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!

Jeremiah 12:5a “If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses?”

STAY ON THE PORCH

How soon we complain, right?  We fuss about the smallest stuff.  We scream how unfair life is, even over the smallest things.  This verse is telling us something profound, if we will just listen.  How can we expect the Lord to use us in great things if we can’t be trusted in the small?  How can the Lord prepare us for the biggest battles to come if we grow weary in the small ones?

What “challenge” have you complained about lately?  Come on now.  I know you have complained.  We all do, but to no avail.  The sad thing about a pity party is you are the only one who shows up.  Stop complaining.  Look at this trial as a means for God to prepare you for greater challenges.  “Thanks Carl, that’s not really encouraging!”  Oh, but it is.

TEACHING MOMENT

Do you challenge your kids to succeed?  Do you push them a little to achieve what you know they are capable of?  The next time you are working extra hard on those basketball drills with little Johnny or listening to Susie practice her piano, remember the Lord is also pushing you to do much more than you think.

We need to remind our children during those “challenging times” that the Lord is going to push them, too.  But reassure them that He will only “push them” as far as He knows they can go.  God will never ask us to do more than we are capable.

So, are you on the porch or running with the dogs?  Are you tired from just running with the footmen?  Or are you ready to take on the Kentucky Derby winner?  With the Lord on our side – no – with the Lord in us, we can accomplish impossible things.

Father, you are my strength!  I am nothing but a weakling, of myself.  But because of Your Holy Spirit living in me, You can ask me to do anything for You.

Jeremiah 7:4 “Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’” 

CHURCH WON’T SAVE YOU

The people Jeremiah was speaking to thought the temple would save them.  Well, not really, but that believed because they had the temple in Jerusalem, God’s house, that they were safe from destruction. They were sure God wouldn’t let His house be destroyed.  They didn’t understand.  That wasn’t God’s house. No building could contain Him.

Many people today believe the church is almost mystical.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  I believe we should honor and protect our churches.  But if every church building in America was torn down, the church would continue to live.  It is not about a building!  It’s about His people.

TEACHING MOMENT

Your children need to understand this now.  Even as we holler, “Don’t run in the church” or “Don’t stand up in the pew”, we need to make sure they understand that the church is His people.  That can get confusing for kids.  They hear us talking about “going to church” all the time.  What we really ought to be saying is “The church is going to see the church.”

Now wouldn’t that blow their mind?  Talking about confusing them…  But we need to make sure they understand what the church is.  As believers, we make up the church universal.  Sure, we have local bodies of believers who come together to worship as a church.  But we are so much bigger than that.

Have you forgotten what church is?  Sometimes we get so busy that we fail to remember that wherever we are, we represent the body of Christ.  I look forward to taking my church (me) to see the rest of the church on Sunday.  I look forward to seeing our combined church worship.

Father, thank You for being the focus of our church.  Thank You that You cannot be contained or enclosed inside a building.  You dwell in us through Your Holy Spirit, making us Your Holy Temple.

Jeremiah 5:22 “‘Do you not fear Me?’ declares the Lord. ‘Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, an eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it.’”

SAND FENCE

The first thing that hit me when I read this verse is all the talk about rising sea levels.  We may disagree about global warming.  I am certainly not going to argue about it.  I just believe EVERY word of God is true and infallible.  And here in Jeremiah, the Lord says the sea “cannot cross over it” – it being the sand.

I guess I am just simple minded (not comments from the peanut gallery please, lol).  If I believe all the other scriptures, I have to believe this one.  God has established boundaries and order to the universe.  That applies to the very waves of the oceans.  That is just mind boggling to me.

TEACHING MOMENT

“Okay Carl, what is the point?” you ask.  That’s fair.  The point is this.  Teach your children that God is in control.  Nothing surprises Him.  He knows exactly where each wave will break on the beach.  If that’s not detailed, I don’t know what it.  And if God cares about how far the waves break on the beach, He certainly cares about the details of our lives.

His children are important to Him.  There is not a detail of your kids’ lives that He is not concerned about.  The next time you go to the beach or see a beach scene, read this verse to them.  Remind your children that God is watching and can work in their lives, even as He controls the waters of the world.

Father, you are an amazing God.  Your attention to detail is incredible.  Father, help me to trust You when I feel the waves crash against my life, knowing that You will only allow them to come so far.

Jeremiah 2:22 “‘Although you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your iniquity is before Me,’ declares the Lord God.”

GREEN TOMATOES

When I was growing up in Southwest Georgia I would work in my uncle’s and cousin’s tobacco fields during the summer.  That was hard, hot work.  I can’t even begin to tell you how hot it was.  But one of the worse parts of working in the tobacco fields was how dirty you got.

Early in the morning, when the dew was still on the tobacco leaves, the tar from those leaves (which you couldn’t see) would stick to your hands, skin, hair and clothes.  I remember trying to wash my hands for lunch.  They were stained with that a brown, almost black, sticky tar.  Soap didn’t work.  The only thing we found to cut that tar was a green tomato.  Yep.  We would slice one open and rub our hands with it.  It would somehow cut through that tar.

TEACHING MOMENT

I bet it won’t be long before little Johnny or Gertrude comes in the door from playing and will need a good scrubbing.  Sometimes their play can get them real dirty.  Sometimes they can stain their clothes beyond getting them clean.  What a perfect time to talk about this verse.  Our sins have stained us. Our rebellion against a Holy God must be washed away.  But there is no amount of Clorox or Shout (or green tomatoes) that is going to do the job.  There is only one cleanser – the shed blood of Jesus.

We have the opportunity to explain how His blood has the cleansing power over sin.  His blood removes the stain of sin in our lives.  His blood never loses its power.  His blood never runs out.  It is the perfect (and I mean perfect) cleansing tool for our spirits.  Hallelujah!

Are you walking around with stains?  You may be a believer, but you haven’t confessed those sins yet.  The beauty of salvation is that your sins are already forgiven because of that powerful blood.  But you do have to confess them.  You do have to ask for forgiveness.  Sin happens.  We shouldn’t choose it, but it does.  But rest assured that when you do, you can have that stain removed quickly through the blood of Jesus.

Father, I do not deserve the grace and mercy You show me.  But I am thankful for the blood of Your Son, Jesus, Who cleansed me through His blood.  Forgive me today, Lord.

John 19:26-27 “26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’  27 Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.”

DON’T FORGET MOM

Even in death Jesus looked down and had compassion on His earthly mother.  She knew all about Him.  She knew about Him before He even came to earth.  The angel had told her.  Now she is looking at Him on the cross knowing the purpose of His death.  And out of all the people He could see from the cross, He looks at her.

He could feel her pain.  They had that special first born bond.  He had taken care of her after the death of His earthly father, Joseph.  They were close.  He didn’t want to leave her, but He knew she would be okay.  Why?  Because He had chosen John to take her in.  I have to believe He chose John as a disciple for this purpose too.

TEACHING MOMENT

You don’t have to teach your children to love mom.  They just do.  But you do have to remind them to care for her.  Dads, this is directed at you.  “Taking care of Mom” doesn’t start when you are no longer around.  This starts when they are young.  It begins with how they respect and treat their mom.

Little Johnny must be taught that Mom is, first of all, your wife, whom you will protect.  Susie must be taught that Mom is her friend, but not her secret keeper from Dad.  Jesus’ example of how He cared for His mom should be taught to your children.  Let them hear His words on this subject.

Was Jesus a momma’s boy?  Well, probably not.  But it is obvious He loved her and wanted her taken care of by someone He trusted.  If your Mom is still alive, call her today and thank her for all she has done for you.  Perhaps you are estranged from her.  Pray for guidance on how to make that right.  Live life with no regrets, especially when it comes to family.

Father, thank You for godly mothers who try to follow You.  I thank You for my mom.  Thank you for her love for me when I probably didn’t deserve it.

John 17:15-16 “‘15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.  16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.’”

NOT OF THIS WORLD

This world is not our home.  As believers, we know that.  It is a temporary place – a place we are just visiting.  Our real home is heaven.  But it is the only home we have right now, so we need to make the most of it.  Jesus knew that.  He said as much when he said, “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.”

Now understand something.  If God wanted, He could instantly take us to heaven when we are saved.  We could say, “I believe,” and instantly be there.  As cool as that may seem, He wants us to stay here and spread the good news.  And because He does, He protects us from the evil one, who wants nothing more than to tear us down.

TEACHING MOMENT

I love hearing children’s descriptions of heaven.  They are beautiful, simple and creative.  We should talk to our children about heaven.  But we need to spend more time teaching them how to live here on this earth.  They need to know that Jesus said these words about being here.  John 16 is a great chapter about that.

Take some time and read this to them.  And I mean, take some time.  There is so much in this chapter.  But it is so good.  It is so reassuring.  It can embolden your children to live for Jesus knowing He is cheering them on.

I want to live with the Word of God insulating me from the fiery darts of Satan.  There is NOTHING he can do to me, unless the Lord allows it.  The Word protects my mind and spirit.  It gives me the strength to carry on when I think I can’t make it another day.  The Word allows me to walk into any room equipped to share the good news.  It’s not because of me.  It’s all because of Him.

Father, You are my protector.  I know that and believe that.  I trust You to be my insulator.  Keep me from isolating myself from the lost who so desperately need to hear from You.