trial or tribulation, we need to remember that God’s plans for us are good and full of hope. God doesn’t promise that we will be spared from pain and sorrow, but with God as the leader of our lives, he has the agenda for us and mission which is to give us hope and to prosper. 

We need to be in constant communication with our leader. He’s ready to listen whenever and about whatever. In fact, He desires for us to communicate with Him. He is constantly pursuing each of us, and He promises in verse 13 that if we seek Him, we will find Him.

PRAYER
Father God, I’m so thankful that You are in control of my life. I can’t imagine what it would look like if You weren’t Lord over my life. Thank You for listening to me and pursuing me. I pray that I would desire to talk to You daily about everything, Lord. Help remind me that the plans for my life are good and full of hope, even when at times it’s hard to see that. Thanks for caring that much about me and loving me. Your Love is amazing!  AMEN













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