Jeremiah 21:1-2 “1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, 2 ‘Please inquire of the Lord on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is warring against us; perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all His wonderful acts, so that the enemy will withdraw from us.’”
Monthly Archives: June 2018
FISHERMEN AND HUNTERS
Jeremiah 16:16 “‘Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,’ declares the Lord, ‘and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks.’”
NOW WE’RE TALKING
NOT ALONE
Jeremiah 10:23 “I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.”
I CAN’T DO IT BY MYSELF
Try as I might, I can’t fix me. Believe me I’ve tried. Today’s verse says that. It is not in us to keep ourselves straight. We wander off the path because of our sin nature. We can try to be good on our own, but sooner or later our true self comes out – our sin self.
Thanks be to God we don’t have to do it alone. Our loving Father sent His Son Who sent His Spirit to dwell within us. The moment we ask Christ to save us, the moment we recognize Him as Lord, His Spirit indwells us. And because He lives in us, we can do anything He asks us, not through our own power, but through His. Hallelujah!
TEACHING MOMENT
Have you ever heard your child say, “I just can’t do it!” I heard that recently from a boy at our church. We were playing a game, and he kept getting put out of the game when he missed the ball. He threw up his little hands and said, “I just don’t have the strength.” I laughed (because the game requires very little strength) and told him to keep trying.
When your child “gives up” that is the best time to talk to them about allowing the Lord to control their life. They really do have to “give up” and let Jesus reign. If they keep trying on their own they will never succeed. Man truly can’t direct his steps.
Are you still busy trying to make it on your own? Sure, you’ve asked Christ into your life, but have you really surrendered to Him? You have to give Him complete control. He will not drag you down the path He has chosen for you. He will nudge you and direct you, but He won’t force you. Yield to Him now.
Forgive me, Father, for not allowing You to lead. I know I can’t direct my steps. I need You to lead. Take my hand!
BIRD BRAINS
Jeremiah 8:7 “‘Even the stork in the sky knows her seasons; and the turtledove and the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration; but My people do not know the ordinance of the Lord.’”
WHY ARE THEY SMARTER?
STAIN REMOVER
Jeremiah 4:14 “‘Wash your heart from evil, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved. How long will your wicked thoughts lodge within you?’”
WASH IT AWAY
I don’t know about you, but I am awful about staining clothes. I have always wanted a white suit. I have never owned one for the reason that I would ruin it the first time I wore it. I just know it. Fortunately, we have products today that can get out most stains.
But the stain of your heart can only be cleansed by the blood of Christ. In today’s verse, God is practically begging Judah to repent and be cleansed. He asks us today to do the same. He has given us the ultimate stain remover – His Son Jesus Christ. But we must apply Him to our lives. We have to allow Him to remove all the stain. Nothing else will do it.
TEACHING MOMENT
Children are notorious for getting stains on their clothes. Grass stains on pants are awful. Grape juice on their Sunday best is horrible. The next time you are removing a stain from some of their clothes, bring them in the laundry room and talk about this verse. Explain that, just like you, God wants to get the stain out of their life. And, just like you, God has the best stain remover.
Your child may already know Christ as their Savior, but they will always need to come back to Him for confession and “stain removal.” Sure, all their sins are forgiven at salvation, but we have to keep ourselves unstained by the world to be effective witnesses for God.
What stain are you trying remove on your own right now? How long has that stain been on you? Aren’t you tired of it? Then come to Jesus. Let Him cleanse you today. He wants to. He is waiting.
O Lord, You have cleansed my heart and my soul. Help me spread Your cleanser to others. Let me be a messenger of hope to a sin stained world.
GOING HOME
Jeremiah 3:22 “‘Return, O faithless sons, I will heal your faithlessness.’ ‘Behold, we come to You; For You are the Lord our God.’”
HE ALWAYS WELCOMES
THAT’LL SHOW THEM
Isaiah 64:1-2 “1 Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at Your presence- 2 As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil- to make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence!”
FEARSOME
IS GOD DEAF?
Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.”
HE DOES NOT HEAR
PROMISES KEPT
Isaiah 54:10 “‘For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,’ says the Lord who has compassion on you.”
HE SAYS WHAT HE MEANS
If there is one thing that is for sure, the Lord keeps His word. If He says it, you can take it to the bank. And here in today’s verse He says something. Basically, he says, “The world may be falling apart around you, but I will always love you and keep My covenant with you.” Wow! What a promise.
If you look around the world today, things are crazy. There are floods, earthquakes, mudslides, volcano eruptions, tornadoes and hurricanes. There are mass shootings at schools and churches. There are attacks on police and gang violence. But this verse still holds true. God loves you. If you are in covenant with Him through His Son, Jesus, there is nothing that can touch you that He doesn’t allow.
TEACHING MOMENT
This is a reassuring verse for children. They want to feel safe. The next time little Johnny or Susie is anxious about something, read them this verse. It should calm their spirits. The very God of all creation loves them and always will. The God who knows every soul knows them personally and wants them to know Him.
These are the truths our children need to know and understand. There is no other person who can be totally trustworthy. People fail us. But God never will. When we trust His sovereignty in our lives, we can truly rest. Teach your children that.
More importantly, show them that. When you are up against a wall with no help in sight, trust Him. Let your children watch you trust. Let your children watch you praise Him in the valley. Let your children watch you turn to the ONLY ONE who you can trust.
O Father, I trust You. I know You will always be there for me. I thank You for loving me enough to make me Your own.
LIKE JESUS
Isaiah 50:6 “I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting.”
HUMILIATED
Who would willingly stand there and let someone beat them, pluck out their beard and spit on them? Who? Jesus! I know you are going to say, “Well, He had been arrested. He didn’t have a choice.” Oh really?! He was God. He could have called ten thousand angels to defend Him. He could have just spoken and slain His oppressors. Instead, He stood there and took it – for you and me.
I get upset when someone cuts me off in traffic. How would I respond when spit upon? How would I respond if someone pulled out my hair or beard? How would I respond if someone lashed my back? Would I be like Jesus? Can I truly say I could handle the humiliation? That is the question for all of us.
TEACHING MOMENT
How do you apply this verse to your children? Teaching humility is hard. You really just have to model it. Now, I don’t mean you should let your children watch as you are beaten, spit on and have your hair plucked. That would be silly (and painful). I mean, when someone wrongs you in front of your children, remember this verse and respond as Jesus would. Be humble. Be gentle. Let the Lord be your strength.
I’ve said it a hundred times at least – you’ve got to live it out for your kids. They learn best by watching you, not listening to you. When they see you live it out in your own Christian walk they get a glimpse of what you mean. Just telling them won’t cut it, especially when you are talking about humility. Be like Jesus.
I don’t know about you, but this is a hard lesson. I don’t want to be humble. I want to be proud. I want to stand up for myself. I have been spit on, and I did not like it. But if the God of the universe could stand there and take this for me, I should be willing to suffer for Him. Will you?
A Moment In Time 