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Jeremiah 13 (ESV)

¹ Thus says the Lord to me, “Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, and do not dip it in water.” ² So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my waist. ³ And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, ⁴ “Take the loincloth that you have bought, which is around your waist, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.” ⁵ So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me. ⁶ And after many days the Lord said to me, “Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.” ⁷ Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the loincloth was spoiled; it was good for nothing.

⁸ Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁹ “Thus says the Lord: Even so will I spoil the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. ¹⁰ This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. ¹¹ For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen.

 

REFLECTION:

Jeremiah used dramatic actions to convey God’s message according to God’s instructions, because actions give a deeper impression in people, often more than words. Jeremiah repeatedly used actions to preach the message, in order to arouse the curiosity and alertness of the people, so that they could understand his meaning better. The spoiled linen loincloth is a metaphor for the end of the Kingdom of Judah. Although those people had a close relationship with God, they were cast aside by God because of their arrogance and pride and became worthless waste. Proud people always overestimate everything about themselves and often appear pretentious, but God says that pride makes them worthless. Pride will corrupt our hearts until our lives have fallen to a point where they are of no use value in the eyes of God. Pride is one of the most serious sins of all sins. Pride can make people who have been close to God far away from God, and even resist and disobey God. The fall of the devil is due to pride. We should be vigilant and remember the image of the spoiled linen loincloth of Jeremiah in our hearts. We should always be reminded to be humble, not to give the devil a foothold, and not to let pride corrupt our soul and life to a point where we become worthless in the eyes of God.

 

PRAYER:

Pray that God will make you remember the spoiled linen loincloth of Jeremiah, which represents the corruption of life brought about by pride. Pray that God will examine your heart so that you can see your pride hidden in the depths of your soul. Ask God to destroy this pride no matter if it is expressed in overestimating oneself, judging others, or any other form of expression.

 

HYMN:

I Will Boast – youtu.be/pBfOcJGEKUU

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+012
 

Jeremiah 12 (ESV)

¹ Righteous are you, O Lord,
when I complain to you;
yet I would plead my case before you.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all who are treacherous thrive?
² You plant them, and they take root;
they grow and produce fruit;
you are near in their mouth
and far from their heart.
³ But you, O Lord, know me;
you see me, and test my heart toward you.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
and set them apart for the day of slaughter.
⁴ How long will the land mourn
and the grass of every field wither?
For the evil of those who dwell in it
the beasts and the birds are swept away,
because they said, “He will not see our latter end.”

 

REFLECTION:

Many people, including prophets and psalmists in the Old Testament (such as the author of Psalm 73) have asked this question: “Why does the way of the wicked prosper?” Although Jeremiah knew that God would eventually demonstrate His justice, he was still full of indignation and envy when he saw the wicked gain power. He hoped that the day when God shows justice will come soon. Although Jeremiah loved God and obeyed His will, he was often persecuted. He prayed for God to relieve his suffering, but God’s response was: “If you feel unbearable now, how can you bear it when the real difficulties arise?” When we are bullied we will naturally want to seek justice. However, we must also bear in mind that if God really punishes us immediately for everything we do, then our own consequences are also worrying. Not all God’s responses to prayer are readily acceptable to us. All believers who have experienced suffering and injustice understand this deeply. Even if the situation worsens, God’s response may not bring immediate improvement, but we still have to be completely committed to Him and firmly believe that everything that God allows to happen is for our benefit. We should reflect on ourselves and see if we have offended God, and with a humble and repentant heart, we continue marching forward on a narrow, rugged road without applause or cheers.

 

PRAYER:

Come to God humbly, pray to God for the difficulties you are facing now. Don’t ask God to solve the problem for you right away, but ask God to let you experience His guidance and training for you in the difficult situation. If your difficulties are so great that you feel unbearable, ask God to comfort you, so that you understand that all this happens with God’s good intentions, even if you don’t understand at the moment, you are still willing to trust God, and walk with God.

 

HYMN:

In Control – youtu.be/YVS6hTRgOOI

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+011

 

Jeremiah 11 (ESV)

¹ The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² “Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ³ You shall say to them, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Cursed be the man who does not hear the words of this covenant ⁴ that I commanded your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Listen to my voice, and do all that I command you. So shall you be my people, and I will be your God, ⁵ that I may confirm the oath that I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day.” Then I answered, “So be it, Lord.”

 

REFLECTION:

This passage mainly describes Judahites’ breach of the covenant and God’s rebuke to them through Jeremiah’s mouth. God also promises that if they repent, keep the covenant, and obey God’s instructions, He will always be with them, otherwise they will be severely punished by God. God’s words to exhort Judah to repent were clear and plain, and they were said more than once or twice. Why, despite God’s repeated rebuke, comfort, and warning, the people of Judah still wouldn’t get back on the right path? Because they have forgotten God’s grace long ago, and they have no longer needed God. Today, we should reflect, among all our needs, is God our greatest need? If not, we are in danger. If worldly needs are allowed to rule in our lives, we will be firmly caught in the snare of the devil. One day we will become like the Judahites back then, completely deaf to the call of God, completely forget the new covenant God made with us through the blood of Jesus Christ.

 

PRAYER:

Pray that God will have mercy on you, be sympathetic to your weakness, and supply all the needs of your body, mind, and spirit. Pray that God will make you understand that the greatest need in a person’s life is God Himself, and nothing else. Your spirit can only rest in the embrace of God. Only then will you get the ultimate satisfaction. Ask God to enable you not only to understand this truth in your mind, but also to enable you to actually verify this truth in your life experience.

 

HYMN:
Lord I Need You – youtu.be/4Ccwoj9VKL4
 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+010
 

Jeremiah 10 (ESV)

⁶ There is none like you, O Lord;
you are great, and your name is great in might.
⁷ Who would not fear you, O King of the nations?
For this is your due;
for among all the wise ones of the nations
and in all their kingdoms
there is none like you.
⁸ They are both stupid and foolish;
the instruction of idols is but wood!
⁹ Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish,
and gold from Uphaz.
They are the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the goldsmith;
their clothing is violet and purple;
they are all the work of skilled men.
¹⁰ But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God and the everlasting King.
At his wrath the earth quakes,
and the nations cannot endure his indignation.

 

REFLECTION:

Tarshish was located in the western part of the ancient world, probably in the area of ​​Spain today. This place produces minerals such as silver, tin, lead, and iron. The location of Uphaz is unknown. The name originally meant “refined gold”, which is a metallurgical term. Tarshish and Uphaz are both places that provide high-quality raw materials for people to make idols. Do idols really teach? More likely it is idol worshippers talking to themselves! These so-called teachings only express human desires and ambitions. Those who worship idols in ancient times are really ignorant, because idols, no matter how exquisite and beautiful they are made, are nothing more than lifeless pieces of gold, stone or wood. Similarly, in modern society, people who worship various invisible idols such as fame, fortune and power are also stupid. People spend their entire lives of time and energy chasing invisible idols. How is it different from those ancient people who spent a lot of money to decorate tangible idols, thinking that the more beautiful they are, the more capable they are? No matter how ingenious the tangible idols are made, and no matter how much worldly benefits the various intangible idols can bring to people, they will not endow people with an abundant life. A truly wise person receives blessings from the true and living God, and such blessings will last forever. May all of us be such wise people, relying on God throughout our lives, and gain the honour from heaven.

 

PRAYER:

Pray for God to give you more, greater, and deeper wisdom, so that you can see through everything under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Pray for God to make you understand that no matter how great the worldly benefit is, it will not bring you abundant life, or even prolong your life. Dedicate yourself to God, that from now on you will rely more on Him and receive eternal blessings from Him.

 

HYMN:

No Other Name – youtu.be/Wku9OphQ7JE

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+009
 

Jeremiah 9 (ESV)

¹² Who is the man so wise that he can understand this? To whom has the mouth of the Lord spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? ¹³ And the Lord says: “Because they have forsaken my law that I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord with it, ¹⁴ but have stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them. ¹⁵ Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed this people with bitter food, and give them poisonous water to drink. ¹⁶ I will scatter them among the nations whom neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them.”

 

REFLECTION:

Stubbornness is a trait that every proud person will show. Pride makes people stubborn, and stubbornness makes people unrepentant and do whatever they want according to their own will. The result is self-defeating and ruin. It was the case of Judah in ancient times, and it is the same for many people today. We should be vigilant. When we see others swallowing the bitter fruit of pride and stubbornness, we should not forget that we are also not a person who obeys God in everything. Our hearts also hide pride and stubbornness that people don’t know. Some of the twists and turns in our lives are also caused by our own pride and stubbornness. What people don’t know, God can see clearly. Each of us is naked and open before God. May God remove all the pride in our hearts and make our lives more humble and holy, so we will taste more of the sweetness bestowed by God.

 

PRAYER:

Come to God humbly, and ask God to enlighten you so that you can see the hidden pride and stubbornness in your heart. Ask God to make you understand the danger of pride and stubbornness: if you let it develop, you will also become one who devour bitter fruits and are punished by God. Ask God to be king in your life completely, remove all the pride in your heart, so that you can walk humbly in all things.

 

HYMN:

Humble My Heart – youtu.be/pTW6ctyXm1o

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+008
 

Jeremiah 8 (ESV)

⁸ “How can you say, ‘We are wise,
and the law of the Lord is with us’?
But behold, the lying pen of the scribes
has made it into a lie.
⁹ The wise men shall be put to shame;
they shall be dismayed and taken;
behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord,
so what wisdom is in them?
¹⁰ Therefore I will give their wives to others
and their fields to conquerors,
because from the least to the greatest
everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
from prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.
¹¹ They have healed the wound of my people lightly,
saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
when there is no peace.
¹² Were they ashamed when they committed abomination?
No, they were not at all ashamed;
they did not know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among the fallen;
when I punish them, they shall be overthrown,
says the Lord.

 

REFLECTION:

This passage describes the false wisdom, false godliness, and false peace of the people of Judah. ​​Everything is false. They think they are wise, but in fact there are lies and greed hidden in their wisdom, their wisdom is just petty tricks in the world which are extremely stupid in reality. They use worldly methods to heal and comfort people, thinking that they can find peace in this way. There is no peace at all, while they are just deceiving themselves. And in all these abominations, they “were not at all ashamed; they did not know how to blush” (v12) and greatly offended God. Wouldn’t the righteous and holy God condemn them? The conditions of the Judahites back then remind us today, because there is nothing new under the sun, and what happened before will still happen now. Our world today is also full of deceitful tricks, fill with desires and lies. People seek false things to rely on, thinking that they can get peace from them, but in fact their hearts are full of anxieties. We should be constantly reflecting as we are in such an environment, to see whether our lives are also polluted by this worldly turbid current? May the inner peace in each of us be true peace, rooted and built on God’s faithful promise.

 

PRAYER:

Come to God quietly, examine your heart, and see if your peace is built on the foundation of lies, and see if you have replaced the desire for God’s great wisdom with the petty tricks in the world. Ask God to give you true peace, make you stand firm in the torrent of the world.

 

HYMN:

There Is None Like You – youtu.be/EP0Wwn53ZgI

 

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Jeremiah 7 (ESV)

¹ The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ² “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. ³ Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. ⁴ Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’

⁵ “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, ⁶ if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, ⁷ then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.

 

REFLECTION:

This passage describes God sending Jeremiah to the temple gate to correct people’s wrong thinking, because they mistakenly thought that God would not bring harm to the temple and the people living near the temple, regardless of their behaviour. Jeremiah made severe accusations against the false and empty beliefs and idolatry of the people. While the people continue to worship as usual, they live a life full of sins. This is a completely false religious belief. The attitudes of the Judahites looking at the temple in the past and some “Christians” looking at the church nowadays have a lot in common: they worship God solemnly in the church but act according to their own way once they stepped out of the church. They regard their appearance, image, and sense of belonging in the church to be more important than changing their lives for God. They think that being attached to a superficial religious ritual can avoid disasters. We should be wary of ourselves becoming such “Christians.” If we go to church meetings, partake communion, teach Sunday school, participate in choirs, or participate in other ministries, but do not truly do it for God, then everything we do is just illusory and meaningless. Only when our motive is to please God, not to satisfy our secret and selfish desires, can everything we do be acceptable to God and become good.

 

PRAYER:

Ask God to enlighten you, examine your motive for participating in ministries, and see if there is any selfishness in it. If so, confess your sins to God and repent, ask God to cleanse your heart; dedicate to God that you will try your best to please Him and don’t care how others think of you.

 

HYMN:

Living For Jesus – youtu.be/Jn-czHr13FE

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+006
 

Jeremiah 6 (ESV)

⁹ Thus says the Lord of hosts:
“They shall glean thoroughly as a vine
the remnant of Israel;
like a grape gatherer pass your hand again
over its branches.”
¹⁰ To whom shall I speak and give warning,
that they may hear?
Behold, their ears are uncircumcised,
they cannot listen;
behold, the word of the Lord is to them an object of scorn;
they take no pleasure in it.
¹¹ Therefore I am full of the wrath of the Lord;
I am weary of holding it in.
“Pour it out upon the children in the street,
and upon the gatherings of young men, also;
both husband and wife shall be taken,
the elderly and the very aged.
¹² Their houses shall be turned over to others,
their fields and wives together,
for I will stretch out my hand
against the inhabitants of the land,”
declares the Lord.
¹³ “For from the least to the greatest of them,
everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest,
everyone deals falsely.
¹⁴ They have healed the wound of my people lightly,
saying, ‘Peace, peace,’
when there is no peace.
¹⁵ Were they ashamed when they committed abomination?
No, they were not at all ashamed;
they did not know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown,”
says the Lord.

 

REFLECTION:

The “remnant of Israel” mentioned here does not refer to the righteous people left behind, but the people who survived the first assault in Jerusalem. Babylon is like a grape picker who wants to capture all the people from the countries they defeated. Babylon has invaded Judah three times, and finally devoured the whole country and destroyed the temple (see 2 Kings 24-25). Jeremiah was filled with grief and anger, because the people turned a deaf ear to his message. At that time, the Judahites no longer paid much attention to the spiritual corruption, and it seemed more or less like the spiritual situation in today’s materialistic society. Like the people in Jeremiah’s day, people nowadays do not obey God’s commands, are shameless, and do whatever they want. If Jeremiah was born in today’s world, would he have the same lament? Burying one’s head in the sand, acting deceitfully, and thinking that they are at peace, this is the response of the Judahites after hearing Jeremiah’s warning. How do we respond to the warning from God today? Denying the facts does not change the facts, and what God has said must be fulfilled. Denying sin cannot wipe away sin. The only way out is to confess to God that you have sinned against Him, and ask Him for forgiveness.

 

PRAYER:

Come to God in awe, and ask God to enlighten the gloom of your heart, so that you can understand whether you have greedy thoughts in your heart, whether you have deceitful acts in your daily activities. If you have, confess your sins to God, repent, and ask Him to cleanse and strengthen your heart, making you more sensitive to sin and desire for God.

 

HYMN:

Reign In Us – youtu.be/RXF6Dg6H0ds

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+005
 

Jeremiah 5 (ESV)

¹⁴ Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts:
“Because you have spoken this word,
behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire,
and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.
¹⁵ Behold, I am bringing against you
a nation from afar, O house of Israel,
declares the Lord.
It is an enduring nation;
it is an ancient nation,
a nation whose language you do not know,
nor can you understand what they say.
¹⁶ Their quiver is like an open tomb;
they are all mighty warriors.
¹⁷ They shall eat up your harvest and your food;
they shall eat up your sons and your daughters;
they shall eat up your flocks and your herds;
they shall eat up your vines and your fig trees;
your fortified cities in which you trust
they shall beat down with the sword.”

¹⁸ “But even in those days, declares the Lord, I will not make a full end of you. ¹⁹ And when your people say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.’”

 

REFLECTION:

“A nation from afar” refers to Babylon. Babylon is an ancient country. The old Babylonian Empire appeared from 1900 to 1550 BC, and other empires were built on that land as early as 3000 BC. Babylon in Jeremiah’s time rose rapidly, established its own military force, attacked and defeated Assyria, and became another great empire that dominated the world after Assyria. Have you ever met someone you have talked with for a long time, but that person didn’t hear a word? Are you angry? God is also angry with the people who have repeatedly refused to listen to Him. However, God still has endless love in His anger, and He still leaves a way out for them and does not “make a full end of them.” God has clearly told the Judahites and Israelites that those who obey Him will be blessed, and those who rebel against Him will be destroyed, but they still ignorantly shut their eyes and ears. Instead they asked God “why have you done all these things to us?” Reflect if we are like the people of Judah who pretended to be deaf and dumb with God’s words. May our ears listen carefully to God’s words, and our eyes focus on the abundance and glory that God will accomplish for our obedient life.

 

PRAYER:

Ask God for clearer eyes, so that you can see the glory of God; more sensitive ears, so that you can hear more of God’s words; Ask God for a loving, wise, and humble heart, making you a suitable vessel to bear witness for the Lord before others.

 

HYMN:

Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace) – youtu.be/61l1zx9Y_MQ

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Jeremiah+004
 

Jeremiah 4 (ESV)

¹⁹ My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain!
Oh the walls of my heart!
My heart is beating wildly;
I cannot keep silent,
for I hear the sound of the trumpet,
the alarm of war.
²⁰ Crash follows hard on crash;
the whole land is laid waste.
Suddenly my tents are laid waste,
my curtains in a moment.
²¹ How long must I see the standard
and hear the sound of the trumpet?

²² “For my people are foolish;
they know me not;
they are stupid children;
they have no understanding.
They are ‘wise’—in doing evil!
But how to do good they know not.”

 

REFLECTION:

The people of Judah don’t know God, they only know how to indulge in pleasure, and they don’t want to live a life of integrity and kindness, so God calls them “foolish” (v22). Jeremiah saw that the coming judgment would lead people to an abyss of misery, so that he felt heart-piercing and mourned. This judgment will not end until the people repent and obey God’s commands. Although this prophecy originally pointed to the destruction of the Kingdom of Judah by Babylon, it was not unreasonable to also announce the judgment of the end times. “Not knowing God” is not just being ignorant of God, it is knowingly committing a crime, deliberately rebelling against Him and resisting Him. We should understand that not knowing God is the greatest foolishness, and this foolishness will manifest itself in every aspect of our daily lives. Today, the righteous God also pays great attention to our daily behaviour. The judgment that God imposed on the stupid Israelites will also come to those who “don’t know” Him today. Reflect whether I am a wise person or a foolish person? Or is it stubbornness mixed with wisdom? We should be vigilant, learn how to live a life of obedience to God, and strive to bear witness for God, learn more about God and please Him, so that we can stand fearlessly before God’s judgment.

 

PRAYER:

Pray to God, ask Him to enlighten and guide you in your daily life, so that you can know Him more deeply and experience His grace more fully. Ask God to make you more vigilant, so that you can be free from the influence and temptation of the unrighteous people around you and follow their way.

 

HYMN:

Reaching For You – youtu.be/f7pV71J9al0