Jeremiah 42:5-6 “5 Then they said to Jeremiah, ‘May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with the whole message with which the Lord your God will send you to us. 6 Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the Lord our God.’”

BUT YOU ASK…

For the sake of space, I did not include verses 1-4 above, but you really should read those verses too. Something caught my eye. The people who were left in Judah after the Babylonians captured Jerusalem and exiled all the people came to Jeremiah to ask him to inquire of his Lord for them. They said to “ask YOUR God.” Now wait a minute! Weren’t these Jews too? Wasn’t Jehovah their God too? You see, they had come so far from God they did not even call Him “our” God.

But Jeremiah answered back that he would ask and referred to Jehovah as “your” God, thus reminding them that He was still their God. Then we see their answer in verses 5 and 6. Wow! How many times have you said this? “I will do whatever you say God. Just get me out of this fix I am in!” But notice in verse 5 they still refer to God as “your” God, and then in verse 6 they say “our” God. Hmmm, perhaps they were coming around.

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children need to develop their own faith, not yours. They have to grow and understand that the Lord is their God. They can’t rely on your relationship with Jesus. They have to have their own personal relationship. When they are small we take them to church and we guide them in prayer. But when they come to faith in Jesus, they have to learn to depend on the Lord themselves. “Yours” switches to “ours.”

We have to continue to disciple and guide our children as their faith grows. They will need to learn how to rely on Him, just as we did. We need to share with them our own faith struggles so they can see how they can trust Him. Faith is a gift that is given to each believer. We share a common belief, but our faith is personal.

Let your child grow in faith and then you can let them go in faith!

I John 2: 9-10 “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”

DANGER IN THE DARK

Picking a best verse or verses in 1 John is very difficult for me. I love 1 John. It is probably my favorite book of the Bible. I selected these two verses because I am so tired of seeing “believers” claim to love God and harbor hate for others, especially their fellow believers. What does John say here? He says you are “in the darkness” if you hate your brother.

Okay, you may ask, “What’s so wrong with being in darkness?” Well, if you are in the darkness you are more likely to stumble, fall and get hurt. True? I know that is true for me. When I am out hunting and have to either go in the woods at dark or walk out in the dark I depend on a good flashlight. First of all, I don’t want to trip and fall. Secondly, I want to know what’s out there in the dark.

TEACHING MOMENT

It’s not hard to teach our kids about the dangers in the dark. Most children don’t like to be left alone in the dark. How many of your children still sleep with a night light? What a perfect way to teach them this truth. Just as darkness scares them, the darkness of hate should also. The next time your child comes home from school or play and says, “I really hate (you fill in the blank), take the time to read this passage to them. Oh, by the way, this goes for siblings, too. Lol

Hate invites darkness in which all kinds of dangers lurk. Won’t you let the light of the love of Christ richly dwell within you today? Are you harboring hate towards someone? Ask forgiveness for that from the Savior and then go to that person and ask their forgiveness. God will bless you and honor you for that.

Jeremiah 35:18-19 “18 Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father, kept all his commands and done according to all that he commanded you;” 19therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me always.”‘”

KEEP YOUR WORD

Keeping your word is important. Nothing can get you in trouble faster than turning your back on a promise to someone. In this passage Rechab had covenanted with the Lord to not drink wine, nor would his offspring. (You really need to read the whole 35^th chapter). He kept his word, and now in the latter years his offspring still kept it.

TEACHING MOMENT

I am sure you have heard your children make promises to their friends or siblings. “Come on Gertrude. If you let me ride your bike, I will…” Or “I promise I won’t tell Dad.” I particularly liked hearing that as I walked into the room. Lol.

But making promises to people is one thing. Covenanting with a Holy God is another. We have “cut covenant” with Him through the acceptance of His Son, Jesus, as our personal Lord and Savior. We have accepted all that He has to give in exchange for our life. Yes, our very life. We have surrendered all to Him. We do not have the right to take it back. It belongs to Him.

We must teach our children the importance of keeping their word. We must teach them the importance of daily surrender to Christ. We must teach how to give all to Him in exchange for everything. Just think about it – our all for His everything. I think we are getting the better deal, don’t you?

So today, as you go through your day, when you confronted with the challenge of making a promise to someone, make sure you can keep it. Then keep it. God is a promise keeper. So should we be.

II Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

WHOSE CLOCK?

I have never pictured God as slow. Have you? The preceding verse (v.8) says a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day to God. Well, that explains it! How impatient we are! How many times have you put something in the microwave and stood there tapping your foot saying, “Come on, come on.” Seriously, we are impatient people.

I look forward to Christ’s return. But this verse explains why the Lord is tarrying. It is His will that no one perish. He wants everyone to come to Him in repentance. I don’t know about you, but I know plenty of people who need to come to Jesus before He returns.

TEACHING MOMENT

So how do you teach this principle of God’s timing to your children? How many times have they asked you what time it is? How many times have you been on a road trip and they ask if you are there yet? What a perfect opportunity to explain this verse to them. Explain to them that they must be patient because the best is yet to come when they reach the destination. We must be patient on the Lord as He tarries His coming so others can come to Christ. But when He does come, we will find the best was worth waiting for.

Christmas is right around the corner and I am sure your children are already making their wish lists. This is another chance to teach them about preparing for the Lord’s return. Just as we get out the decorations and prepare the house for Christmas, we need to be preparing ourselves and others for His return. Don’t you want everyone you know to experience the joy of Christmas? How much more should we want them to experience the joy of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord. Amen? Amen!

Jeremiah 29:11 “’For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”

SCHEDULES

I am a planner. I need to have my day scheduled. That is just the way God wired me, I guess. Even when I go on vacation, I need to have a plan. I know, call me crazy (many have, lol).

So, of all people, I need this verse. I bet a lot of you have memorized this verse. We all need to remember that, if we allow the Lord to work, He has a much better plan for us. He wants to bless us and give us a future and a hope.

TEACHING MOMENT

What kind of future do you want for your children? Do you want one with God’s plans or yours? Did you know the word “plans” could be translated as thoughts or imaginative thoughts? “Welfare” is the Hebrew word for peace (shalom). “Hope” means the things you long for. What parent would not want God’s thoughts, His peace, and the things He longs for in the life of their child?

So teach your children this verse now. Show them that God has a much better plan for them than you do or any plans they can make themselves. Ask your child to use THEIR imagination for a second. Ask them to imagine a perfect future for themselves. As perfect as they can imagine does not come close to God’s perfection. And God’s perfection and His imaginative thought wants to work in their lives if they will allow Him. That doesn’t mean their life will be perfect, but it will be perfectly imaginative.

Now, why don’t you take a moment and imagine your future, mom or dad. Imagine how it would be if you would just let God take control. Remember, Jeremiah is writing this as the people of Judah are in exile. Not exactly a perfect scenario. But even in exile God can perform miracles. Let Him!

II Peter 1:5-7 “5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,  6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.”

TAKE IT DAILY

How many of us take vitamin supplements? I take a couple every day because I have been told they help me physically. There is even a store where all they sell is vitamins and supplements. So there must be a market for them to the public.

Peter is telling the believers to “supplement” their faith with 7 things: 1) virtue 2) knowledge 3) self-control 4) steadfastness 5) godliness 6) brotherly affection and 7) love. That’s a lot of supplement. Did he mean faith was NOT enough? No, but these “supplements” will keep them from being “ineffective or unfruitful” as they grow in Christ.

TEACHING MOMENT

What vitamins and supplements are you feeding your children? Are you so focused on the physical that you forget these spiritual ones? Don’t you think your children need to learn virture? How about knowledge and self-control? We can go down the whole list Peter has here and agree we want our children to have all of these.

So how do they get them? They don’t come in a bottle. They come directly from you, their parents. In fact many of these will come just by watching you. Are you virtuous and wise? Do you exhibit self-control and steadfastness? Are you godly in your interactions with others? Do you show brotherly affection and love to all? See what I mean? You are both the administrator and donor of these “supplements” to your children.

Perhaps your “bottles” are getting low. Is it time to get a refill? Why not right now bow your head and ask the Lord to fill you with these “supplements”? Ask the Lord to give you an abundance of each so they will spill over onto your children and to all you meet today?

Just think how wonderful the day would be if everyone we came into contact with had their daily supply of these in action? It would be incredible. It begins with you!

Jeremiah 26:14 “ But as for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as is good and right in your eyes.”

LIBERATION

Jeremiah has been prophesizing against the nation, and the people, specifically the priests and other prophets, did not like what he was saying. They drug him off to the Princes and rulers and demanded he be killed. Did Jeremiah defend himself? Nope. He repeated his words and then said the above. Basically he was saying, “Go ahead! Kill me! But my word stands!”

What liberating words spoken by a man of God! He was completely in their hands to do with as they wished. He didn’t care. His life was God’s, and he was ready to die for the message. We live in a world where we may soon face those same accusations. We may one day have to answer for our “prophetic” words in the face of our accusers. Are you ready to say, “I am in your hand: do with me as is good and right in your eyes.”

TEACHING MOMENT

We need to prepare our children for a fallen world that is getting more fallen with each year. We pray they never have to face such a threat of life. But we need to be diligent to lead them to the saving knowledge of Christ and then prepare them to stand boldly and courageously before anyone who questions their allegiance for the Lord.

We need to be clear in our teaching to them that, as a believer, to be absent from this life means instant life with Christ in Eternity. It is actually a win-win. We live with Him here, and we will live with Him there. We live faithfully for Him here, and He will welcome us to our Heavenly home. He lives in us, and He will live with us.

Death is not something to run from, if you love Jesus. We shouldn’t run into certain death if we can help it, but we also should not run from our certain entrance into our heavenly home. With each passing year, I long more and more for Glory. But there are so many here who still need to hear. Will you join me in “taking” as many as we can with us when we go? I’m ready! Are you?

I Peter 5:8-10 “8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

UNDER ATTACK

As I write this devotional I am actually in Kenya, so the reference to a lion really hits close. Lol I have seen lions here, but only from a distance. Satan will attack up close and personal. Peter doesn’t tell us to run. He tells us to “resist him, firm in your faith.” Wow! My first instinct would be to run as fast as I can, or at least faster than the other guy. Lol

TEACHING MOMENT

Don’t be afraid to tell your children about the reality of Satan who wants to devour them. But make sure you tell them that, although they may suffer “for a little while”, that God will “perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish” them. Hey, if God is going to do all that for us, Satan can bring his A game. God’s got this, right?

As you face the attack of Satan in your family, make sure your children know how you defend yourself. Your sword is God’s Word. Your shield is your faith. You bathe yourself in truth and righteousness through Christ’s blood. The devil doesn’t stand a chance!

Be encouraged today, my beloved. God is also watching us. He will only allow the devil so much leash, and then He jerks him back. Hallelujah! Satan is on a leash, and I am a child of the King!

Jeremiah 19:11 “and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Just so will I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which cannot again be repaired; and they will bury in Topheth because there is no other place for burial.’”

DON’T BREAK ME!

Pretty tough words from Jeremiah. But they weren’t his words. They were God’s words to the people of Judah. They had turned their backs on God and were worshipping false gods and doing all sorts of abominable things in the sight of all the people. God had had enough and sent them into exile to Babylon.

How about you? I know you will say, “I don’t worship false gods!” Oh really? What rules your life? What do you have the strongest passion for? We tend to worship the very thing we spend the most time doing. (I know I spend way too much time watching tv.)

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children need to understand that our loving God is also a just God. Yes, He loves us and forgives all our sins through the shed blood of Jesus. But He also expects obedience from us. If we turn our backs on Him, He will get our attention. He may even “break” us to get us back. That sounds harsh, yes. But we have to tell our children the whole truth.

Just like you expect obedience from your children, God expects the same. He won’t make us obey, just like you can’t make your own children obey. But He expects us to. Make sure they know that every choice has a consequence.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to go to Babylon to learn my lesson. I want to repent and stay close to Jerusalem. I want to worship at the feet of Jehovah in my homeland. I want to…well you get the picture.

So why don’t we all give up our prideful existence and bow in humility to a loving and just God. He wants us close to Him. He does not relish in the administration of discipline in our lives. He wants to bless us. I choose that.

I Pet. 3:17 “For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.”

SOVEREIGNTY

Why is it when we are going through hard times we beg God to get us out of it? If you really look at this verse, it may be God’s will for us to go through those times. Does that mean God hates us and wants us to suffer?

To truly understand this whole concept we have to acknowledge and accept the sovereignty of God and that everything that comes into our lives as believers has to go through His hands first. If we do that, then no matter what it is, no matter how dark the night seems, no matter how close to death we come we know that God is still on His throne and He is not shaken.

TEACHING MOMENT

Suffering is NOT something we want to teach our children, is it? No, we want their lives to be as pain free as possible. No parent wishes their child to suffer. But there will be those times when they will. We just can’t prevent it. So, how do we teach them to handle it? Through teaching them the verses all through Scripture that tell us about suffering.

As soon as you see, through the discernment of the Lord, how God is using this suffering in their lives, make sure you tell them. They may be too hurt at the time to see it themselves or to even recognize it once you point it out. Do it anyway. Open their blinded eyes to the grace they have received through the “gift” of suffering.

God only wants to make us better, never bitter. His will for our lives is always to fashion us to look more and more like Jesus. So, the next time you are going through a “suffering time” look in the mirror and say to yourself, “Lord, I just want to see Jesus in this mirror, not me.”