Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Jeremiah 25:1-14
Set – Jeremiah 25; John 19
Go! – Jeremiah 23-25; John 19
Jeremiah 25:1-14
1 The word of God concerning all of Judah again came to Jeremiah when Jehoiakim (son of Josiah), king of Judah, had reigned for four years. Meanwhile, the dreaded Nebuchadnezzar was in his first year as king of Babylon. 2 During these ominous days the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the citizens of Jerusalem and the people of Judah.
Jeremiah: 3 I have been warning you since the word of the Eternal started coming to me in the 13th year of King Josiah (son of Amon), ruler of Judah. For these last 23 years, I have been telling you again and again what was coming, but you never listened. 4 It wasn’t just me whom the Eternal sent. He sent you His servants, the prophets, again and again, but you never paid attention to them. You never listened as 5 they said, “Turn back from your evil ways and actions so you can live forever in this land the Eternal gave to you and your ancestors. 6 I will not harm you if you do not chase after other gods to serve and worship them or provoke Me to anger with the little idols your hands have made.”
Eternal One: 7 But you did not listen to Me or My prophets! Now I, the Eternal One, declare that you have stirred up My anger with the little idols your hands have made, and you have brought this harm upon yourselves. 8 Therefore, I, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, declare that since you have not heard or obeyed My words, 9 I am about to summon the clans of the north along with King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who serves Me. I will use them to punish this land and those of you who live in it. I will also use them against all the surrounding nations of Judah. I will destroy them completely, making them a place of horror, an object of scorn, a land of everlasting ruin. 10 I will silence any hint of laughter and joy, the sweet words of the bride and bridegroom at a wedding, the milling of grain and the lighting of a lamp. 11 It will all end, and this place will be a horrific wasteland. And these nations will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years.
Eternal One (to Babylon): 12 When the 70 years of servitude are complete, I will then punish the king of Babylon, his people, and the land of Chaldea for their guilt. I, the Eternal, will make it a land of everlasting ruin. 13 All that I warned would happen to that land—all that Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations and is now written in this book—I will do. 14 For the mighty Babylonians will be turned into slaves for many nations and powerful kings; I will repay them according to what they have done and how they have treated My people.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
All My prophets tried to warn the Israelites about their coming destruction if they failed to come back to Me. Instead, they continued to worship the false gods of the people around them. They crafted idols of wood, silver, and gold and worshiped them in place of Me. I kept sending My servants to them year after year. They would address the kings, the priests, the people and plead with them to come back to Me, but so often they patterned their lives after the nations around them instead of following the commands I gave Moses after I freed them from slavery from Egypt.
Many today read the Old Testament prophets and wonder how the Israelites could wander so far from Me and continue to fail in their faith. How could they fail to follow Me after all I had done for them? How could they fail to listen to the prophets and go their own way?
It’s easy to point back to others and point out their faults, though. Take a look at yourself. Do you let anything get between us? Do you spend time talking with Me? Is it your best time or what you have left over? Do you study My word to learn who I am, how I act, what I say, what I want you to do or do you just skim through My word as a duty to perform or not read it at all? Do you meditate on what I tell you? Do you listen to My Spirit in you and act on what I command of you?
The stories of the Israelites in the Old Testament often represent the story of individual lives today. I come to you time and time again through the words of My scriptures, My prophets, My followers, My Spirit, but like the Israelites, My voice is ignored and you do what you want instead of obeying Me. The path for the Israelites led to destruction because of their disobedience. The path remains the same for all who do not follow Me.
You know My desires for you, but I cannot make the decision for you. Choose wisely. Choose Me.
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