Unbelievable devastation came upon Babylon and Jerusalem, all because they resisted God. Wealth, resources, art, and historical worship articles were hauled off by spoilers because of the reprobate ideologies that prevailed.

God has no regard for the things men accumulate nor is He impressed by their station in life. He is looking for souls who want Him and His way of living. To them He will give all they really need to survive and live in health.

Christ is ALL we need.

No Jesus, no life. Know Jesus, know life.

READ/HEAR: Jer. 51.52

God uses Jeremiah’s pen to speak doom to nations that have sinned against Him, nations such as Babylon who have abused His people. “Babylon the great has fallen.”

God’s enemies will all assume the posture of worship, falling down before Him. They stand in their false strength for only a time. Then, when God’s cup is full against them, He arranges other nations and the elements to bring about their demise.

Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. [Nahum 1:6,7]

READ/HEAR: Jer. 49,50

Jeremiah predicted that the nation of Moab would be destroyed because of their defiant arrogance against the Lord.  Little did they know that God would not let it continue against Him. His judgement was to come with swiftness and horror. Their end came at the hand of southern tribes during the Persian period.

The point is that defiance and arrogance against God WILL be punished. They build a case against themselves, those who adopt a similar posture. If it goes unconfessed and unpardoned, God will retaliate.

Everyday we see persons on TV who display utter contempt for God. He sees it and will repay. Our wisest posture would be to pray for them rather than despising them.

READ/HEAR: Jer. 45-48

A substantial group of leftover Jews who had been through a coup and unsettling instability in the Holy Land sought to find their solace in Egypt. They wanted to run and hide. They asked Jeremiah to seek the Lord to confirm their plan … but God said, “No. Don’t go.”

Sadly, their disobedient resistance resulted in their massacre and starvation. Going against God NEVER turns out good.

Jesus brought grace and truth to us, along with His teachings and warnings. Gratefully, His Holy Spirit lives within us and provides that always-right inner voice that guides us through life. When we begin going our own way, against the grain of His leading, He gently but firmly guides us into truth and blessing.

Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” [Jn. 15:5b]

READ/HEAR: Jer. 41-44

King Zedekiah was instructed by Jeremiah to surrender himself to the King of Babylon. “You will be preserved if you do,” was Jeremiah’s advice to him. He couldn’t see it. He chose rather to hunker down and try to preserve his own life in his own way. Mistake! Because of his disobedience to God’s prophet, he was tortured to see all his sons slaughtered in front of him. Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, had Zedekiah’s eyes put out and carried away in chains to be a prisoner the rest of his life.

We think we have a better plan for our lives than God does. If we do, we’re like Zedekiah who forsook the mercy God extended to him.

“Whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”  [Matt. 7:24,25]

READ/HEAR: Jer. 39,40

Jeremiah remained faithful to his message. He didn’t change it to provide relief or benefit to himself. Being cast into a dungeon and then falsely accused and imprisoned further, he held to his convictions the entire time. He was a REAL MAN.

Eugene Peterson, author of The Message paraphrase of the Bible, once said “Christian leaders need to just be themselves.” I think he meant, don’t try to change who you are to be a more popular leader … in essence, don’t be a Christian chameleon.

We all have a life’s message or flavor. Only in a sincere and wholehearted commitment to Christ can we truly find that message. Once we have it, we should live it out by faith every single day.

 ^“May the God of peace make you holy through and through. May you be kept in soul and mind and body in spotless integrity until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is utterly faithful and He will finish what He has set out to do.” [1 Thess. 5:23,24 from the JB Phillips paraphrase]

READ/HEAR: Jer. 37,38

Jeremiah paid dearly for the honor he had as God’s prophet to the nations. Imprisonments, beatings, rejection and ridicule all were parts of his life, yet we are still gleaning from his writings today.

I don’t personally know anyone who has paid such a price for God’s anointing. We seem to have a pill or remedy for any little suffering we encounter. Nevertheless, we walk in the grace and faith that God gives us and trust Him to use our lives and the experiences we have to assist others in this journey.

“ No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.”  [1 Cor. 10:13]

READ/HEAR: Jer. 34-36

God’s second message through Jeremiah was that He would repair and restore His people and their city, Jerusalem, that had been devastated. He would give them a New King, a descendant of David, Who would make everything right. That King is Jesus and the people to be repaired is us.

A restored auto has greater value than a new one. A restored life likewise has greater significance and value than an unblemished one. It’s the miracle of the new birth, the Salvation that Christ offers because of His sin sacrifice on the cross.

READ/HEAR: Jer. 33

Over 50 years ago, John Oliver introduced me to Patty Beck. She was to become my wife and the mother of our four children. I’m so grateful to John for his part in our life together.

Today John and his daughter, Angie, are spending Thanksgiving with us. It will be a chance for me to introduce John to our family which wouldn’t be in existence if he had not have made that fateful introduction.

Let’s all be grateful for the important and significant people in our lives. Tell them how much you love them. John, I love you and am thankful for your friendship all these years.

READ/HEAR: Jer. 32

God paid the ransom for His children who had been taken into exile. He brought them back to Zion. As they climbed the ascent to Jerusalem, their faces were beaming because they were returning to their home, where God’s presence was. He lavished His bounty upon them as they returned.

When the lost return to God, He has a great and bountiful supply of blessing awaiting them. His unconditional love overflows to them as they abandon their resistance and give in to God’s embrace.

“There’s a new name written down in glory … a sinner has come home.”