Jeremiah 13

Verse of the Day: V15 “Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken.”

1.  The Linen Girdle

V1 “Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.”

In those days, the girdle was very useful as it was like a belt fastens to the loin or waist of a person wearing a long and flowing garment. Linen was an expensive material and as such a linen girdle was a prized possession. God through His prophet Jeremiah liken the linen girdle as a prized possession of God. However, instead of giving glory to God, the nation of Israel became proud and thought highly of themselves and refused to hear and obey God’s commandments. As a result, God had to humble His people by allowing their enemies to defeat them.

2.  The Marred Girdle

V7 “Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing.”

God humbled Israel by allowing the Babylonians living in Euphrates, not only to attack and defeat them, but brought them as slaves to their nation. This was exactly prophesied by Jeremiah that the defeated Israel was like the expensive linen girdle which was hidden, marred and became unprofitable.

2 Kings 24:16 “And the men of might, even seven thousand, and the craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.”

3.  The Cleaned Girdle

V23 “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”

Indeed, God can change a dark Ethiopian to a fair Ethiopian, a spotted leopard to an unspotted leopard, because He is the Creator and the Maker of all things! God can do anything and with Him, nothing is impossible! God shall surely change an evil and wicked heart to a kind and good heart if we humble ourselves and submit to Him!

John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.”

James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please humble me and help me to know that without You, I am nothing.

Jeremiah 12

Verse Of The Day: V5 “If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?”

Like the common saying, “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst!” Indeed, Jeremiah was preparing Israel for the worst, the impending destruction of their lives, because of  their sins and wickedness, unless they repent of their sins and turn to God.

1.  Running with Horses

V5 “If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? ...”

Jeremiah challenged Israel not only to train to run with their footmen but with their horses as one day they would be fighting and running with both their enemies’ footmen and horses. Similarly, Christians must daily pray, read and study God’s Word and apply them in our life so that we are always prepared for the worst including illnesses and death.

1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:”

2.  Crossing the Rivers

V5 “… and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?”

Jeremiah also challenged Israel to prepare to trust God for the impossible such as the crossing of the swelling Jordan River as their forefathers did many years ago when they crossed the Jordan River dry!

Joshua 3:17 “And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.”

3.  Obeying the LORD

Jeremiah 12:17 “But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.”

Indeed, there is no other way to prepare for the worst including death, except to trust and obey God, knowing that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord!

2 Corinthians 5:8 “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

Prayer Of The Week

Dearest God, please help me to prepare for the worst by trusting and obeying You.

Jeremiah 11

Verse Of The Day: V2 “Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;”

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, had been preaching to the people to repent of their sins and obey the words of God’s covenant or laws, yet the people not only refused to believe and obey God’s laws, they conspired and plotted to kill the man of God, Jeremiah!
 
1.  God was rejected by man

V19 “But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.”

Jeremiah was like a lamb brought to the slaughter as he was not only rejected by man but was about to be killed by his own countrymen, the men of Anathoth.

John 4:44 “For Jesus Himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.”

2.  God was killed by man

V21 “Therefore thus saith the LORD of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that thou die not by our hand:”

His people, the men of Anathoth, threatened to kill Jeremiah if he continued to preach to them to repent of their sins. Jesus was also crucified by His own people, the Jews, when He preached to them to repent of their sins and believe in Him, the Son of God.

John 19:15 “But they cried out, Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him, Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.”

3.  God shall condemn man

V23 “And there shall be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.”

Jesus was buried but He rose again the third day conquering death, and those who believe in Him shall live forever, while those who rejected Him are already condemned.

John 3:18 “He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Prayer Of The Week

Dearest God, please help me to believe in You, and the Lord Jesus, the Son of God.

Jeremiah 10

Verse Of The Day: V10 “But the LORD is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting King: at His wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide His indignation.”

1.  He is The True GOD

V10 “But the LORD is the true God, ...”

Unlike the days of old where our words were our bond, nowadays, we have written contracts as our words are no longer trustworthy. Many do not mean what we say, and say what we mean. Instead we say what others want to hear to win their hearts and be popular with them. Sadly, many worship God with our lips but our hearts are far away from Him. Let us be the true worshippers by worshipping God in spirit and in truth!

John 4:23 “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.”

2.  He is The Living GOD

V10 “But the LORD is the true God, He is the living God, ...”

Many people in the world worship idols that cannot speak or hear, yet they refuse to believe in the living God who can speak to them through the Bible and hear and answer their prayers if they believe in Him. When we truly believe in the living God, He shall give us living water and we shall never thirst again but live with Him in Heaven forever!

John 4:14 “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
 
3.  He is The Everlasting GOD

V10 “But the LORD is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting King: at His wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide His indignation.”

Everything is transient in this world. Some of the ancient buildings which are still around shall crumble one day. We may be living longer these days yet we shall all die one day. Only God is everlasting and He shall give us everlasting life when we believe in Him. However, if we refuse to believe in Him, His judgment awaits us because of our sins.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Prayer Of The Week

Dearest GOD, please help me to believe and trust in You.

Jeremiah 9

Verse Of The Day: V24 “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”

1.  Wisdom 

V23 “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, …”

The world seeks after wisdom and knowledge. A wise man is highly respected and sought after. Without wisdom, life is miserable and dull. Many invest their time, talents and treasures in pursuit of higher education so as to get a great job and a great future. Yet according to the LORD, wisdom and knowledge shall fail you as it cannot satisfy the desires of your heart. 

2.  Health

V23 “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, ...”

The world seeks after health and beauty. A healthy man or a beautiful woman are highly respected and sought after. The world believes that health and beauty are wealth. Without health and beauty, we cannot enjoy our wealth. Many invest their time, talents and treasures in pursuit of health and beauty as they take up sports and beauty programs to improve their health and beauty. Yet according to the LORD, might or health or beauty shall fail you as it cannot satisfy the desires of your heart.

3.  Wealth

V23 “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:”

The world seeks after wealth. A wealthy man is highly respected and sought after. The world believes that wealth is the key to happiness. Without wealth, life is miserable and dull. Many invest their time, talents and treasures in pursuit of wealth and at the expense of their health. At the end of the day, many spend almost all their wealth to get back less than half their health! Yet according to the LORD, wealth or riches shall fail you as it cannot satisfy the desires of your heart.

Psalms 37:4 “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

What matters most is to delight in the LORD’s lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness and He shall give you the desires of your heart!
  
Prayer Of The Week

Dearest God, please help me to seek Your lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness.

Jeremiah 8

Verse Of The Day: V7 “Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.”

It was recorded that before the Tsunami or the great flood hit the villages near the sea, the animals and the birds were already moving and flying to higher grounds for safety from the impending disaster. Yet many villagers refused to take heed of these signs but instead thought that it would never come. The Tsunami came and destroyed them completely!
 
1.  The Stork Knows 

V7 “Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times;…”

God warned the people through His prophet Jeremiah that His impending judgment was near unless they would repent of their sins. However, the people refused to repent. God then gave them the illustration of the storks in the sky which knew the time of their migration so that they could fly to faraway places for food and water, yet His people did not know or refused to know God’s time of judgment.

V5 “Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.”

2.  The Turtle, The Crane And The Swallow Knows

V7 “Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming;…”

The crane and the swallow also knew the time of migration and even the turtle knew the time to return to shore to lay their eggs, yet God’s people refused to know God’s impending judgment.

3.  The People Of God Know Not

V7 “Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.”

God’s living creatures know the time of migration and time of giving birth, yet God’s people made in His own image refuse to repent of their sins because they choose to reject God and His Word. But praise God, there is always a remnant of God’s people who chooses to love God and His Word!

Romans 9:27 “Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:”

Prayer Of The Week

Dearest God, please help me to be the remnant who loves You and Your Word.

Jeremiah 7

Verse Of The Day: V23 “But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."

1.  Obedient Life

V23 “But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, …”

The prophet Jeremiah lived and preached in the days of the people of God who disobeyed God. Many of them praised and worshipped God in the temple of the LORD, but their hearts were far away from God. They sinned and disobeyed God and their lives were no different from the people of the world. Jeremiah wept and warned them not to lie when they praised God in the beautiful temple while refusing to repent their sins!

V4 “Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these”

Look around you, and do you see many Christians praising and worshipping God in a beautiful and majestic church building but their lives are no different from the people of the world as they smoke, drink, swear, curse, steal, cheat, deceive and in sins?

2.  Transformed Life

V23 “But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, …”

A durian tree shall bring forth durians and a mango tree shall bring forth mangos and God shall bring forth God’s people! God’s people shall always obey God’s commandments and walk in God’s ways. When you are a true Christian, you shall have a sense of guilt and remorse when you disobey God. You shall seek to repent and return to God and live a transformed and changed life that honors and glorifies God.

3.  Happy Life

V23 “But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.”

An obedient and transformed life shall result in a happy life! You reap whatever you sow. When you sow obedience you shall reap happiness and be well in your life.

Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Prayer Of The Week

Dearest God, please help me to sow obedience so that I shall reap happiness.

Jeremiah 6

Verse Of The Day: V13 “For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.”

What is covetousness? It is defined as a great and intense desire to acquire and amass material possessions. Covetousness or greed is the sin that was in the heart of man since the fall of mankind.

1.  Covetousness is in Every Person

V13 “For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; …”

The sin of covetousness is in every person including young children and old folks. Look around you. Children are crying for toys in the shopping centers. They are never satisfied and contented even when their rooms are filled with toys from floors to ceilings! Old folks are queuing up to buy lottery, thinking that this shall be their last chance to strike big, enjoy life with plenty of possessions and eventually die rich!

2.  Covetousness is in Every Prophet and Priest

V13 “For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.”

The sin of covetousness was also in the spiritual leaders, the prophets and the priests. The prophets who represented God in teaching the people to live godly and without covetousness were the ones who were ungodly and covetous. They required the people to offer them large sum of money or expensive gifts for their so-called service of God. Even the priests who represented the people before God to sacrifice the offerings in the temple of God for them were also the ones who kept large parts of the offerings for themselves and were ungodly and covetous.

3.  Covetousness shall be Punished

V15 “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.”

The saddest truth was that the people themselves were not ashamed of their covetousness. They thought that life consisted of the abundance of possessions. They failed to realize that their possessions were transient and would one day vanish away and that God shall punish their sin of covetousness. The only thing that is of great gain and shall last forever is their relationship with God and to be contented with life!

1 Timothy 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please help me to be contented with You and the simple things of life.

Jeremiah 5

Verse Of The Day: V4 “Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.”

God commanded His prophet Jeremiah to find a man who was pure in heart and sought the truth and He shall forgive the entire nation of Israel. Imagine just one man yet Jeremiah could not find that man! Today, God is also looking for a man who is pure in heart and seeks the truth.

1.  The Man in the World of Immorality

V8 “They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.”

After God had fed the nation of Israel with a great harvest, they committed immorality instead of thanking God and keeping themselves pure. Today, immorality is also rampant. Even the youth as young as 12 years old, has committed immorality. Indeed, when God finds His man who has kept himself pure from immorality, He shall surely bless and keep him forever!

2.  The Man in the World of Rebellion

V23 “But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.”

The people in Jeremiah’s time had no respect for authority. Everyone did what was right in their eyes. Even the young children were rebelling against their parents. Today, rebellion is also rampant. Many parents and teachers have lost control of their young people. In some countries, the children physically abused and beat their parents at home while students abuse and beat their teachers in schools. Indeed, when God finds His man who has kept himself pure from rebellion, He shall surely bless and keep him forever!

3.  The Man in the World of Deceit

V27 “As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.”

God richly blessed the people in Jeremiah’s time yet they were deceitful in their worship of God. The people offered sacrifices and worshipped God in the temple yet their hearts were far away from God. Today, many people worship God with loud music, dancing, shouting and praises but their hearts are far away from Him. Indeed, when God finds His man who has kept himself pure from deceit, He shall surely bless and keep him forever!

Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please keep me pure in heart so that I shall see You in heaven one day.

Jeremiah 4

Verse Of The Day: V4 “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.”

How you are today is how your heart is today. The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. When your heart is evil, you shall be evil no matter how hard you try to be good. Conversely when your heart is good, you shall always be good, and people around you can feel and experience your goodness from your good heart.

1.  God Rewards Good Hearts

V4 “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: …”

God rewards you when you circumcise your foreskins of your hearts or when you keep your heart pure and holy. God shall surely draw near to you and bless you with peace and joy when your heart is pure and holy before Him.

James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

2.  God Punishes Evil Hearts

V4 “… lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.”

God punishes the evil hearts and cut down or destroy them like grass and green herbs. Many times, we get upset when we see evil doers got off scot-free and injustice prevails. We fail to realize that God shall certainly punish the evil doers though it may not be swift it is sure, as God hates evil.

Psalms 37:1-2 “Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.”

3.  God Loves All Hearts

God loves all hearts as He warned the people of Judah and Jerusalem to purify their evil hearts lest His fury come upon them like fire. God desires all hearts to repent and turn to Him and be saved.

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Prayer of the Week

Dearest God, please clean my heart and make it pure and holy.