July 27

Jeremiah 5 and 6

Today I was speaking to a friend at work who is going through a very difficult
time in his life. He told me that he recently started going to church again and
spends a lot of time in prayer. He said when he goes to church and hears the
message, he feels like the pastor is speaking directly to him. He feels God
speaking to him about his present situation.

In today's reading, God is trying to get the attention of his people.
Unfortunately, they are not listening. They refuse to walk in the way that is
good and refuse to listen the Lord's words (6:16-21). Then God uses stronger
means to get their attention. He will send adversaries after them. Their cities
will be destroyed and all their possessions will be devoured. They will be
forced to serve foreign masters as punishment for forsaking God and His ways
(5:14-19). Despite all their sins, God promises that He will not destroy them
completely. God loves His people and wants what is best for them. He wants them
to learn to walk in the way of good and find rest for their souls.


God still wants these same things for us today. He wants us to walk in His ways
and find rest. When we don't listen, sometimes our lives need to be turned
upside down in order for us to stop and pay attention. My heart breaks for my
friend who is hurting right now, but I am also glad and thankful that his heart
is turning to the Lord. God always wants what is best for us and He wants us to live joyful lives. I hope that we will all learn to listen God and follow His ways so that we can all find rest.

July 26

"Your own conduct and actions
have brought this upon you.
This is your punishment.
How bitter it is!
How it pierces to the heart!"
Oh, my anguish, my anguish!
I writhe in pain.
Oh, the agony of my heart!
My heart pounds within me,
I cannot keep silent. (Jeremiah 4:18-19)

Do you think these are just Jeremiah's words and feelings? I can't help but think that God might have felt the same way. As we read the prophet's words to Israel and Judah about their guilt, do you wonder what was going on in God’s heart?

God is not vulnerable and needy as humans are. He is complete in Himself and does not need to be validated and fulfilled by our love. And yet somehow at the same time He is joyous for us or suffers when we suffer, He fully and lavishly loves us - yes, to the point of dying for us. He also says to us: I can’t keep silent.

July 26: Jeremiah the Weeping Prophet

Today's passage marks the beginning of Jeremiah's prophetic ministry. As the commentator notes, Jeremiah received a special call to ministry from God Himself. His words of gloom would stand in stark contrast to the empty promises of "peace, peace" that the people wished to hear. The nation's desire for such comfort -- even if false -- falls in line with the warnings of Paul in his final letter, 2 Timothy:

"In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."
　
I would like to highlight two elements from today's passage:

1. God's call for Jeremiah. God had ordained Jeremiah's long ministry before his very existence:
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew [or chose] you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (1:4,5)

Jeremiah initially resists God's call, pointing to his youth and unpracticed public speaking skills. Yet, he does not resist after God reiterates: "You must go to everyone I send you to and say what I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you."

We may sometimes resist taking on the challenges of living out our faith and the call that God has made for our lives. If you are struggling with what God's call may be for your life, I'd encourage you to search the Scriptures (as we are doing this year) and write down those expressions of His will, such as, for example, "flee" sexual sin. Certainly such knowledge will help to renew your mind and to set your heart on choosing what God desires. Yet, in addition, we must have a heart experience of the presence of the Living God. In each of the prophets, we find people to whom God had chosen to reveal Himself. His presence before them compelled them to carry out the ministries He had laid out for them.
　

2. Forsaking the Glory of the Lord. Jeremiah's prophecy offers several helpful images to portray the people's abandonment and forsaking of God's glory:
"Has a nation ever changed its gods?
(Yet there are not gods at all.)
But my people have exchanged their [or my] Glory
for worthless idols."

"They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water."
　
The nation had chosen to follow after created things rather than the Creator. I love the image of the "spring of living water." Jesus Himself refers to the Holy Spirit's presence in believers as "streams of living water" in John 7:37-39. Have you experienced that living water, which only comes from God Himself? The world's substitutes will not satisfy!
　
　
QUESTIONS

1. How may you experience the presence of the Living God in order that you may more fully understand and follow His call for your life?

2. How might you thank the Lord for His "living water" today? Seek Him for His very presence.

July 20

Isaiah 60-64

There were several things that stood out to me from chapter 64:

1) God is big and holy and powerful.
"Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you."

2) There is no one like God.
"Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways."

3) God has everything in our lives under His control.
"Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand."

I think its important to reminder ourselves just how small we are and just how big God is. We often feel that we can control or plan everything in our lives. Unfortunately, we couldn't be further from the truth. God is our Creator and Father. He has everything in His hands, including those things that we don't understand.

I'm reading a book called North by Northwestern by Sig Hansen (he's one of the featured captains on Deadliest Catch, a show on Discovery channel.) The book is a history of his family of fisherman, going back generations in Norway. He is currently a fisherman on the Bering Sea (between Alaska and Russia). He tells a story of another vessel that was suppose to leave Seattle and head up to Alaska at the same time as his boat, the Northwestern. The Northwestern had engine difficulties and their departure was delayed for a few days. The other boat left on time and told Sig they would see him up in Alaska. Sadly, that boat and the people on it were never seen again. Sig wrote that this was a very difficult time for him, not only because all those men on that ship were his friends, but also because he felt that if the Northwestern had been there, they possibly could have done something to help. He writes, "I've never gone to church regularly; it's nearly impossible when you're at sea most of the year. In spite of that, I'm a believer. The power of the ocean makes me realize what a tiny place I occupy in the universe, and that despite all our best efforts, we have little control over our destiny. The work I do has forced me to contemplate death - to wonder why one man lives and another man dies. The answer to these questions is simply beyond the grasp of any mortal. All I can do is pray for my safety and pray for the safety of my family and crew."

Sig Hansen is reminded daily just how little he controls what goes on in his life. Fifty foot waves, hurricane force winds, rain, snow, and ice are constantly being thrown at him and his fellow fishermen. In Fairfield County, CT, it's easy for us to forget as we sit comfortably in our homes and enjoy modern conveniences. But for us to think that we can control our lives is just as ridiculous as thinking we can control a hurricane.

Fully surrender your life to the Potter, God, our Father. No matter what comes our way, He is powerful, He is in control, and He loves us very much.

July 19

I love today's reading because it is good to know and good to remember who we are and who God is; what God has done, what we’ve done in return, and what God has done in return.

1. It is sin that seperates us from God.
People might think: If God is out there He must not care for me because He is silent. But God tells us through today’s reading that because we are so blinded by our sin and guilt, that we can’t see Him:

“Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.
But your iniquities have separated
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59:1-2)

Some of us might exaclty know what our iniquities are. Some of us might say: I haven’t been too bad. I’m a pretty good person. But remember we are all born sinners. We all have sinned. And God is holy. He said it in the reading today: “I live in a high and holy place” (Isaiah 57:15)

Sin and the holy God who is in a high place cannot coexist. So how do we get to talk and walk freely with God again, as Adam and Eve did at frist?

2. Because of His love, God forgives us and restores us
What is God to do? He loves us because He created us. He says it:

"I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
I will not accuse forever,
nor will I always be angry,
for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me—
the breath of man that I have created.
...(Isaiah 57:15-19)

3. God provides salvation from sin.
So in His love, God provides the solution.

"The Redeemer will come to Zion,
to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,"
declares the LORD. (Isaiah 59:20)

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ became the bridge between sin and a holy God.

"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:36-38)

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

4. God leads us to a better place
If we truley know God, we will also know the change in out hearts and lives. We might be religious, we might feel a zeal for spirituality and ask God for blessings. But God says that such things are empty if we are at the same time unjust, turn our backs to the poort and fight with each other. Our love for God translates to the way we live.

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? (Isaiah 58:6-7)

It is amazing to read Isaiah now and look forward to when we’ll be reading through the Gospels and we will see how Jesus taught the same things. Bookmark God’s words. It is always encouraging to see the consistency of God’s character.

July 18: Isaiah 54 to 56

Today's passage continues the redemptive themes of the second half of Isaiah. The fulfillment of these verses will come, in part, at the restoration of Israel after the nation's sin-spawned exile. The full realization of these promises will apparently come through the Second Coming of our Risen King, Jesus Christ.

God explains that His redemptive plan will restore Israel like a rejected wife:

"'For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,'
says the LORD your Redeemer."
　

The Lord will not remove the blessings of redemption again, much as He promised not to flood the earth during the time of Noah:

"'Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,'
says the LORD, who has compassion on you."
　

That restoration will be glorious and will offer full rest and provision. The nation may have full security in God's protection from enemies, and there will be no more need or want. Yet, this sure redemption will come for those who have sought after the Lord:

"Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon."
　

In this passage, we also read about God's sovereignty and the efficacy of God's revelation through His Word. While the world's daily affairs often appear random, God's thoughts and plans do reign over all. His Word will indeed bring truth, conviction, and ultimately joy:

"... So is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands."
　

In 2 Timothy 3:15-17, we read: "... From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

In addition, Isaiah promises that salvation will come to the Gentiles, too. This plan of restoration and redemption steps far beyond what the Israelites' minds would have comprehended. Its grandeur and ambition could only come from "the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were." (Romans 4:17c)
　

QUESTIONS

1. What areas of your life or your community could use God's redemption?

2. In what ways has the revelation of God's Word changed you over the past week? Month? Year?

July 13

Isaiah 41, 42, 43

Isaiah 43:1-7
But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.
I will say to the north, 'Give them up!'
and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.'
Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth-
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made."

Today's passage is a nice reminder that even though we face hardships and go through difficult times, God never forgets about us or leaves us alone. We may pass through water or fire, but we will not be swept away and we will not be set ablaze. This is because we belong to God and He loves us more than we can imagine.

Last week, Travis and I were driving home after visiting family in Michigan for two weeks. It's about a 20 hour trip by car so we divided it over two days, stopping somewhere in western Pennsylvania overnight. As we were resting in our hotel room, I started thinking about the first time Travis and I traveled to Connecticut almost 9 years ago. Just like last week, we had stopped in a hotel in PA on our way to a job interview at Sikorsky in Stratford. I was terrified at the idea of possibly moving to Connecticut, far away from everything and everyone I knew in Michigan. Travis was with me, but I felt so alone. I didn't think I could make it through this fear. Nine years later, Travis and I own a house, have jobs that provide our needs, and have the love and support of a wonderful church family.

We faced a lot of hardships since that first stay in a Pennsylvania hotel. But through everything, God has brought us through without being swept away and He has provided us with more than I could possibly have imagined. Remember that God is always there and He will never leave you.

July 12

We got questioned a lot in today's reading:

"Do you not know?"

"Have you not heard?"

"Has it not been told to you...?"

"Have you not understood?"

"Who created all these?"

"Who has understood the mind of God?"

"To whom, then, will you compare God?"

We were reminded of the greatness of God who created the heavens and the earth in comparison to which the human life is as vulnerable as grass. We were also reminded that even though God justly punished the sin of Judah and Israel, He was quick to comfort them and remind them how much He loves them:

"He tends his flock like a shepherd:

He gathers the lambs in his arms

and carries them close to his heart;

he gently leads those that have young." (Isaiah 40:11)

Have you not heard what happens when you are gathered in God's flock? When you surrender to Him and are God's sheep? He carries you close to his heart! Everything He does is for our good, everything He does is because He loves us. I do forget this sometimes, I really do. I get into the thinking that God has a big master plan for the world (which He does) and my relationship with Him just fits somehow in that plan. And then God would tenderly remind, like He did to His people back then through Isaiah, that it is the master plan that facilitates the relationship you and I have with God! That it has been God's plan all along to make it happen. The God who created the mountains which cannot be weighed on the scales, also created you, who is as fragile in life as the grass, He created you to care for you and love you. He gathered you form 'the ends of the earth,' and from 'the farthest corners' to be His. All that God has done from Creation till now leads you to Him and carries you close to His heart. So that you will be gently shepherd by Him: the unbound, great, extravagantly loving God. It blows me away every time!

These are great verses to just ponder:

"Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 20:28-31)

July 5

Isaiah's prophecy is tough to listen to. He speaks of final destruction, of devastation of the earth, and of punishing people for their sin. Then he speaks of restoration where there is no more suffering, only rejoicing. I wonder what did the people of Judah thought when they first heard these words. His prophecy if full of symbolism about major things that are to happen. Some are scary, other full of hope. How did the people of Judah accept that? Those same questions are valid for us. Even though we can't understand everything, the tone is clear. The urgency for turning away from sin and following God is clear to me. God is righteous and just and that wickedness has to be punished. Yet, it is also clear in God's message through Isaiah that there is salvation possible from sin:

In that day they will say,

"Surely this is our God;

we trusted in him, and he saved us.

This is the LORD, we trusted in him;

let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."(Isaiah 25:9)

But only the redeemed will walk there,

and the ransomed of the LORD will return. (Isaiah 35:9-10)

The people of Judah didn't know how at that time, but we now have seen that the Messiah was born and that he provided the way to be saved. Jesus already bore our punishment when he was crucified. The righteous who will be saved are not people who've never sinned (no such people), but those who accept what Jesus has done for them, repent from sin and are redeemed by their faith in Jesus. Salvation is a gift from God to be accepted:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." (Romans: 1:16-17)

God gives hope for everyone who believes, hope for a full redemption of the world, when there will be no more suffering, even no more death. The earth will be restored and those redeemed in Christ will see it. This is something worth looking forward to! How do we accept God's words? How do we understand them. How do we believe them as truth? Seek to know Him more every day. Ask Him. God is not afraid of questions. He will explain at the right time the things we need to know.

July 4: The Reforms of Hezekiah

Today's reading highlights the reforms of Hezekiah, king of Judah, from 2 Chronicles. King Hezekiah seeks to reverse the damaging effects of religious intermingling and half-hearted devotion to the Lord that had drawn both Israel and Judah into a spiritually led, national death-spiral. These reforms would not forestall the forthcoming exile, but they do provide important lessons on spiritual leadership and the imperative of seeking the Lord above all else.
1. Hezekiah calls people to a high standard, and they follow! Hezekiah did not "aim low" as the many of his predecessors had. Instead, he calls the Levite to a firm plan of action: "Listen to me, Levites! Consectrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Rmove all defilement from the sacntuary." As A. W. Tozer noted, no society has ever risen above its view of God. Hezekiah's call acted upon that principle, urging full obedience.
Furthermore, people tend to rise to the levels of expectations that they have set for themselves or that others have implicitly or explicitly communicated to them. As an aside, I was reading an interesting book about cognitive theory this weekend, and the author mentioned a fascinating study. Psychologists offered a reasonable test to schoolchildren, who were praised either for their (innate) intelligence or for their hard work upon finishing the exam. The scientists then asked the schoolchildren if they would like to proceed with the next test, giving them two options: one that was deemed to be along the lines of the first test and another that would provide a challenge but would offer helpful learning opportunities. The students who had received feedback about their hard work were much more inclined to pursue the second exam, and, among all those that chose the second exam, the "hard-work" students were much more patient to work out the questions on the second exam. Upon returning to a third test, the "hard-work" students showed a 30% improvement over their results on the first exam. What messages do we communicate to our students? To ourselves?
　
2. He distinguished between tradition and God's plan. Hezekiah recognized the shortcomings of the previous generations: "Our fathers were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the LORd our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the LORD's dwelling place and turned their backs on him." It is crucial to determine between what is cultural and biblical. The "red-blooded" American view on matters may not square with Scripture; for example, our "natural" tendency is to condone (or even promote) sexual promiscuity in pre-marital relationships.
　
3. He came before the Lord to seek God's grace for the people. He sought to deliver God's grace to those who were seeking the Lord: "May the LORD, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God--the LORD, the God of his fathers--even if he is not cleaning according to the rules of sanctuary." God responded favorably to this prayer. Indeed, God does look into human hearts and search over the whole earth for those who desire His presence.
　
QUESTIONS
1. What level of commitment do you look for in yourself?
2. Are you willing to forsake previous patterns if you become convicted that they do not line up with Scripture?