Jeremiah – Mum's devotional

February 23rd

…if you really change your ways and your actions, if you act justly toward one another, if you no longer oppress the alien, the fatherless, and the widow and no longer shed innocent blood in this place or follow other gods, bringing harm on yourselves, I will allow you to live in this place…

Jeremiah 7:6-7 (HCSB)

When you look around the world today, the division is overwhelming. We are divided along so many lines. Rich/poor, black/white, liberal/conservative, male/female— the list could go on and on. Sadly, within the church you will see the same thing. Baptism, spiritual gifts, and style of worship are just a few of the things we are divided over.

There are elements of society that seek to separate, divide, and demean people, and these forces are at work continually. You can see these forces during a divorce, through cyberbullying, or even in the national health care debate. The bottom line is we are divided. We live in such a self-focused society, continually encouraged to “stand up for ourselves” and “look out for number one,” when actually we need to think of others, see their perspective, and look out for those who may not be able to look out for themselves.

Sometimes instead of trying to be understood, we need to try to understand.

From Toby McKeehan’s (Tobymac) City on Our Knees

…and, since it goes with the rest of Jeremiah 7 (and Matthew 21, obviously), Michael Card’s The Lamb is a Lion on Youtube and Spotify respectively.

Again, I haven’t read the whole book, but I didn’t have a text to go with this scripture, and I picked it up this morning and it said exactly what I’d wanted to say. (And Jesus Freaks – which is like a modern version of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs without all the creepy anti-Catholicism – was good, so it can’t be terrible. Right?)

January 3rd

The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:25-26 (KJV)

It is profitable for Christians to be often calling to mind the very beginnings of grace with their souls. It was Paul’s accustomed manner, when tried for his life, to open before his judges the manner of his conversion: he would think of that day, and that hour, in which he first did meet with grace; for he found it supported him.

I can remember my fears and doubts, and sad months, with comfort; they are as the head of Goliath in my hand: there was nothing to David like Goliath’s sword; for the very sight and remembrance of that did preach forth God’s deliverance to him. Oh! the remembrance of my great sins, of my great temptations, and of my great fear of perishing for ever! They bring afresh into my mind, the remembrance of my great help, my great supports from heaven, and the great grace that God extended to such a wretch as I.

My dear children, call to mind the former days, and years of ancient times: remember also your songs in the night, and commune with your own hearts. Yea, look diligently, and leave no corner therein unsearched for that treasure hid, even the treasure of your first and second experience of the grace of God towards you. Remember also the word, the word, I say, upon which the Lord hath caused you to hope: if you have sinned against light, if you are drowned in despair, if you think God fights against you, or if heaven is hid from your eyes; remember it was thus with your father; but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

from John Bunyan’s Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners

The title is a reference to Psalm 27. Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners is, I’m not going to lie, is a bit of a slog. But Bunyan’s knowledge of the bible is impressive, the cross references are nice, and, to be fair, very few writers from the 1600s have held up so well. Of course, his personal testimony is pretty much timeless too, and it’s nice to know that he wrote something other than The Pilgrim’s Progress.

…and No Doubt by Petra, on Youtube and Spotify respectively, because, really? try to find a song that goes with this.

Tag: Jeremiah

‘Wait, I say, on the Lord’