365 Reflections

Jeremiah discovered throughout his life that seeking the Lord was the best thing one could do with one's life. In seeking God, you find hope in the midst of despair, you find forgiveness in the midst of sin, you find joy on the other side of trouble. God is pleased to give to those who seek Him these marvelous realities.  Jeremiah 33:2–3 (ESV) “Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name: 3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Engaging in prayer opens up new discoveries and insights in our lives and future, leading to personal growth and understanding. We especially need this when disaster seems to abound around us just as it did with Judah in the days of Jeremiah.  Jeremiah 33:4–5 (ESV) For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege mounds a

For years, Jeremiah preached about the destruction and restoration of Jerusalem. In the chapters before Jeremiah 32, he announced the good news of return, the New Covenant, and God's good plan for the people despite their present turmoil. Now, in Jeremiah 32, the prophet is asked a curious question.  Jeremiah 32:6–8 (ESV) Jeremiah said, “The word of the LORD came to me: 7 Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ 8 Then Hanamel my cousin came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. Jeremiah follows through. He buys the field and calls his assistant Baruch to put the deed of purchase in a long-lasting container.  Jeremiah 32:13–15 (ESV) I c

On the heels of announcing a comeback for the exiles in Babylon, Jeremiah is the first prophet to announce a New Covenant between God and Israel. The enormity of this moment cannot be overstated. The Covenant of Moses in the Law was epic. It had defined Israel as a nation for 1000 years. Over that time, Israel failed again and again to keep their end of the bargain. The die was cast in their hearts. They could not curtail their actions. They needed a deeper work of God in the heart.  That is what they get.  Jeremiah 31:31–32 (ESV) “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. Jeremiah is clear: The problem with the Old Covenant was the people. They couldn't stop sinning. This is our problem

The Lord executes terrible judgment on Israel in Jeremiah's day. Jeremiah was the mouthpiece through which the doom was decreed. But time and again, we are reminded in Jeremiah that the Lord who judges and punishes the wicked is also the Lord who restores and saves those whom He loves.  The last verses of Jeremiah 30 are this declaration of war from God: Jeremiah 30:23–24 (ESV) Behold the storm of the LORD! Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked. 24 The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intentions of his mind. In the latter days you will understand this. And yet the first verses of Jeremiah 31 is an announcement of restoration! Jeremiah 31:1–3 (ESV) “At that time, declares the LORD, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.” 2 Thus says the LORD: “The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, 3 the LORD

Let me ask you a question. Do you write things down that God has done or how scripture has spoken to you over the years? You should It's in the Bible. We must record God's actions in our lives. We must keep track of God's leading and guiding through the Word. Jeremiah wrote things down, just as Isaiah, Ezekiel, Ezra and Nehemiah did. Just as Moses did. Just as they were commanded to do.  Jeremiah 30:2–3 (ESV) “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. 3 For behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the LORD, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.” The people of Israel were doomed to exile. God wanted a record of His promised restoration written down so they might know He is reliable and faithful. He never gives up on His people. I think we all suffer from short-term memory concerning

When God disciplines you, keep moving forward and forget what is behind you.  Jeremiah 29:12–14 (ESV) Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. Some transition words in the Bible are huge. This "then" in verse 12 of Jeremiah 29 is one of them. A rebellious people are headed into exile in Babylon. Seventy years will go by, according to the word spoken by Jeremiah. And that same nation will come out of Babylon and will seek the Lord and find Him and be restored to the fortunes they lost.  How does a rebellious nation or person of God become a God-seeking person or nation? Through God's discipline. The Jews were to enter into di

The words we hold dear from Jeremiah come from a letter he wrote to his own people as they were dragged off into exile to the nation of Babylon.  Yes. God knows the plans He has for us. But sometimes, those plans lead through a dark valley.  Jeremiah 29:1–2 (ESV) These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. Let's first acknowledge that this is a letter from the prophet to the people. The Jews made a name for their existence and sustained their existence by doing something regularly - writing. The Bible is filled with letters from and to many people in the Bible and beyond. The largest portion of the New Testament is compo