KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Thursday, August 17, 2017
Chapters: Jeremiah 35-37
Message: Defending The Bible
Hello My Friend,
The Word, God’s Word, the Bible, whatever you call it, never in your life will you read a book with such power, saved or not, this book is life, and comes to life as you read it. Some receive it gladly, some hate it passionately, and some down right try to destroy it. No one can destroy God’s Word no matter how many times they try to change it, rearrange it, or get rid of it. Why? God’s Word is infallible, meaning it is true, it is does not fail, it is everlasting, settled in heaven, and in the soul of every person who receives Christ, who is the Word in the flesh. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” – John 1:1,2,14.
While God focused primarily on the Jews before Christ came, He never denied anyone else the opportunity to know and follow Him. Among the refugees from a neighboring country who sought asylum within the walls of Jerusalem, was a group of Arabs, known as the Rechabites, probably encamped in one of the open spaces. They clung to the law given by Jonadab three hundred years before. Through Jeremiah, God condemns the Jews for their disobedience and blesses the Rechabites for their obedience to their father.
“Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the LORD. The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father’s commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them: because I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard; and I have called unto them, but they have not answered. And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you: Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.” – Jeremiah 35:13-14,17-19.
“shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.” God had their back because, unlike the Jews who were rebellious, they obeyed their father. Obedience to God is not necessarily following every command He had given them, after all they had over six hundred, it was about being faithful, loving Him more than the things of the world, and above all, not worshiping any other God. God is no different today, if we have received Christ as our Saviour, He has our back, we might face some affliction, but nothing can separate us from Him, and let me tell you, a true Christian, one who is saved and lives their lives with Christ, might slip and even get knocked over the edge of sin, but God never lets them fall to the point that they have completely turned on God.
“The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;” – II Peter 2:9-12.
If you have not noticed, Christian prosecution is on the rise, some countries have banned Christ all together and will arrest anyone who even talks about Him and in many nations God’s Word is forbidden, and even burned if found. What these people are doing in their attempt to silence anyone who speaks the Word of God is trying silence God, but they cannot get rid of His Word no matter how much they try. Jeremiah is still in jail while all this is taking place, he is using someone to write down the words God says and relay them to the people. God wants to give them one more chance to repent, Jeremiah enlists Baruch to write down the words and get them to the king, but did not get the response he expected.
“Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin. Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book. Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and other, and said unto Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words. And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words. Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.” – Jeremiah 36:2-4,16,23-24,32.
“and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth,” Since creation people have been trying to silence God, His Word, and those who preach it, but as long as God remains, and faithful servants remain, this will keep going on. You see, the problem is that the world and those who worship false gods see God as just some man made god they created, they fail to recognize that He is not something man made, He is living, breathing, walking, talking Almighty God. Since God will always remain, His Word will also, as well as every believer who accepted Christ. “LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants. Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts. The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I will consider thy testimonies.” – Psalm 119:89-95.
When God had placed His judgment upon Judah He did everything possible to get them to turn to Him, while the majority were carried away and now safe, the rebels, including the king, refused to submit and now they were coming after him. In an attempt to alter the plan the Egyptians come in and attack the Chaldeans, which delayed things for a while, but it did not change the fate of the king and his family. Zedekiah sends word to Jeremiah and asks him to pray for them.
“And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto the LORD our God for us. Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land. And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire. Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart. For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.” – Jeremiah 37:3,7-10.
“Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah,” You know, before Jesus came only prophets could hear God’s answers to their prayers, today, we speak one on one with God through Jesus, and he answers us directly. Perhaps the only thing you can do when confronted with an issue that is out of your control is pray to God. The more you fight and try to alter God’s plan the harder it will be on you, because some things are destined, we cannot alter or change them, but we can change how we react to them. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” – Romans 8:26-29.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “Therefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them: because I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard; and I have called unto them, but they have not answered.” – Jeremiah 35:17.
Today’s Prayer: God, You promise the second we receive Your Son as our Saviour that You will always be with us, it is our fate to live with You for an eternity. Through our difficulties it can seem like You are so far, but You are always with us, there is not one battle that we cannot win with You leading the way. When things get tough, remind us that we have a tougher, stronger God on our side to help us. God, give us Your power, strength, and courage to face the difficulties before us, knowing that You will always give us the victory. Keep us in Your Word and defending Your truths because so many are trying to silence You, let us be Your voice. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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