Tag: Jeremiah 1:12
Week 9–Day 1– Courage Through Faith
Scripture reading for February 23: Joshua 1:8-9 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
It has been said that courage is not the absence of fear, but the decision to do what is right in spite of fear. God had placed Joshua in leadership in Israel because he had demonstrated faith and courage as one of the twelve spies. Joshua believed that God had given the Israelites the land of promise and that they could take it in spite of obvious opposition from armed occupants already there. Now Moses had died and Joshua was called by God to lead the nation. God reminded Joshua that He would be with him as He had been with Moses. He promised Joshua that if He would meditate on God’s laws and speak them out of his mouth in faith, he would have prosperity and success. None of the armed forces in the land would be able to stand against him.
It is interesting to note that God reminded Joshua not to be afraid or dismayed. Fear and fretting go together and are opposed to faith and courage. But God knew that if Joshua would meditate on His Word and apply it in faith, that courage and conquering would naturally take place. God would watch over His Word to perform it. (Jeremiah 1:12) Faith is a decision of the will to believe God’s Word.
As first responders, we must develop faith and courage in order to effectively do our job of helping those in need. An assurance that we are not alone, but that God is with us gives us courage. Knowledge of God’s Word and promises helps us to be bold and calm in approaching danger. Have you declared your faith in God and are you meditating on His Word and speaking it?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Your promise of continually being with us as Your children. Thank You for Your amazing Word that brings faith when heard and courage to act in times of danger. Amen.
Our Hope is like an Anchor
Scripture reading for October 21: Hebrews 6
“So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of His purpose He guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 6:17-20
God is not a man that He should lie. (Numbers 23:19) God’s Word is Truth. (John 17:17) What He has said, He will do. God told Jeremiah that He was watching over His Word to perform it. (Jeremiah 1:12) God made the promises of His Word and His guarantee was Who He was. But God also swore by an oath to keep His Word. These two truths are by God’s design to give us strong encouragement and hope. Hope is the expectation of good things promised. When God promises and swears by Himself to bless His people, we simply say ‘amen’ and patiently wait for the promise to be fulfilled.
Biblical ‘hope’ is not a conditional thing like we use the word in our culture. Biblical hope is confidence inspired by faith in the One Who makes the promises. Our confidence is not in our ability to make the promise happen but that God will fulfill His promises fully and completely. The writer of Hebrews likens this ‘hope’ to the anchor of a ship. If the anchor is attached to something strong, the ship will stay where it is anchored. As believers, our anchor of biblical hope is attached to the very throne of God where Jesus Christ, our High Priest, is seated to hear our cries and prayers and answer. He is there on our behalf and is our “Guarantee” by His eternal priesthood of the order of Melchizedek.
Has anyone ever made you a promise that they did not keep? Do you find yourself doubting the promises God has made of forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life adoption into God’s family? Would you say that you have found the hope in Jesus spoken of that is an anchor for your soul?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for giving me biblical hope as an anchor for my soul in these troubling times. Your Word anchors me in truth. I believe Your promises and await my inheritance. I cry out to Jesus Christ, my High Priest when temptations or troubles come threating my peace. Amen!
Slash and burn theology!
Scripture reading for August 12: Jeremiah 34-36
Jeremiah 36 gives us a record of the process of recording scripture in written form. Jeremiah the prophet dictated to his secretary, Baruch, what God had revealed to him concerning the judgment coming on Jerusalem. Baruch took a pen and ink and wrote the words down on a papyrus scroll. (Jeremiah 36:18) He was told by Jeremiah to go and read the words to the people in the temple of the Lord. (Jeremiah 36:8) As he read the words of coming destruction and God’s wrath against the people because of their sins, officials of the king heard the message. They had him read it again to them and they decided that the king must be notified. They warned Baruch to tell Jeremiah to go and hide both of them.
The king was sitting by a fire and had a scribe’s knife in his hand as the scroll was being read. As he heard the words of a portion of the scroll, the king cut it off, threw it into the fire and burned it up. (Jeremiah 36:23-24) He showed no fear or respect for what the Lord had said or for the written word of God. In fact, the king gave orders to arrest Jeremiah and Baruch, but the Lord had hidden them! God knows how to protect his people!
As I read this account, I could not help but wonder if God’s people are still doing this same thing today. When some who claim to be Christians read the command “you shall not murder”, they don’t believe that it applies to them or their politics and simply ‘slash and burn’ the word of God! They vote to keep murder legal by supporting abortion. When some who claim the name of Christ hear that no homosexual offender will inherit the kingdom of God, they ‘slash and burn’ and sanction gay marriages and ordain gay pastors and priests. Still others cut out the verses concerning salvation by grace through faith and continue to teach a righteousness based on good works.
The ‘slash and burn’ mentality is bad theology and yield’s God’s wrath and judgment. King Jehoiakim lost his future place in the messianic line as well as a decent and honorable burial. (Jeremiah 36:30-31) All that was written by Jeremiah and Baruch would come to pass because God watches over His word to perform it! (Jeremiah 1:12) No word of God is void of power. It is a fire and a hammer that will burn and smash those who try to oppose it! (Jeremiah 23:29) Take time today to reflect on your treatment of God’s word. Make a fresh commitment to read, believe, and obey the word of God. Good theology puts the fire in your bones!