Good morning to all on this wonderful Sunday morning. I just joined the 21st Century. My family bought me an iPad for Christmas and I just initiated my first face time. What a thrill to see my sister and her grandson and what a thrill to see my two littlest munchkins!! Technology is really something. Georgia continues to go through cold spells so you can't quite predict what to wear or how warm to dress. No snow for us but there was snow in the mountains.
I am continuing my journey in Jeremiah 49 verses 1-39 " This is what the Lord says: Has Israel no sons? Has Israel no heir? Why then has Molek taken possession of Gad? Why do his people live in its towns? But the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites; it will become a mound of ruins, and its surrounding villages will be set on fire. Then Israel will drive out those who drove her out,” says the Lord. Wail, Heshbon, for Ai is destroyed! Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah! Put on sackcloth and mourn; rush here and there inside the walls, for Molek will go into exile, together with his priests and officials. Why do you boast of your valleys, boast of your valleys so fruitful? Unfaithful Daughter Ammon, you trust in your riches and say, Who will attack me? I will bring terror on you from all those around you, declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. Every one of you will be driven away, and no one will gather the fugitives. Yet afterward, I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites, declares the Lord.
This is what the Lord Almighty says: Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed? Turn and flee, hide in deep caves, you who live in Dedan, for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time when I punish him. If grape pickers came to you,
would they not leave a few grapes? If thieves came during the night, would they not steal only as much as they wanted? But I will strip Esau bare; I will uncover his hiding places, so that he cannot conceal himself. His armed men are destroyed, also his allies and neighbors, so there is no one to say, Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive. Your widows too can depend on me. This is what the Lord says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, why should you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. I swear by Myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah will become a ruin and a curse, an object of horror and reproach; and all its towns will be in ruins forever.” I have heard a message from the Lord; an envoy was sent to the nations to say, Assemble yourselves to attack it! Rise up for battle!”
would they not leave a few grapes? If thieves came during the night, would they not steal only as much as they wanted? But I will strip Esau bare; I will uncover his hiding places, so that he cannot conceal himself. His armed men are destroyed, also his allies and neighbors, so there is no one to say, Leave your fatherless children; I will keep them alive. Your widows too can depend on me. This is what the Lord says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup must drink it, why should you go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. I swear by Myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah will become a ruin and a curse, an object of horror and reproach; and all its towns will be in ruins forever.” I have heard a message from the Lord; an envoy was sent to the nations to say, Assemble yourselves to attack it! Rise up for battle!”
Now I will make you small among the nations, despised by mankind. The terror you inspire and the pride of your heart have deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks, who occupy the heights of the hill. Though you build your nest as high as the eagle’s, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord. Edom will become an object of horror; all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff because of all its wounds. As Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, along with their neighboring towns, says the Lord, so no one will live there; no people will dwell in it. Like a lion coming up from Jordan’s thickets to a rich pastureland, I will chase Edom from its land in an instant. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? Who is like me and who can challenge me? And what shepherd can stand against me? Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom, what he has purposed against those who live in Teman: The young of the flock will be dragged away; their pasture will be appalled at their fate. At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble; their cry will resound to the Red Sea. Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down, spreading its wings over Bozrah.
In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are dismayed, for they have heard bad news. They are disheartened, troubled like the restless sea. Damascus has become feeble, she has turned to flee and panic has gripped her; anguish and pain have seized her, pain like that of a woman in labor. Why has the city of renown not been abandoned, the town in which I delight? Surely, her young men will fall in the streets; all her soldiers will be silenced in that day,” declares the Lord Almighty. I will set fire to the walls of Damascus; it will consume the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.
Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon attacked: This is what the Lord says: Arise, and attack Kedar and destroy the people of the East. Their tents and their flocks will be taken; their shelters will be carried off with all their goods and camels. People will shout to them, Terror on every side! Flee quickly away! Stay in deep caves, you who live in Hazor,” declares the Lord. “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has plotted against you; he has devised a plan against you. Arise and attack a nation at ease, which lives in confidence, declares the Lord, a nation that has neither gates nor bars; its people live far from danger. Their camels will become plunder, and their large herds will be spoils of war. I will scatter to the winds those who are in distant places and will bring disaster on them from every side, declares the Lord. Hazor will become a haunt of jackals, a desolate place forever. No one will live there; no people will dwell in it.” This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, early in the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah: This is what the Lord Almighty says: See, I will break the bow of Elam, the mainstay of their might. I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of heaven; I will scatter them to the four winds, and there will not be a nation where Elam’s exiles do not go. I will shatter Elam before their foes, before those who want to kill them; I will bring disaster on them, even my fierce anger, declares the Lord. I will pursue them with the sword until I have made an end of them. I will set my throne in Elam and destroy her king and officials, declares the Lord. Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come, declares the Lord." May the Lord add a blessing to the reading nd hearing of his Word.
We are coming to the end of the book of Jeremiah and God is winding it up. For the better part of 40 chapters God has pleaded with Judah to stop their idol worship and because of their sin He has allowed their captivity by different cultures and tribes and every culture and tribe that has coveted Israel is now being destroyed because regardless of Israel's sins God's promises never waiver. Israel will be restored. God does not alter His response to us because of our sin--we are alienated from Him because of sin. Its like the concept of sunshine; just because the clouds hide the ability for us to see the sun does not alter the fact that the sun is still there. Likewise the sin of man blocks the ability of man to benefit from the relationship we have with God. God is so rock steady. You never have to wonder about Him. I had a devotional this week in Psalms 23:4 where David thanks God that His rod and staff were a comfort to David. When I have read and thought about that passage before I always focused on the fact that God's rod and staff was protecting David but this time I saw another meaning. God provides rods and staffs to not only protect us but also to assist us. When you take a walking stick on a journey it serves as a device to assist you in your footing. This is the nature of God through Jesus. As Christians we are the recipients of the Support that comes through Christ. Our Rod and Staff is Jesus who not only beats off our enemies but also supports us! Hallelujah!
When I testify that God is real and an on time God some of my friends smile and say "I am glad you are on a spiritual journey"; unbelievers think I am delusional; some people may wonder why I talk about Jesus so much. My experience with God daily is that He wants me to involve Him in EVERY aspect of my life that IS IMPORTANT TO ME AT THE TIME IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME. If I need help with a parking space I pray for one. If I need help with making payroll I pray for it. If I need help with recruiting staff I pray for it. God knows me and and deals with me JUST THE WAY I AM. He doesn't demean my needs or my prayers, He just deals with them which frees my up to think and dwell on the more important things of life--how to love Him with all my heart and soul and then to love my neighbor as God has loved us. He takes care of everything else when we turn it over to Him!
When you come to know God you can't help but love Him. When you really come to know Him, you are compelled to tell everyone about this GREAT God who takes care of every detail; who is always good on His promises;whose love is not based on anything we can do or say because it is based on His promise to us. His love is so pure and rich; you can't run from it or hide from it! Hallelujah!
Now may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.
Stephanie
No comments:
Post a Comment