KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Monday, August 08, 2016
Chapters: Jeremiah 1-3
Message: Judgment For The Backslidden
Hello My Friend,
The Book of Jeremiah contains fifty-two chapters, the timeline for these events took place approximately between 629BC – 588BC, about 70 years after Isaiah prophesied about the same thing. The author of the book is Jeremiah and it was written to Judah to warn them of their coming captivity into Babylon, and a call for repentance. This book is actually directed to backsliders. What we are to learn from the book is that national disasters and deterioration of the world is often due to disobedience to God, but as we return to God things will be restored. “And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.” – Jeremiah 12:5.
Backslide, To fall off; to apostatize; to turn gradually from the faith and practice of Christianity. People do not fall away from God all at once, they slowly take steps back, stop coming to church every week, read their Bible less, stop praying as much, and before you know it sin creeps in, and God seeps out. All it takes is for one godly person to fall away from God for more to follow, the more that follow the less God is known in the world, the less God is known in the world the more judgment comes to that nation. Jeremiah was quite young when God called him to be a prophet, so, naturally his first response when God called him to warn Judah that their judgment was coming was that he was too young. However, before he could even get the words out, God encouraged him.
“But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant. For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.” – Jeremiah 1:7-10,18,19.
“And they shall fight against thee;” You can be sure if you stand up for God and proclaim Christ people are going to fight you. Why? You belong to God, you are one of His children and that makes you the enemy, especially if you tell them that the things they are doing is sin. Those who have received Jesus Christ as their Saviour are, in fact, children of God, and when we allow Him to live in and through us that is what keeps us from backsliding. God has already touched our mouths and put His words in it, the more we serve Him faithfully, the more prosperous we become.
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” – Psalm 1:1-3.
Those who are saved and living their lives with Christ, know they have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, because of this, God expects a little more from them. Can I tell you that there are some unsaved people that do more for God than saved? Many who know Christ as their Saviour continue to live wicked, sinful lives, fully knowing that they are saved. While that behavior does not destroy a persons salvation it does mean that they will suffer the consequences of their sin. Through Jeremiah, God confronts the Jews in Jerusalem and Judah about their backsliding.
“Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? Neither said they, Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt? And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit. Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.” – Jeremiah 2:5-8,11,19.
“Thine own wickedness shall correct thee,” Being saved does not exempt us from facing some kind of judgment for living in sin, all sin comes with consequence. If you ever wondered by false religions are taking over and grabbing people it is because unlike Christianity that seems to bounce all over the place (it really does not, man has corrupted the church), false religions hold their god, they are unwavering. The number one cause of judgment right now is not the unsaved who have no idea that the lives they are living are sinful, it is the saved who are not only living in sin themselves, they promote it. Make no mistake that judgment is coming to the unsaved, but it always comes to God’s people first, and sadly, many who are faithful to God are stuck in this mess.
“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” – I Peter 4:17,18.
It breaks God’s heart to see His very own children living in sin, to see them suffering, He could fix it, but they will not come to Him. Israel itself had already faced judgment for turning their backs on God, now, Judah, who were the Christians of that day, were about to face judgment, the sad thing, their sins were more abominable than Israel’s. God illustrates their backsliding as an adulterous woman, and gives them one more plea to repent before it’s too late.
“And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah. Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” – Jeremiah 3:11-15.
“Only acknowledge thine iniquity,” God does not want to put judgment upon any of His creation, He doe not want to see them in hell or suffer needlessly, He does not want to destroy everything He worked so hard at creating, and this is why He has not destroyed the whole world yet. Jesus will save us from all this, all we have to do is acknowledge that we have sinned, confess that we are a sinner and need Him, Jesus will never turn anyone away who is sincere in their faith, and He never leaves us even if we have backslidden. Think about it, you were born into this world, having one father and one mother, even if you walk away from them, you are still their child. If you asked Jesus to save you, you are born again, a child of God, even if you have forgotten, God hasn’t.
“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” – I Peter 1:22,23.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” – Jeremiah 2:13. Jesus is the fountain of living waters.
Today’s Prayer: God, It is amazing how much You reveal to us through the Holy Spirit, I know sometimes I get over confident and think that I can do this on my own, but You reveal to me time and time again that my way leads to a big mess, but Yours always leads to victory. Thank You for giving me those second chances to get back up and move forward, let me not be held captive to the world or any sin, only let me depend on You as I walk with You, my Saviour. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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