DAILY BIBLE READING:
Jeremiah 14:11–16:15
1 Thessalonians 2:9–3:13
Psalm 80:1-19
Proverbs 25:1-5
TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):
Jeremiah 14:11-12 "The LORD said to me: 'Do not pray for the welfare of this people. Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.'"
REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):
Over and over in Scripture, God is said to be loving and patient. He reaches out to the sinner and calls him back to Himself.
But, it is a fair question to ask: "Does God's patience ever run out? It is ever too late to come back to Him?"
Just read our Verses for Today for the answer:
"The LORD said to me: 'Do not pray for the welfare of this people. Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.'" (Jeremiah 14:11-12)
This attitude by our Heavenly Father is very rare in Scripture. We don't see it often. We read about it on Mt. Sinai when God told Moses He was going to destroy the rebellious people of Israel and create a new nation. But, Moses prayed and God relented.
More times than not, God's patience seems to be endless. In fact, we may presume upon it. We go off, once again, into sin because we are convinced that God will once again cleanse us and bring us back into fellowship.
But the truth of Jeremiah 14:11-12 is a very sobering, helpful reminder. If we are saved, we can never lose it. But, it is quite possible that someone could offend God so many times that He no longer listens to their supposed prayers of repentance. In fact, there are times when someone's sin could so offend Him that He decides to cut their life short (1 John 5:16-17).
I have to admit that I don't fully understand this topic. I don't fully understand God's patience or what it looks like when it runs out or what it takes to reach that point of no return. I simply know what I have seen in Scripture. And it's enough to sober us up and cause us to celebrate God's grace - but never to presume upon it.
DAILY BIBLE READING:
Jeremiah 12:1–14:10
1 Thessalonians 1:1–2:8
Psalm 79:1-13
Proverbs 24:30-34
TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 (ESV) "For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."
REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):
In our Verses for Today, the Apostle Paul is bragging on the church at Thessalonica. They received the Gospel even though they were being persecuted for it. As a result, their example was being talked about in areas well beyond their city.
But, I want us to focus on the last phrase of today's verses...
"Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."
If you want to ask someone if they are a Jesus-follower, you might ask the question: "Are you saved?"
As Christians, we have come to use that biblical word a lot. When we say "saved," we understand that it refers to the person who has trusted in Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross on their behalf to forgive them, cleanse them, and make them God's child.
But, "saved" is one of those words that is used so often that we may not realize what it is actually talking about.
What does it mean to be "saved?"
If I told you that someone was drowning in a lake but I saved them, what would that mean? Simply that they were going to die but I took action and spared them of that tragic end.
If I told you that I came upon a car wreck and saved someone whose vehicle was engulfed in flames, what would that mean? Simply that they were going to die but I took action and spared them of that tragic end.
So, when Christians say that we are "saved," what does that mean? It simply means that we were headed for something utterly horrific but God took action and spared us of that tragic end.
What did God save us from?
"Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."
Friend, God is a loving God (1 John 4:8,16) but He is also a just God (Exodus 34:6-7; Numbers 14:18). He has set a day upon which He will judge the world in righteousness (Acts 17:30-31). And as a good, righteous Judge, He has no choice but to send sinful lawbreakers to a fiery Hell (Revelation 20:11-15).
This is the "wrath to come," friend. This is where we are all headed unless God steps in to save us from this tragic end.
But God did step in to save us. He took drastic measures that enabled Him to maintain His holiness (our sin had to be paid for) and reveal His love (Jesus willingly offered His life as the payment for our sins - Romans 5:8).
So, all that is left is for us to receive that free gift. We do so by repenting (turning from sin and self-rule) and trusting in Jesus (resting in what He did to make us right in God's eyes). And when we do this, we are once and for all time "saved from the wrath to come."
John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."
DAILY BIBLE READING:
Jeremiah 10:1–11:23
Colossians 3:18–4:18
Psalm 78:56-72
Proverbs 24:28-29
TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):
Colossians 4:5-6 "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person."
REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):
In our Verses for Today, we are called to be extra cautious when talking to those who are not yet saved. Why? Because if our words are inappropriate or, worse yet, harsh, then we may lose an opportunity to share the good news of the Gospel with them. In fact, if the offense is so great, they may lump all Christians together and determine never to join our group through trusting in Jesus to save them.
In other words, handle lost people with 'kid gloves,' so that nothing you say will stand in the way of them seriously consider the claims of Jesus and the message of the Gospel that can save their souls.
Does this mean that sometimes you will overlook an offense? Does this mean that sometimes you may be horribly wronged but you will determine to accept the wrong so as not to be a stumbling block to a non-believer? Yep. The greater good is that lost person spending eternity in Heaven. If something we do can move them closer to that moment where they give their life to Jesus, then we must do it.
DAILY BIBLE READING:
Jeremiah 8:8–9:26
Colossians 3:1-17
Psalm 78:32-55
Proverbs 24:27
TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):
Colossians 3:13 "bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."
REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):
Quite often, as we read our Bibles, we are confronted with the reality that we cannot live the life that God has called us to live. We simply cannot obey His commandments to the degree that He has called us to obey them.
For instance, I was just reflectively reading though Colossians 3:1-17 and came across the second half of verse 13. It says: "As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."
That command is insane, my friend. If we think that we are living up to that standard, we are ill-informed as to the true condition of our heart. Absolutely none of us can completely forgive and love the person who daily lives in opposition to God and His Word and who is actively working toward our destruction and death.
As men surrounded Jesus who had cried out for His death and who had nailed him to the torturous cross, Jesus looked on them with compassion and said: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34).
Friend, can you forgive to that level? I cannot. To be completely honest, I don't have it in me.
So, then why would God call us to live up to a standard that is impossible for us to obey? Does He want us to live in a constant state of frustration and self-loathing at our inability to comply with His good commands?
No. Of course not. God loves us too much to set us up for failure.
So, what is God doing when He gives us commands that are impossible for us to comply with?
Simply put, God's standards are a clear reminder that we are no more able, on our own, to live the Christian life after we are saved than before we are saved. The only way we can live up to the standard God has called us to is to realize that it requires our dependence upon and submission to Jesus who lives inside every believer in the person of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9). We cannot obey God's commands but Jesus in us can and will if we fully depend upon and submit to Him.
So, friend, are you trying to live the Christian life in your own strength? Good luck with that and get accustomed to failure.
But, if you realize that you cannot do it but Jesus in you can, and as you, moment-by-moment, depend upon Him to live His life out through you, you will experience spiritual victory much more often. But, you won't be filled with pride at your growing degree of holiness. You will be filled with gratitude for what Jesus is doing in and through you.
"I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13)
DAILY BIBLE READING:
Jeremiah 6:16–8:7
Colossians 2:8-23
Psalm 78:1-31
Proverbs 24:26
TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):
REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):
A
DAILY BIBLE READING:
Jeremiah 4:19–6:15
Colossians 1:18–2:7
Psalm 77:1-20
Proverbs 24:23-25
TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):
REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):
A
DAILY BIBLE READING:
Jeremiah 2:31–4:18
Colossians 1:1-17
Psalm 76:1-12
Proverbs 24:21-22
TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):
REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):
A
DAILY BIBLE READING:
