Jeremiah 40:2-3 “2 Now the captain of the bodyguard had taken Jeremiah and said to him, ‘The Lord your God promised this calamity against this place; 3 and the Lord has brought it on and done just as He promised. Because you people sinned against the Lord and did not listen to His voice, therefore this thing has happened to you.’”

STRANGE SOURCE OF TRUTH

Isn’t it amazing that as Jeremiah is being led to Babylon that he is confronted with truth from a pagan?  Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, basically repeated all Jeremiah had been saying would happen.  But have you ever thought how Nebuzardan knew this?  Who told him what the Lord said about Judah?

Have you ever had a lost friend who spoke truth to you?  I have.  Now, they may not have recognized their words as truth, but the Lord spoke through them.  How is that possible?  God will use whatever and whomever He pleases to speak to us.  His only concern is to have us listen.  He could speak directly to us with a loud, thundering boom.  But sometimes He uses the unexpected.

TEACHING MOMENT

So how do we tell our children to listen to truth.  We must show them how to check it out against the Word.  They will get all kinds of advice from people, lost and saved.  But the litmus test whether it is from God or not is how it agrees with the Word.  Does it line up with the truths taught there?  Does it conflict or agree?

Your little Flossie Jane may not know the Word that well, so what does she do?  She comes to you.  That means YOU must know the Word.  You must have a grasp on the truth.  You need to recognize falsehoods when you hear them which means you must study the truth.

Are you struggling right now with a decision?  Are you seeking advice?  To whom do you turn?  You have prayed, but God is silent.  So, what do you do?   You wait!  You keep praying.  You listen closely to those around you whom you can trust.  And then, if they give you counsel, you go to the Word to verify.  You have heard it said, “Trust, but verify.”  That applies here as well.

Father, I know You are the only trustworthy source in my life.  But I also know You send others my way to speak to me.  Open my eyes to recognize the truth when I hear it.  Help me to point others to Your truth.

Jeremiah 39:7 “He then blinded Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in fetters of bronze to bring him to Babylon.” 

VISION LOSS

Zedekiah was a proud man.  Jeremiah warned him and warned him of the impending doom that was coming.  But Zedekiah wouldn’t listen.  Even when the city wall was breached, he refused to surrender.  He fled through a hole in the wall like a thief in the night.  He saw his sons killed, and then he was blinded.  Pride!

But before you judge too quickly, think of your own pride.  Your pride blinds you to the truth.  It robs of your true vision that only comes from the Lord.  When we ignore His words and His direction we are just as bad as Zedekiah – blind and in chains.

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children need to learn to see clearly.  They need to learn to listen to godly advice, whether it comes from us or from other trusted adults in their life.  There are enough people who will try to “blind” them to the truth.  They will attempt to “put their eyes out” and bind them with “chains.”

Sometimes when we are giving our children advice they glaze over and refuse to listen.  Don’t stop talking.  They will thank you one day, I promise.  It may take years, but they will.  But don’t give them your advice.  Give them God’s.  His advice is always trustworthy and true.

So, what advice are you needing right now?  Are you allowing others to blind you?  Are you crawling through some hole to what you think is safety?  Don’t bet on it.  The safest place is right in the middle of God’s will.  Blind pride has nothing to do with not seeing.  It’s looking at the wrong thing.

Father, thank You that You have given me spiritual eyes with which to see.  Thank You for taking my blinders off.  Thank You for allowing me to see truth through Your Word.

Jeremiah 36:23 “When Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king cut it with a scribe’s knife and threw it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.” 

CAN’T BURN TRUTH

The world hates the truth.  Just look around.  No one wants to be confronted with the truth.  They want to think that whatever they are doing is just fine.  Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, did not want to hear what the Lord had told Jeremiah.  The truth did not appeal to him.

So, when he heard these words he burned them.  But the truth was still the truth.  Burning the words changed nothing.  It only solidified the truth of the words.  Babylon was coming and would destroy Jerusalem, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

TEACHING MOMENT

Truth must be taught to our children.  We are always telling them when they are in trouble, “Just tell the truth. Don’t lie to me.”  But what does little Elrod do?  He lies.  He tells a half truth.  He fabricates an answer to make himself look better.  So, we have to discipline him.  Why?  Because if we don’t, he learns that lies will save him.  That’s a lie in itself.

Truth doesn’t go away.  The truth is the truth, period.  And there is really only ONE truth – God’s Word.  We may not like what it tells us sometimes, but it is the only truth that can guide us.  Books about the Word are good, but they are not THE truth.  Stick to the truth.

Let me ask you a question.  What lies are you believing right now?  What is the enemy whispering in your ear.  Stop listening to the untruths and cling to the truth.  Let the Word of God point you to the only source of truth that exists.  Let the Lord speak truth to your soul today.  Allow Him to remind you that He is the way, the TRUTH and the life.

Father, You are the only TRUE God.  You are the very essence of truth.  In You there is no lie or deception.  Thank You for always being truth to me.

Jeremiah 33:3 “‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’” 

TRUE SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE

I have jokingly said that this verse should be quoted by every student before they take an exam.  Haven’t you prayed this prayer?  “O God, please help me remember everything I have studied for this test.”  Or “God, I have been so busy I haven’t studied like a should. Could you help out a brother, just this once?”

God could give us all the answers to the exam, but He won’t. He can help us prepare.  He can help us study.  He can help our memory.  But God won’t just make up for our slackness.  Jeremiah is sitting in a jail, and God tells Him to rely on Him.  He is basically saying, “Jeremiah, I know you don’t understand all that is going on right now, but just listen to Me and I will explain it to you.”

TEACHING MOMENT

There are going to be plenty of times when your little Johnny is going to think he knows better than you.  Even though you tell him you have been through this before, he stills wants to go it solo.  Within reason, let him.  Let him discover that you do have a little more knowledge in some areas.  He needs to rely on his source of wisdom rather than trying to work it all out himself.

Our children should be looking past you to the Lord for their true wisdom.  Just like Jeremiah, little Susie needs to trust the Lord for the guidance she needs.  That is much easier said than done, I know.  But we need to keep pointing them in that direction.

What are you trying to figure out on your own?  What has you puzzled?  Have you stopped to inquire of the Lord?  He has the answer, I guarantee you.  He knows all.  He is all.  Let Him show you what He wants you to know. He may not give you the full picture, but He will give you just what you need.

Father in heaven, You are amazing.  You give me exactly what I need at the exact time I need it, if I will only come to You.  Praise You for always being there.

Jeremiah 30:22 “‘You shall be My people, and I will be your God.’”

STILL MINE

This little verse may seem ordinary.  Of course, we know this, right?  But if you read Jeremiah 1:1-30:21 before you read this verse, you will see the magnitude of this verse.  The Lord God had allowed Babylon to take the people of Judah into exile because of their rebellion against Him.  Judgment had fallen.  But God promises to restore them, and He reminds them that they are His.

Has God ever “punished” you?  Boy, He has me!  Did I like it?  No!  No one likes to be punished (read Hebrews 12:11).  But we know that it is for our good.  God’s judgment on Judah was harsh, but He was still their God, and they were still His people.

TEACHING MOMENT

In the same way, when you have to discipline your children, do they stop being your children?  Even when they rebel and refuse to listen, they are still your children. You love them.  Nothing can change that.  You may grieve over their disobedience.  You may fear for the judgment that may fall on them, but you love them because they are your children.

The next time you have to correct little Elrod, remind him of this verse.  Read little Gertrude this verse and explain to her that the same is true for her.  You will never stop loving her.  Children need to be reassured of that.  Children really don’t want to disappoint you.  But that nasty, ole sin nature springs up from time to time.

Do you feel like you are miles from God?  God hasn’t moved.  Do you need to be reminded that you are His?  Repent and turn back to Him.  He hasn’t stopped loving you.  God had much rather bless you than discipline you.

Father, You are a Holy God.  Thank You that You won’t allow me to continue in my sin without consequences.  Help me to see your discipline as love.

Jeremiah 27:12 “I spoke words like all these to Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, ‘Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live!’” 

GOD’S CHOICE OF AUTHORITY

This is a hard. This is difficult.  This may seem unfair.  Have you ever had a boss or supervisor who was just evil?  Have you had to answer to someone who ridiculed your faith?  You ask yourself, “God, why do I have to put up with this boss?”  But God is silent.  These are hard lessons to learn.

Now, I am NOT saying you have been disobedient and God is judging you.  Please don’t hear that.  Judah had been disloyal to the Lord and was correcting them by the hand of Babylon.  Jeremiah tried and tried to warn them, but they wouldn’t listen.  So, God used a pagan king as His instrument of judgment.

TEACHING MOMENT

Your children are going to have teachers, coaches or bosses who will not be believers.  These authority figures may give your child a hard time because of their faith.  Remember, if God has placed them as an authority over your children, He has something to teach your child.  Johnny or Susie will need to watch closely to see what that is.

Submission to authority (unless you are being asked to do something illegal or immoral) is always right.  You may not agree with that person over you, but they are over you.  Perhaps the Lord is trying to see how firm you will stand in your faith.  Will you compromise your faith?  There is ALWAYS a reason for every person God places over us.  Your children need to learn that early.

If you find yourself in that position, pray for your boss.  Pray that the Lord will give them peace.  Pray that you can be God’s messenger to them.  Pray that they will see Jesus in you and be drawn to His perfect love.  Regardless, pray for them.

Father, I know You establish kings and kingdoms.  I also know You place me in positions of submission. You know what is best for me. Help me to understand how to be a servant to all.

Jeremiah 24:3 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘What do you see, Jeremiah?’ And I said, ‘Figs, the good figs, very good; and the bad figs, very bad, which cannot be eaten due to rottenness.’”

GOOD OR BAD FIGS

My mom use to make a cookie called fig chewy.  Now, if you don’t like figs, you would not like this cookie.  I happen to love figs.  I can still see and smell those cookies.  Man, give me a napkin because my mouth is drooling right now.

My mom got her figs from my grandmother’s fig tree on her farm.  These were those big brown figs.  When I was little I couldn’t wait for fig season.  Not only did that mean fresh cookie and fried pies, but I could go to that tree and eat them right off the tree.  Yum!  But my mom (and I) would pick those figs so she could cook them and put up fig preserves (which she used to make those awesome cookies).

TEACHING MOMENT     

But wait a moment.  What has this got to do with the verse today?  Well, the people of Judah were “stored away” until they could be brought back out of exile, just like my grandma’s good figs would be picked, cooked and stored away to be brought out later for a good thing.  What the people of Judah thought was bad turned out to be good.  Those who were left in Judah represented the bad figs, the spoiled figs, the ones to be thrown out, just like the figs left on the tree or on the ground.

My point is this.  Sometimes the Lord works in ways that can confuse us.  We don’t see the big picture.  We have to trust the Lord to handle things sometimes.  I am sure those who were taken into exile thought they were worse off than those who stayed in Judah.  But the opposite was true.  God preserved the exiled people.

Don’t you want the Lord to “preserve” you?  Of course, you do.  Who wouldn’t?  But in order to be preserved, you need to be cooked a little.  That may sound harsh, but it’s not. Trust Him to cook you to perfection.  The end result will be much sweeter.

Father, I trust You to preserve me for eternity. Help me to trust You in the process.

Jeremiah 20:9 “But if I say, ‘I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name,’ then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it.

BURNING UP INSIDE

I have referenced this verse so many times when I have gone lengths of time between preaching.  I can relate to Jeremiah.  When God gives you a message, you just have to share it with others or it feels like you are about to bust.  Your bones feel like they are just burning up inside.

It’s kind of like when you were a kid and you had knowledge of something exciting that was going to happen.  The smile on your face was impossible to erase.  Everyone knew you had something on your mind and you were just plain giddy about it.  Jeremiah didn’t like the message he had to deliver, but he had been given this message for the people of Judah and just had to tell them.

TEACHING MOMENT

Try this with your child. Entrust them with some awesome news and tell them not to tell a soul.  Maybe you are going to surprise their mom with a special trip and you want them to keep your secret.  How successful do you think you will be?  Not very.  Those little mouths just can’t contain themselves.  They just have to spill the beans.

Wouldn’t it be great if they got that excited about sharing the good news of Jesus Christ?  What would happen in this world if every believer got “giddy” about Jesus?  We would have that incredible urge to tell everyone.  Think how fast the Gospel would spread.

I get that “giddy” feeling from time to time.  But I have to be honest.  I don’t feel “giddy” every day.  Sometimes I have to remind myself of the “giddiness.”  I should be ecstatic about the news about Jesus every day.  Will you join me?

Father, You are the author of good news.  Remind me each day to tell at least one person.

Jeremiah 18:3-4 “3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel. 4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.”

REDO

Didn’t you just love playing with modeling clay when you were a child?  It was firmer than playdough and would hold its shape better.  I even liked the way it smelled. I know, call me weird.  But I had so much fun playing with that stuff.  I can still remember getting a box of four or five colors for Christmas.  It was a blast.

This passage always reminds me of that.  I can just picture the Lord molding me and then smashing me and remaking me.  All I have to do is be the clay.  What I turn out to be is really all up to Him.  I can stay a simple lump of clay, or I can yield myself to His touch, His perfect touch, and let Him make me into a masterpiece.

TEACHING MOMENT     

As parents, we are also molding our children.  We are shaping them into future parents.  We are using our skill and knowledge to put our imprint on them.  Now, that imprint may be good or bad, depending on the “tools” we employ.  So, let me ask you a question.  Do you want a masterpiece or unrecognizable pieces when you are done?

You see, if we only use our skills and knowledge, we are doomed to really “mess” our children up.  We do not have the touch of the Master.  But if we allow Him to direct the placing of our hands on that lump of clay (our children) and let Him show us the pieces to remove and the pieces to smooth, they will turn out much better than we could ever imagine.

Do you still have some “rough edges” on you that need smoothing?  I bet you do.  I bet you have plenty of spots that could be improved upon.  God already sees you finished as His masterpiece.  Just let Him work.  I promise you will like the end result.

O Lord, You are the great sculptor of my soul.  Mold me and make me just like You want.  Nothing more – nothing less.

Jeremiah 15:21 “‘So I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem you from the grasp of the violent.’”

PREREQUISITES

Isn’t this an encouraging verse?  The Lord is promising His people that He will deliver them and redeem them from the wicked and violent.  But there was a condition.  It was back in verse 19 when He said, “If you return, then I will restore you.”  You see the problem we have most of the time is we want to be delivered without returning.

We want God to deliver us from evil without acknowledging our own sins or returning to His commands.  But God just isn’t going to ignore our sin.  O, how He longs for us to return to Him so He can deliver us.  He really, really wants that.

TEACHING MOMENT

Picture your own child who you know is going down the wrong road.  You see where it is headed, but you can’t stop it.  And you can’t help them until they stop and come back to you for help.  Even then, you shouldn’t, unless they are willing to stop the things they are doing that is causing the problems.

We parents are faced with that challenge, aren’t we?  We want to help Little Elrod or Gertrude avoid those failures, but we know we have to let them make some before they realize they just CAN’T do as they please and expect to get by with it.  But the second they come to us, asking for help, we are ready and willing.

But, let’s get back to the verse today.  God promises us deliverance and redemption from those who would desire to harm us.  If we are walking with Him, He will snatch us out of their hands.  He will pull us from their grasp.  We may have some scars from having placed ourselves in their grip, but He will deliver us.

Father, You are all powerful.  You have the strength to pull me to safety, if only I will come back to You.  Thank You for delivering me!