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Jeremiah 47 (ESV)

¹ The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh struck down Gaza.

² “Thus says the Lord:
Behold, waters are rising out of the north,
and shall become an overflowing torrent;
they shall overflow the land and all that fills it,
the city and those who dwell in it.
Men shall cry out,
and every inhabitant of the land shall wail.
³ At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his stallions,
at the rushing of his chariots, at the rumbling of their wheels,
the fathers look not back to their children,
so feeble are their hands,
⁴ because of the day that is coming to destroy
all the Philistines,
to cut off from Tyre and Sidon
every helper that remains.
For the Lord is destroying the Philistines,
the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor.
⁵ Baldness has come upon Gaza;
Ashkelon has perished.
O remnant of their valley,
how long will you gash yourselves?
⁶ Ah, sword of the Lord!
How long till you are quiet?
Put yourself into your scabbard;
rest and be still!
⁷ How can it be quiet
when the Lord has given it a charge?
Against Ashkelon and against the seashore
he has appointed it.”

 

REFLECTION:

Philistia was located in the plains along the coast of Judah. ​​It had always been a strong enemy of Israel, and there were constant wars between the two countries. The Philistines were an idolatry nation, did not know the true God, and were cruel and fornicating. They had always harboured hatred against God’s people, and would not be satisfied until Israel was destroyed. The Philistines were so strong that the Israelites were frightened and felt powerless against them. However, it is not possible with humans, but everything is possible with God. This passage foretold that God would remove the Philistines, protect His people, and give them peace. Those who try to destroy the people of God will eventually be destroyed by God. Today, we live in an environment where there is no war and live a rich and comfortable life, but we also face powerful enemies. A wide variety of worldly values ​​permeates our society. As the people of God, we are experiencing a difficult spiritual battle. The power of darkness is the “Philistines” we face today. Sometimes its powerful forces often make us feel powerless and even fearful. However, let us not forget that God will protect us. The devil’s defeat is set, and its ultimate end is to be wiped out by the Lord like the Philistines at that time, and fall into the bottomless pit forever. Therefore, we should be brave and fearless, victorious by the Lord, and strive to live a holy life in the filth and darkness.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for the Lord to strengthen your heart, give you courage and strength, so that you can stand firm in the turbid currents of the world; pray for the Lord to walk with you, so that you can always look to Him in your daily life, gain strength from God to overcome sin, and live a holy life that bear a beautiful witness for the Lord.

 

HYMN:

Christ the Sure and Steady Anchor – youtu.be/WDsh4sqRXOA

 

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Jeremiah 46 (ESV)

²⁷ “But fear not, O Jacob my servant,
nor be dismayed, O Israel,
for behold, I will save you from far away,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
and none shall make him afraid.
²⁸ Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
declares the Lord,
for I am with you.
I will make a full end of all the nations
to which I have driven you,
but of you I will not make a full end.
I will discipline you in just measure,
and I will by no means leave you unpunished.”

 

REFLECTION:

The six chapters after Chapter 46 are Jeremiah’s prophecies to the nations, from which we can see that God has a beautiful plan for the world. We can learn more about God’s divine nature from this passage. Although God specifically chooses the Israelites to fulfill His will, He loves all people and wants people all over the world to return to Him. At the same time, we also see that God is holy and will not tolerate any sin. God’s judgment is not based on prejudice and revenge, but on the principles of justice and equality. We also see that God does not like to judge people. He is more willing to show grace and mercy, and use His love to save all those who are willing to return to Him. Whether in ancient times or in the present, God will discipline His people out of love, in order to guide them back to Him. When we are faced with God’s discipline, we should not be afraid, but should receive the lessons humbly. We should understand that God disciplines us to love us, to purify us, and to make our lives more holy and abundant.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to give you a humble and repentant heart, sincerely confess your transgressions to Him, and be willing to live a holy life from now on; pray that God will give you the confidence and courage to be free from fear and disobedience to God’s discipline, and humbly receive His teachings in His discipline, through which we will be purified, and our lives will grow more.

 

HYMN:

Lord Prepare Me To Be A Sanctuary – youtu.be/LVKHqq6uoMM

 

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Jeremiah 45 (ESV)

¹ The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: ² “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: ³ You said, ‘Woe is me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.’ ⁴ Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. ⁵ And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go.”

 

REFLECTION:

This chapter was written between 605-604 BC. Baruch was the scribe who was responsible for recording Jeremiah’s information on the scroll. Baruch had long served Jeremiah, the unpopular prophet, and wrote down the Book of Jeremiah, a book full of struggles and judgments. At this time, the scribe seemed to have reached the end of his way, extremely discouraged and depressed. However, God used Jeremiah to tell him not to worry about personal honor and benefits, and said that if Baruch would follow God’s guidance, he would be protected by God (“I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go” means to save his life from disaster). It is inevitable that we will experience disappointment or even pain and despair in our life and ministry. This passage tells us that the secret to getting out of the predicament is to focus on God’s promise. Once our attention leaves God, it is easy to lose the joy of serving God, because the less we see God, the more discouraged we will be. When we serve God, we should be careful not to focus solely on what we sacrificed, or to plot conspiracy without seeking God’s will. If we fall into this situation, we should ask God for forgiveness, and then return our attention to God.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to attract your attention and make your mind and heart linger on God’s grace, love, and beauty; pray for God to make you forget all the pain and sacrifice in your life and service, so that you can understand that what you do is for God, not to please people but to please God; ask God to make you long for Him more, as a deer pants for flowing streams, living in God’s truth all day long.

 

HYMN:

Great Is Your Faithfulness – youtu.be/ZYBBAF4SfV4

 

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Jeremiah 44 (ESV)

¹ The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Judeans who lived in the land of Egypt, at Migdol, at Tahpanhes, at Memphis, and in the land of Pathros, ² “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You have seen all the disaster that I brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities of Judah. Behold, this day they are a desolation, and no one dwells in them, ³ because of the evil that they committed, provoking me to anger, in that they went to make offerings and serve other gods that they knew not, neither they, nor you, nor your fathers. ⁴ Yet I persistently sent to you all my servants the prophets, saying, ‘Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate!’ ⁵ But they did not listen or incline their ear, to turn from their evil and make no offerings to other gods. ⁶ Therefore my wrath and my anger were poured out and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, and they became a waste and a desolation, as at this day. ⁷ And now thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel: Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves, to cut off from you man and woman, infant and child, from the midst of Judah, leaving you no remnant? ⁸ Why do you provoke me to anger with the works of your hands, making offerings to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have come to live, so that you may be cut off and become a curse and a taunt among all the nations of the earth? ⁹ Have you forgotten the evil of your fathers, the evil of the kings of Judah, the evil of their wives, your own evil, and the evil of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? ¹⁰ They have not humbled themselves even to this day, nor have they feared, nor walked in my law and my statutes that I set before you and before your fathers.

 

REFLECTION:

These messages were announced by Jeremiah in 580 BC, and this was the last time Jeremiah prophesied. At this moment, the great mistake of the people of Judah has been made, and the country has fallen. Jeremiah was forcibly taken to Egypt, but he kept reminding the people that worshiping other gods would lead to the ruin of the country. Jeremiah pointed out that because they fled to Egypt against the will of God, they would never be able to return to their home country of Judah. However, the rebellious and hard-hearted people did not learn from the disasters caused by their own sins, and still went their own way. Even though Jeremiah warned them with the evil deeds of the ancestors of Judah, they still had no regrets and no fear. This past episode reminds us what attitude we should have to face the mistakes we made in the past. If we fail to learn from the past failures, we will repeat the same mistakes. We should understand that our lives are growing in constant failures, and our relationship with God is deepened in constant falls. Past failures are not only our pain, but also our medicine in God’s grace and love. May we gain humility and wisdom from the experience of failure, and guide us on the path of walking with God.

 

PRAYER:

Ask God to comfort us so that you can come out of the depression and pain of past failures; ask God to enlighten you and give you wisdom so that you can learn valuable experience and lessons from failures and see your weaknesses and shortcomings more thoroughly. In order to obey God’s guidance with a more humble attitude, avoid repeating the same mistakes, regain strength from God, and continue to move forward bravely.

 

HYMN:

Forgiven – youtu.be/9d4m9f4Saps

 

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Jeremiah 43 (ESV)

¹ When Jeremiah finished speaking to all the people all these words of the Lord their God, with which the Lord their God had sent him to them, ² Azariah the son of Hoshaiah and Johanan the son of Kareah and all the insolent men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie. The Lord our God did not send you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to live there,’ ³ but Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may kill us or take us into exile in Babylon.” ⁴ So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces and all the people did not obey the voice of the Lord, to remain in the land of Judah. ⁵ But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took all the remnant of Judah who had returned to live in the land of Judah from all the nations to which they had been driven— ⁶ the men, the women, the children, the princesses, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan; also Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah. ⁷ And they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they arrived at Tahpanhes.

 

REFLECTION:

Johanan and others were afraid to obey God’s instructions, insisted on continuing to go to Egypt, and forcing Jeremiah to go with them, thinking that being with Jeremiah God would not bring harm to them. Jeremiah has been a prophet for forty years, and many of his prophecies have been fulfilled. He even gave up the opportunity to enjoy a comfortable life in Babylon and was willing to return to his fellow countrymen to share their suffering. However, his compatriots still stubbornly rejected his words from the heart, and did not listen to a word. The purpose of Johanan and his group’s coming to Jeremiah was not to ask God for guidance, but they had already had their own ideas and hoped that God would approve of them. If there is no obedient heart in prayer, it is no different from asking idols and fortune-tellers, using the almighty God as one’s own tool. We should be wary of making the same mistakes – requesting God to grant us the things that we wish, instead of seeking His will and guidance. We should fear God and not despise His sovereignty. Unless we are willing to let God lead, all plans are in vain; unless we are willing to accept God’s answer, all prayers are useless.

 

PRAYER:

Come to God humbly, ask God to give you a heart of obedience, and be willing to be led by God throughout your life and live in God’s word; imitate the Lord Jesus’ prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane, and pray to God for the difficulties in your heart; ask God to grant or not grant your request according to His will, not your own will.

 

HYMN:

Your Will Be Done – www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt-29pGIw1k

 

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Jeremiah 42 (ESV)

¹ Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, came near ² and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us, for all this remnant—because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us— ³ that the Lord your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do.”…

⁷ At the end of ten days the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. ⁸ Then he summoned Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest, ⁹ and said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your plea for mercy before him: ¹⁰ If you will remain in this land, then I will build you up and not pull you down; I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I relent of the disaster that I did to you. ¹¹ Do not fear the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Do not fear him, declares the Lord, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand. ¹² I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and let you remain in your own land. ¹³ But if you say, ‘We will not remain in this land,’ disobeying the voice of the Lord your God ¹⁴ and saying, ‘No, we will go to the land of Egypt, where we shall not see war or hear the sound of the trumpet or be hungry for bread, and we will dwell there,’ ¹⁵ then hear the word of the Lord, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to enter Egypt and go to live there, ¹⁶ then the sword that you fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which you are afraid shall follow close after you to Egypt, and there you shall die. ¹⁷ All the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to live there shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. They shall have no remnant or survivor from the disaster that I will bring upon them.

 

REFLECTION:

Johanan and others decided the answer in their hearts before asking God. They promised Jeremiah verbally that they were willing to listen to what God said to them, good or bad, but they only wanted to listen to what they wanted, and their falsehood finally became a curse on themselves. Jeremiah described in detail the retribution they would receive if they did not listen to God, but they still did not believe it. The final outcome, as Jeremiah had forewarned, was that they all died in Egypt and no one remained. There are two mistakes made by Johanan and others: One is pride and rebellion, disobeying God’s will; the other is falsely asking God’s will and deceiving God. We should be vigilant and not make the same mistakes. Asking for God’s guidance without having the heart to obey it is really wrong. In addition, do not pray to God for things that go against God’s will and divine nature. Instead of making fake prayers, it is better not to pray. We should understand that God cannot be deceived. If you deceive God, you will be severely punished.

 

PRAYER:

Ask God to examine your heart and let you see how many false elements in your prayers; each of us who is in sin has some falsehood, confess your falsehood to God and repent of your falsehood; dedicate to God that you are willing to pursue faith more sincerely, more obedience to God’s will, and willing to accomplish everything according to God’s will instead of your own will.

 

HYMN:

I Surrender – youtu.be/jgsqfjRslzA

 

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Jeremiah 41 (ESV)

¹⁶ Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces with him took from Mizpah all the rest of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam—soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs, whom Johanan brought back from Gibeon. ¹⁷ And they went and stayed at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt ¹⁸ because of the Chaldeans. For they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.

 

REFLECTION:

The remnants of Judah lost the Law and faith in God in the desolate cities. Johanan and others fled to Egypt because they were afraid of the Chaldeans. They traveled south from Gibeon, stopped at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem, and pretended to go to Jeremiah to ask for God’s will, but as Jeremiah said later, they didn’t really ask him for God’s will, but they had their own opinions in their hearts, and they only wanted to hear what they agreed with. Today, our fear will also cause us to lose confidence, so that we can make our own decisions and no longer want to follow God’s guidance. We should ask ourselves what we are afraid of. As Paul asked, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” (Romans 8:35, ESV). May we imitate Paul, without fear in our hearts, and in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

 

PRAYER:

Come to God humbly and tell God the fear in your heart; ask God to make you attracted by His love and willing to make sacrifices because you love God, because there is no fear in love; God has given you the courage not to fear of anything in the future, more than conquering through the Lord who loved us.

 

HYMN:

Whom Shall I Fear – youtu.be/qOkImV2cJDg

 

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Jeremiah 40 (ESV)

¹ The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he took him bound in chains along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. ² The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God pronounced this disaster against this place. ³ The Lord has brought it about, and has done as he said. Because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you. ⁴ Now, behold, I release you today from the chains on your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well, but if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go. ⁵ If you remain, then return to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever you think it right to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go. ⁶ Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.

 

REFLECTION:

Although Nebuzaradan, the captain of Babylon’s guard, did not know God, he admitted that Babylon’s victory was given by God. Some people acknowledge the existence of God and know that He performs miracles, but they are unwilling to personally accept Him, know Him, and experience God’s salvation, because doing so will have to pay a great price, giving up the way of life they have been accustomed to and the values ​​that gain them great benefits before. Jeremiah can choose where he reside at will. In Babylon, he can enjoy a comfortable life and have a certain amount of power; in Judah, he will continue to suffer. He may be loved by the Babylonians in Babylon, but he will be spurned by his exiled compatriots; in Judah it means living a life of poverty and loneliness, but it can show that he is not a perfunctory traitor. In the end Jeremiah chose to return to Judah and live in Mizpah. Mizpah is located a few kilometers north of Jerusalem. This place was not severely damaged during the war. So after the fall of Jerusalem, many remnants of Judah sought refuge here. Jeremiah chose to continue to serve these survivors, but also to serve God and experience God’s deeper edification. This past event warns us that knowing God is not only having knowledge about God and acknowledging His power, but also confessing sins and repenting, changing the old self-centered lifestyles and values, and throwing into God’s embrace without hesitation. Establish an intimate and deep relationship with God, and be constantly edified by God throughout our life.

 

PRAYER:

Ask God to enlighten you so that you can understand at what stage your knowledge of God stays? Is it just cognition in the mind, or you have established an intimate relationship with God and follow His guidance in everything? Pray that God will enable you to see where you are still imperceptibly influenced by the world’s values, and give you the strength to overcome your old self in those areas and renew your life.

 

HYMN:

Loving My Jesus – youtu.be/OnJFGtAXxGs

 

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Jeremiah 39 (ESV)

¹ In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and besieged it. ² In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, a breach was made in the city. ³ Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and sat in the middle gate: Nergal-sar-ezer of Samgar, Nebu-sar-sekim the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, with all the rest of the officers of the king of Babylon. ⁴ When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled, going out of the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls; and they went toward the Arabah. ⁵ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, at Riblah, in the land of Hamath; and he passed sentence on him. ⁶ The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah at Riblah before his eyes, and the king of Babylon slaughtered all the nobles of Judah. ⁷ He put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon. ⁸ The Chaldeans burned the king’s house and the house of the people, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. ⁹ Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried into exile to Babylon the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had deserted to him, and the people who remained. ¹⁰ Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, left in the land of Judah some of the poor people who owned nothing, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

 

REFLECTION:

Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, was the last king of Judah. ​​He ruled Judah for eleven years from 597 to 586 BC. The king of Judah before him were his two elder brothers, Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim, and his nephew, Jehoiachin. When Jehoiachin was taken into captivity in Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar made Mattaniah, who was only 21 years old, king of Judah and renamed him Zedekiah (2 Kings 24:17), which means “The Lord is my righteousness” . However, Zedekiah’s life’s deeds are contrary to his name. Zedekiah was unwilling to be the puppet king, and because of his failure to resist Babylon, he fled at the end. As a result, Nebuchadnezzar captured him, killed his sons in front of him, gouge out his eyes, and took him to Babylon. Soon, Zedekiah died in Babylon, ending a sad and deplorable life. We should take the tragic fall of Zedekiah’s kingdom and his death as a lesson, rely on God in everything, live out God’s justice, and manifest God’s glory. Otherwise, God’s discipline may not be delayed. In the newly conquered places, Babylon used the method of combining grace and power to rule the people, taking all the wealthy and powerful away, leaving only the poor in place to win the gratitude of the remnants. This was Babylon’s trick to win over people’s hearts, but God used this to protect the remnants of Judah and make them realize that God is still looking after them in the tragic fate of subjugation.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to give you more vigilance, take history and people as a mirror. In your life, try to take God’s will as the standard for your actions; you should understand that while you are looking at the predecessors, the future generations are also looking at you; ask God for help for you to have a beautiful testimony in this life, set a godly example to your descendants, and inspire them to return to God. It is the blessings that God has given you to pass on from generation to generation.

 

HYMN:

May The Lord Find Us Faithful – youtu.be/pQ7VWKKgpLU

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+038
 

Jeremiah 38 (ESV)

¹ Now Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people: ² “Thus says the Lord: He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans shall live. He shall have his life as a prize of war, and live. ³ Thus says the Lord: This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken.” ⁴ Then the officials said to the king, “Let this man be put to death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.” ⁵ King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your hands, for the king can do nothing against you.” ⁶ So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.

 

REFLECTION:

Zedekiah, king of Judah, did not have his own opinion. He listened to everyone’s opinions, and his administration was chaotic. He not only obeyed Jeremiah’s request and transferred Jeremiah from the dungeon cells to the court of the guard (37:21), but also allowed everyone to kill Jeremiah, and he finally saved Jeremiah’s life (v16). Jeremiah was very unpopular at the time. His remarks kept hitting the morale of the army and the people. It was very frustrating at first but in fact what he conveyed were divine warnings and good advice. The leaders of Judah threw Jeremiah into prison, trying to put him to death. The “prison” is actually a cistern, an underground hole used to collect rainwater. The bottom of the cistern was dark and damp, with thick mud. Jeremiah faithfully preached God’s message, but he was persecuted and framed time after time by the leaders of Judah. For 40 years he has served God faithfully, but he has not been appreciated, loved or supported by anyone. Instead, he has been beaten, intimidated, and thrown into jail until he is expelled. Only the Gentile Babylonians still have a little respect for him. God never promised His servants to be free from oppression, and even loyal servants are not immune. However, God promised that He would be with them and give them the strength to face the difficulties and dangers. When you serve God, you sometimes seem to be trapped in a thick mud. You must remember that you are serving God, not pleasing people. God is with you and will lead and build your life. Zedekiah is difficult to choose between public opinion and God’s will. Reflect in your daily life, is it the opinion of others or the will of God that has more influence on you?

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to give you a pair of sharp ears so that you can distinguish the voice of God among the voices of the world, and a pair of bright eyes that can focus on the holiness and glory of God in filthy and dark places; pray that God will strengthen your heart so that you will not be shaken by the vanity of the world, even if it seems so attractive to people.

 

HYMN:

To Be Pleasing You – www.youtube.com/watch?v=klQglFxPDDM