Short Reflection from Jeremiah 21-36

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (OVU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟚𝟙:𝟝

"I Myself will war against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, even in anger and wrath and great indignation."

It's possible that sometimes God is fighting against us. Not just we fighting against God.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟚𝟚:𝟙𝟛

"Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness And his upper rooms without justice, Who uses his neighbor's services without pay And does not give him his wages,"

Let's remember this as we build our careers, reputation, home, family, and relationships. God sees everything and we will give an account to Him!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟚𝟛:𝟚𝟠

"‘The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?’ declares the LORD."

There will always be false teachers, disqualified preachers, unqualified teachers. The minister of God should also keep on doing his assigned duty without resignation.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟚𝟜:𝟛

“Then the LORD said to me, "What do you see, Jeremiah?" And I said, "Figs, the good figs, very good; and the bad figs, very bad, which cannot be eaten due to rottenness."”

There are no okay figs, not even good figs or bad figs. They were very good or very bad figs.

They were the object of God's favor or God's wrath. Even the NT says whether we are gathering with Christ or we are scattering with Satan.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟚𝟝:𝟛𝟘

"Therefore you shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say to them, ‘The LORD will roar from on high And utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, Against all the inhabitants of the earth.’"

God is compared to a mighty lion about to go hunting, to devour the prey. Let everyone fear the Lord!

 

[2:08 pm, 09/07/2022] S.R: 𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟚𝟞:𝟚𝟜

"But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he was not given into the hands of the people to put him to death."

It might be that some big shot will protect us in the Providence of God. We must be faithful to our calling, but we can be kind to all the people we meet!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟚𝟟:𝟙𝟚-𝟙𝟛

“I spoke words like all these to Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, "Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live! Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, famine and pestilence, as the LORD has spoken to that nation which will not serve the king of Babylon?"”

Thinking about this for already a month now. Sometimes it's the only right way to exist even if the multitude says otherwise.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟚𝟠:𝟙𝟜

"For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they will serve him. And I have also given him the beasts of the field.""

Not just the kings but even the beasts. God ordained Nebuchadnezzar to be the great king. Is NaMo the version of Nebuchadnezzar? All the states of India are bowing to his party nowadays!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟚𝟡:𝟟

"Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare."

God has a plan for His people beyond their comfort zone (their country). They were taken into captivity by force, but like Joseph, they shall be kept from utter harm by the Lord. Let's remember this no matter where we have been taken to. God is still everywhere.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟛𝟘:𝟙𝟙

"'For I am with you,' declares the LORD, 'to save you; For I will destroy completely all the nations where I have scattered you, Only I will not destroy you completely. But I will chasten you justly And will by no means leave you unpunished.'"

The difference between God's people and the rest of the peoples.

God will destroy others completely.

God will chasten and even punish His people but not destroy them completely.

Taking refuge in God is not only the best way but the only way!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟛𝟙:𝟛

"The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.’"

God will not stop loving because it's everlasting love. This is furthermore illustrated in v37. Many times, Christians wonder whether God stops loving, it's impossible.

I will praise God for His everlasting love.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟛𝟚:𝟚𝟟

"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?"

The omnipotence of God! He can and He will do everything for His good purpose!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟛𝟛:𝟙𝟙

"the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say, ‘Give thanks to the LORD of hosts, For the LORD is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting’; 'and of those who bring a thank offering into the house of the LORD. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,' says the LORD."

Those who know the lovingkindness of God are joyful, grateful, and generous!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟛𝟜:𝟙𝟟

"Therefore thus says the LORD, 'You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming release each man to his brother and each man to his neighbor. Behold, I am proclaiming a release to you,' declares the LORD, 'to the sword, to the pestilence and to the famine; and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth."

Kindness to servants, employees, subordinates, juniors. God demands it.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟛𝟝:𝟙𝟠-𝟙𝟡

"Then Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father, kept all his commands and done according to all that he commanded you; therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me always."'"

Indeed, there's a blessing from the Lord upon those who obey their parents in the Lord! Ephesians 6:1.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟛𝟞:𝟚𝟞

"And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the LORD hid them."

The Lord knows how to protect His people from enemies!

To Love

Admire me for what I am good at

Love me for what I am bad at

 

If you love me for what I am good at

And hate me for what I am bad at

We will be miserable because you will find that

I have more “bad at” than “good at”

 

And I intend to do the same with you

At all things, to admire you and love you

 

Anyone can love us for what we are good at

And people will hate us for what we are bad at

Let our love for one another cause us to love

Especially when we are unlovely and guilty of

 

That's difficult, but that's the love

I've decided to love you, and would ask you too, my love

 

I think that's the love that pleases the Lord

The love we must afford

The love that's true and rare

The love that endures without despair.

Short Reflection from Jeremiah 1-20

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (OVU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

[5:07 pm, 15/06/2022] S.R: 𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟙:𝟙𝟡

"‘They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you,’ declares the LORD."

It was surely God’s call, and yet it wasn’t easy.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟚:𝟙𝟡

"Your own wickedness will correct you, And your apostasies will reprove you; Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter For you to forsake the LORD your God, And the dread of Me is not in you," declares the Lord GOD of hosts."

The way of a sinner is hard. It's suffering, sorrowful, and wasting!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟛:𝟙𝟛

"'Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the LORD your God And have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree, And you have not obeyed My voice,' declares the LORD."

Let's learn to acknowledge before God in prayer, submission, and trust that we aren't wise, aren't good, aren't able, aren't strong, but He is!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟜:𝟚𝟚

"For My people are foolish, They know Me not; They are stupid children And have no understanding. They are shrewd to do evil, But to do good they do not know."

This can be said of this time too!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟝:𝟚𝟝

'Your iniquities have turned these away, And your sins have withheld good from you.'

Sin will keep us away from blessing. It always is.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟞:𝟙𝟛

"For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, And from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely."

Look at the indictment!

Read again this accusation!

Think about this verse in our present world.

Greedy. Hi-fi living. Oppression. Cheating. Scamming. Only for profit. Materialistic.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟟:𝟜

"Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.'"

Notice the repetition. It's not by profession but by practicing the principles!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟠:𝟚𝟙

"For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken; I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me."

Jeremiah, being a true leader of Israel wept for his people!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟡:𝟚𝟛-𝟚𝟜

"Thus says the LORD, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD."

This is one of the reasons why I delight to know God more and more. We tend to boast in what we are good at. And oftentimes that's sinful. But there's a legitimate boasting which is in the Lord—knowing Him!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟙𝟘:𝟚𝟜

'Correct me, O LORD, but with justice; Not with Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing."

Indeed, who can bear the wrath of God?

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟙𝟙:𝟙𝟜

"Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not listen when they call to Me because of their disaster."

I want to be prayerful as Jeremiah.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟙𝟚:𝟝

"If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, Then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, How will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?"

With God, the man of God should find adequacy for anything! No complaints. No dismay!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟙𝟛:𝟙𝟞

"Give glory to the LORD your God, Before He brings darkness And before your feet stumble On the dusky mountains, And while you are hoping for light He makes it into deep darkness, And turns it into gloom."

To live for God's glory is not an option nor a suggestion, it's a commandment. It's not just a simple commandment, it's a consequential commandment. There's destruction coming for those who wouldn't!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟙𝟜:𝟙𝟞

"The people also to whom they are prophesying will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and there will be no one to bury them--neither them, nor their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters--for I will pour out their own wickedness on them."

It's dangerous to listen to only things we would like to hear (false hope, fake news, false teaching). If a sermon doesn't convict you of your sin or convict you to live a godly life or convict you to sorrow over sins in this world, most probably you aren't hearing from God or you are just accumulating judgment for the last day!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟙𝟝:𝟙𝟠

“Why has my pain been perpetual And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream With water that is unreliable?”

If your life is hard, remember Jeremiah's life.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟙𝟞:𝟚

"You shall not take a wife for yourself nor have sons or daughters in this place."

That's the reason why I am still single in Delhi 😆😂 Westminster Catechism of Faith says that "undue delay of marriage is a violation of the seventh commandment"

Commit your marriage (desire/plan) to the Lord!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟙𝟟:𝟙𝟛

"O LORD, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD."

Don't ever think of forsaking God even if you feel forsaken by God.

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟙𝟠:𝟜

"But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make."

An unregenerate mind doesn't and cannot appreciate the concept that God is the Potter and we are the clay. He can and does according to His will. That's so good!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟙𝟡:𝟙𝟘-𝟙𝟙

“Then you are to break the jar in the sight of the men who accompany you and say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Just so will I break this people and this city, even as one breaks a potter's vessel, which cannot again be repaired; and they will bury in Topheth because there is no other place for burial."’”

God has the plan to break the wicked people into pieces. Endure the world!

 

𝕁𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟚𝟘:𝟡

"But if I say, ‘I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,’ Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot endure it."

There are times when I don't want to proclaim anymore, but (and) the experience of Jeremiah is true. After all, it's God's message. The response of the people is not important, the charge to proclaim is.

Short Reflection from Isaiah 54-66

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟝𝟜:𝟞

"‘For the LORD has called you, Like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, Even like a wife of one's youth when she is rejected,’ Says your God."

When there's a break-up, the ladies are more devastated than the men, what? 😬😂

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟝𝟝:𝟙-𝟚

"Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance."

There are times (very frequently) I feel like wasting my time, energy, and hope on things that are not glorifying God and satisfying my soul. And I realize delighting in the attributes of God and in His word is the only remedy, cure, and my ultimate satisfaction!

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟝𝟞:𝟛

"Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely separate me from His people." Nor let the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree.""

God is exclusive and inclusive. Exclusive of those who wouldn't put their trust in Him, and inclusive of all those who trust Him!

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟝𝟟:𝟚𝟙

"‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.’"

Some people think they can live without God. But at what cost? The Scripture says, "There's no peace for the wicked, yes here and yonder."

He is a fool who does not choose to follow God because he has removed himself from the favor of God!

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟝𝟠:𝟙𝟛-𝟙𝟜

"If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holy day, 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕔𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕤𝕒𝕓𝕓𝕒𝕥𝕙 𝕒 𝕕𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥, the holy day of the LORD honorable, And honor it, desisting from your own ways, From seeking your own pleasure And speaking your own word, Then you will 𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕕𝕖𝕝𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕃𝕆ℝ𝔻, And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

Delighting in God. There's a promise in that, blessings in it. How have we spent our Sunday?

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟝𝟡:𝟙-𝟚

"Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear."

Do I struggle to delight in God? Does God seem so far from me? The solution is Repentance—to turn back to God. “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7, NASB).

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟞𝟘:𝟙

"Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you."

God's design for His people is to enjoy the glory of God. It's to live in the light. The world is dark with sin and the schemes of the devil. Yet, we, who are in Christ live in the light of Christ. A day is coming when the darkness will be cast out completely from our lives and our world!

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟞𝟙:𝟚

"To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,"

The coming of Jesus is not only good news but bad news too. Good news for those who need Him, bad news for those who neglect Him. Salvation for those who hope on Him, Damnation on those who live their own lives!

But for a believer, the salvation of the righteous and the damnation of the unrighteous are good. For they shall be vindicated, comforted, established, and exalted!

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟞𝟚:𝟜-𝟝

"It will no longer be said to you, "Forsaken," Nor to your land will it any longer be said, "Desolate"; But you will be called, "My delight is in her," And your land, "Married"; For the LORD delights in you, And to Him your land will be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, So your sons will marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So your God will rejoice over you."

What a wonderful plan God has for His people. They were forsaken, divorced, and desolate, but God will have His delight on them again!

If we are truly a child of God, no matter what our circumstances may be now, God makes sure that everything works out for our own good!

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟞𝟛:𝟟

"I shall make mention of the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, According to all that the LORD has granted us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has granted them according to His compassion And according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses."

I am not Isaiah but I have many moments in life where the remembrance of lovingkindness is my only comfort.

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟞𝟜:𝟞

"For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."

Putin or Hitler is not worse than Gandhi in the eyes of God. The best deeds of the best human being on earth are as filthy rags before God.

A spoonful of water and a bucket of water makes no difference when you add them into an ocean. God's standard of righteousness is an ocean of water if our righteousness is spoonful or cupful or bucketful of water.

 

𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟞𝟝:𝟚

"I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in the way which is not good, following their own thoughts"

It's a picture of God pleading with His people to come back to Him. It shows the loving nature of God, the patience of God, the goodness of God, and also the stubbornness and foolishness of the human heart.

 

[8:56 pm, 07/03/2022] S.R: 𝕀𝕤𝕒𝕚𝕒𝕙 𝟞𝟞:𝟚

"‘For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,’ declares the LORD. ‘But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.’"

Humility is a great Christian virtue!