July 6, Friday

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Sabbath Rest”

Jeremiah 17:19-23

This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand at the Gate of the People, through which the kings of Judah go in and out; stand also at all the other gates of Jerusalem. 20 Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah and all people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem who come through these gates. 21 This is what the Lord says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. 22 Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your ancestors. 23 Yet they did not listen or pay attention; they were stiff-necked and would not listen or respond to discipline.

I’ve never considered myself to be a workaholic. I have seen my fair share of people who prefer to be busy, or who need to have a schedule packed to the brim as to not waste a moment; but personally— whether it’s due to my personality, my location (sunny San Diego), or something deeper—I’m not like that. However, this past year brought a lot of changes and transitions in my life, and with that came a myriad of new responsibilities. As work piled up, I found myself getting busier and busier. There was always something that needed to be done or needed to be thought through—and this made it easy to forgo taking any sort of meaningful Sabbath. Why set aside an entire day away from work when that would just leave more to get back to the next day?

Of course, we’re supposed to find our rest in God, and my foolishness in the above account is immediately apparent, even as I’m writing it. We observe the Sabbath day to refresh and refocus our hearts, to remember God’s covenant and creation, and to realize our dependence on Him to sustain us through our communion. God created the Sabbath as a blessing, although it’s easy for us to dismiss it as an unnecessary luxury, or worse, an inconvenience.

Some of us may really love being busy, to the point that we idolize it; while others, like me, might just find themselves gradually with more things to do. That’s where we see the beauty of the Sabbath. Where an every-day work week may have been the norm, God commanded the Israelites to set apart one day without working; he was disrupting their normal perspective of work. In our context, it’s easy to feel good about spending time working and being productive. Conversely, it’s difficult for us to spend an entire day producing nothing tangible with our time and effort, because we feel unproductive. I believe it’s just for that reason why God mentions discipline in this passage—because He knows that even resting in the Lord is something that does not come naturally to us. Instead of being grateful to be able to spend time with God, we become agitated at having to “waste” time we could be spending doing other things. But God wants us to experience real rest. And for us to experience this real rest on a regular basis, it takes discipline—the discipline to stop working and to take a step back to remember God.

Prayer: Lord, I know it’s easy for me to fill my time with things that seem productive and important. And I know You haven’t put me where I am today just to disregard my responsibilities. But God, I want to trust that prioritizing You, finding my rest in You, and committing my time to spend with You, are all going to lead to more spiritual riches for me to reap. Help me to trust You enough to make time and space for You during the week. Fill me up so I can keep pouring out for You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 44

Lunch Break Study

Exodus 31:12-17 (NIV)

Then the Lord said to Moses, 13 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy. 14 “‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death; those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. 15 For six days work is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. 16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.’”

Questions to Consider

What are the reasons God lists for the Israelites to observe the Sabbath?
How did the Israelites set apart the Sabbath?
How can you set apart the Sabbath?

Notes

It is a sign of the covenant between God and Israel for future generations; it is to know God; it is holy to the Israelites; it is holy to the Lord; it is a day of rest; and it is reflective of God’s six days of creation and seventh day of rest.
It was simple—they refrained from working that day. The Sabbath was to be so holy and set apart that anyone who worked on that day was to be put to death. This would have been presumably in the context of pagan neighbors who were continuing to work.
Personal response.

Evening Reflection

We tend to forget the Sabbath because we forget that God is the One who gives us true rest. Instead, we turn to entertainment, traveling, fitness, gaming, and other activities to refresh us. Spend some time asking God to refocus your heart on Him, and that He may continue to give you abundant life.

July 5, Thursday

Today’s AMI QT Devotional is provided by Charles Graham. Charles is a new intern with Kairos, who came aboard in September of 2017. He is currently studying at Talbot School of Theology to prepare himself for a life of service and ministry.

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Fair weather worship”

Jeremiah 17:10-19 [NIV]
“¹⁴Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. ¹⁵They keep saying to me,“Where is the word of the Lord? Let it now be fulfilled!” ¹⁶I have not run away from being your shepherd; you know I have not desired the day of despair. What passes my lips is open before you. ¹⁷Do not be a terror to me; you are my refuge in the day of disaster. ¹⁸Let my persecutors be put to shame, but keep me from shame; let them be terrified, but keep me from terror. ¹⁹Bring on them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction.”

I’m a huge sports fan; following American football and basketball the closest. I may lose some people with this, but being a SoCal native, my earliest memories of watching sports are of my family gathering around a giant CRT TV in the living room, and watching the Los Angeles Lakers. I love the Lakers, and I’ll welcome Lebron James with open arms (and no shame). Anyway, further down the road, my family moved from LA to San Diego, where I developed a love and appreciation for the (then) San Diego Chargers. Growing into a fan of the Chargers was an interesting experience. In watching and attending games, I began to observe a peculiar pattern in the behavior of most other fans; that they would love the Chargers as long as we were winning, but in down times there were serious concerns of season ticket holders abandoning their passes, or even jerseys getting disowned. As time went on, I grew to understand that these people are known as “fair weather fans,” or more commonly, “bandwagoners.”

Unfortunately, fair weather fandom doesn’t stop at our favorite sports teams. Have you noticed how much friendlier you are to someone when you want something out of them? We use the most polite tones when asking for things from our parents, we’re friendly with our friends because we generally do favors for one another, we’re friendly with potential business partners, entire industries are made or broken over how friendly we are to customers and we’re nicest of all to people we’re just starting to date. Now, what happens in these situations, is we bend over backwards to try to get to that “fair weather” place with whatever we’re interacting with, and then we start the cruise control. Then, the second we deviate from that fair weather spot, it’s a crisis. The sad truth is, sometimes we bring this fair weather mindset to our faith as well.

You see, the Israelites got to that fair weather place on their walk with God and hit the cruise control too. As a result, they began spiraling out of control with their idolatry, among other sins. A lot of the time, like the Israelites, we find ourselves in a good place in life, and, though we can remember it was God who got us there, the true weight of that gift in your life is neglected. Slowly, we start to ease up on our commitments to God, and eventually forget them entirely. We convince ourselves “we’ll be alright” if we miss a small group here and there, or take a Sunday off from worshipping, and most times it’s fine. However if the trend remains consistent, and the snowball keeps rolling downhill, one Sunday becomes two, then you’re gone for a month and before you know it, you’re no longer the season ticket holder. You just attend church when you’re winning.

Jeremiah saw this pattern occurring with the Israelites and warned them of God’s coming judgement. God sent Jeremiah with words that would “…uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant,” (Jer 1:10 [NIV]). Unfortunately, the Israelites did not heed Jeremiah’s warning, and were eventually dispossessed of their land and sent into exile. In the passage above, Jeremiah’s words serve as a great reminder of our need for active engagement with God. We need to be die-hard fans of Him.

Prayer: Father, it’s very easy to get caught up in life, and forget about You. Please, don’t let me get to the point of nominal worship. I don’t want to grow numb or ambivalent to You. Please speak to my heart, and rekindle the passion I had for You in the beginning. In Jesus’ name, amen .

Lunch Break Study

Psalm 9:1-2
¹I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. ²I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. Questions To Consider: 1. What does it mean to love God with all your heart? 2. What does it mean to “be glad and rejoice” in God?

Notes

Interestingly enough, I don’t think loving God with all your heart is quite enough (though I’m not criticizing David). We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind (Luke 10:27). That is to say, we are called to love God with all of our being. It would seem, God does not want us to only enjoy Him emotionally, but intellectually, physically and spiritually as well.
Everyone goes through times where they feel like the world is ending and their world is coming crashing down, myself included. Though I can’t say there is a universal standard of what being glad and rejoicing in God is, as it may look different from person to person, we can all be fall back on the notion that the God of the universe loves, pursues, teaches and cares for us as a people, and each of us individually.

Evening Reflection

We seek a relationship with God. Any good relationship takes active effort and work for it to grow. Sometimes, even heavy sacrifices must be made to make it work. God has already offered up His sacrifice to to make it work with you. What are you willing to give to make it work with Him?

July 4, Wednesday

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“A Jealous God?”

“Love sees sharply, hatred sees even more sharp, but Jealousy sees the sharpest for it is love and hate at the same time.” – Arab Proverb

Jeremiah 17:10-19 NIV
“I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve. ¹¹Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay are those who gain riches by unjust means. When their lives are half gone, their riches will desert them, and in the end they will prove to be fools. ¹²A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary. ¹³Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water. ¹⁴Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”

For as long as it has existed, Christians have endured countless criticisms of the God we serve and adore. It seems God is a popular figure to constantly put on trial. Interestingly, while people seem rather comfortable with Jesus and His interactions with various people He meets during His ministry, the temperament of God in the Old Testament is often viewed as at odds with Jesus by skeptics, and is used as a constant point of attack. Outspoken atheist, Richard Dawkins, is one of many who lobs complaints his book, The God Delusion. Though not a very sophisticated critique, Dawkins pulls no punches, writing:

“The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” ― Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion

Now, while this excerpt and probably many (if not all) others in The God Delusion are undoubtedly erroneous to their core, Dawkins managed to squeeze a little truth into this quote: God is, in fact, jealous. When giving the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20, God states in verse 5:

“⁵You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,” [NIV].

Here, we see God expressing His stance on idolatry to the Hebrews. Very clearly, they are not to create any carved or molded images of anything in Heaven or on Earth (Exod. 20:4 [NIV]), and any such images are certainly not to be used as objects of worship. God continues to identify Himself as jealous, and warns of the punishment awaiting those that hate Him, and their descendants. In this day and age, jealousy is, more or less, always used in a negative connotation in regards to one’s attitude, rightfully so. Jealousy can destroy relationships, whether romantic or otherwise, and even drive people to commit unspeakable acts. So why, then, does God openly describe Himself as jealous?

In fact, there are actually times where jealousy is justified. While the most widely used definition of jealousy pertains to hostility towards a potential rival, or someone with a perceived advantage, the correct definition to assign to God’s brand of jealousy, is this: intolerance of rivalry or unfaithfulness. It is in this way, that not only God’s jealousy is justified, but the human experience of jealousy as well. Doesn’t a man or a woman have good grounds to feel jealous if their spouse is unfaithful to their vows? Isn’t a man or woman justified in having no tolerance for that behavior? Likewise, God has no tolerance for anything that gets in the way of His relationship with you. A Covenant has been made, in blood, so that we may have fellowship with the living God, and when all is said and done, that fellowship continues and our relationship with Him grows. Dr. Ravi Zacharias, of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) said it best in one of his university speaking engagements: “when I say I love you, and you reject me, I hurt, because I feel like I’ve lost something, but when God says He loves you, and you reject Him, He hurts, because you’ve lost something.”

Unfortunately, at the time Jeremiah is writing and preaching to the kingdom of Judah, the Israelites had spent a great deal of time building idols; physically and spiritually. The Israelites had engaged in all manner of dishonor and injustice. In fact, the iniquities of the Israelites had grown so severe, Jeremiah goes so far as to describe their actions as analogous to prostitution. Henceforth, after searching their hearts and examining their minds, God found Israel as a nation to have forsaken Him, and moved in His (just) jealousy to dispossess the Israelites of their land.

Prayer: Father, I realize You have made promises to me, just as I have made promises to you… But the fact is, through my own faults, I fall short; I cannot hold up my end. But I have hope, because in Your faithfulness, You have sent your Holy Spirit to help and comfort me, as well as direct me to Your Word for guidance. And so, I cry out the words You put in Jeremiah’s mouth: “¹⁴Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.” In Jesus’ name, amen.

Lunch Break Study

Isaiah 55:8-9 [NIV]
“⁸For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. ⁹As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Questions To Consider

Sometimes God displays qualities that humans view as negative such as jealousy, anger, wrath, etc. Why, then, is it alright for God to have or display these qualities, but not for us?
What are some examples of God’s thoughts or ways being higher than ours?

Notes

I don’t think it’s “alright” for God to do things that aren’t “alright” for humans to do, so much as we, as finite beings, don’t have a good enough vantage point or body of knowledge to judge the actions of God. As a timeless, omniscient being, the amount of information and variables that God can track when deciding on an issue is so far beyond what humans are capable of computing, to call it “impossible” for a human to make an informed decision on any given act of God, is a vast understatement. It would be like asking a microbe to solve M-Theory.
Take your pick. Any conceivable positive attribute a human can have, God has in Himself, to the nth degree. God is infinitely more good, loving, moral, faithful, just, holy, etc. than any human could ever be. “As the heavens are higher than the earth,” so is God greater than anything else. There are none like Him, and none beside Him.

Evening Reflection

Christianity has been attacked and criticized from the beginning. People will twist and attack God’s words and actions to try and shake a person’s faith. Has your faith ever been challenged? I hope we can reflect on how deeply, biblically ignorant the age we live in, is. Together, let’s strive to trust in the Lord, and seek His guidance when these situations arise. God will make our paths straight.

July 3, Tuesday

The AMI QT Devotionals for July 2-3 are written by Esther Chailim. Esther, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, is currently serving as the Director of Ministries at Kairos Christian Church (San Diego) and pursuing a Masters in Christian Ministry and Leadership at Talbot School of Theology.

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Jesus in My Heart”

Jeremiah 17:7-8

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

I read a story online about a boy who was diagnosed with a severe heart defect, only having months to live. His surgeon, a well-respected yet jaded heart specialist, told the boy, “I’m going to try to fix your heart, but when I open it up, I’m not sure what I will find.” To his surprise, the boy responded with a smile on his face, “Don’t worry, when you cut my heart open, you’ll find Jesus, because he lives there.” Even after several attempts from the doctor to warn the boy of the dangers of his surgery, the boy continued to give the same response with a smile on his face.

After the surgery, the doctor headed to the waiting room to give the horrible news to his parents that their son did not make it through the procedure. The father, trying to figure out what happened, asked the doctor, “When you opened his heart, what did you find?” The hardened, cynical old man gave the slightest of smiles and said, “I believe I found Jesus.” And for the first time in many years, tears streamed down his face.

To be honest, I’m not sure whether this story is fictional or not, but I think it sends a powerful message of childlike faith. On one end, we have the surgeon who was probably the most qualified person to administer the procedure. The boy’s parents and the hospital staff all put their trust in the physician to attempt to save the child. Unfortunately, even the best of the best was unable to save the terminally ill child. On the other end, we have the boy, who knew that even though the chances of him living were slim, had a sense of joy and peace within him. The boy did not put his trust in the surgeon to save his life, but already knew that Christ has saved him. This, I believe, is why he did not worry and fear death when the doctor tried to warn him over and over again. In Jeremiah 17:5-7, we see Jeremiah exhorting Judah (and us) not to trust in man, but to trust in the Lord. This passage reminds us that putting our trust in the Lord will lead to a blessed life, one filled with confidence in Christ. It may not make our lives better or easier, but putting our trust in the Lord allows us to look beyond the temporal things and hold fast to the eternal things.

Prayer: God, oftentimes when I am faced with a dilemma, I find that my initial reaction is to try to figure out a way to solve the problem. Forgive me for first trusting in human resources and knowledge rather than seeking You for guidance. Help me to daily surrender my life and plans to You and focus on the things that eternally matter. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 41

Lunch Break Study

Psalm 146:1-10

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, my soul. ²I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. ³Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. ⁴When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. ⁵Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. ⁶He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— he remains faithful forever. ⁷He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free,⁸the Lord gives sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous.⁹The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. ¹⁰The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord.

Questions to Consider

What happens when we put our trusts in princes?
According to this passage, why should we put our trust in God?
How can we put our trust in the Lord?

Notes

In this world, we may have all the riches and receive recognition for the great amount of success like the princes do, but it all amounts to nothing when we pass. Those things may give us temporary happiness, but it cannot give us life. Jesus is the only one who can save us and give eternal life and joy!
We can put our trust in God because he is the Creator of heaven and earth. He has shown Himself to be faithful since the beginning of time. He cares for the oppressed and marginalized. He sets prisoners free and gives sight to the blind. He brings justice to those who worship Him, watches over foreigners and sustains the outcast. He defeats the wicked.
The psalmist starts and ends with giving praise to the Lord. One of the ways that we can put our trust in the Lord is by intentionally choosing to give Him praise. Even in difficult seasons, may we lift up our hands in surrender to Him, and position our hearts to allow Him to work through those circumstances.

Evening Reflection

Is there something in your life that has been weighing you down? Do you find yourself placing trust in the wrong places or people? Take some time now and take those things up to Jesus and ask the Holy Spirit to come and guide you in this process.

July 2, Monday

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Let’s make a change!”

Jeremiah 17:1-2

“Judah’s sin is engraved with an iron tool, inscribed with a flint point, on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars. Even their children remember their altars and Asherah poles beside the spreading trees and on the high hills.”

The recently released film “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” highlights the life and legacy of Fred Rodgers. His start into the television business came about after seeing a man getting pied in the face on TV as a form of comical relief. To most people, these slapstick shows were entertaining and appeared to be harmless jesters. But Mr. Rogers saw things differently. To him, using humor to avoid life’s most difficult realities was an extreme disservice to children. Knowing how impressionable children were, Mr. Rogers, therefore, devoted the next three decades of his life teaching children how to deal with life’s weightiest issues through the lens of mass media.

In Jeremiah 17:1-4, we read about how Judah’s sin caused God’s anger to burn forever. Their sin was so deeply engrained in them that Jeremiah describes the permanency as being engraved “on the tablet of their hearts, and on the horns of their altars.” In other words, their sin was a mark of history, negatively affecting and influencing the generations to come. Jeremiah proceeds to warn the nation about how God will punish them because of their rebellion. The similarity between those broadcasting slapstick shows, and the rebellious nation of Judah, is that they were both only interested in instant gratification. They were in it for themselves and did not care about the consequences that would later harm them or others. Thank goodness for Mr. Rogers, who constantly fought to challenge those norms!

Every day, we are faced with the same dilemma of choosing to live our lives in line with God, or to turn from Him. It is impossible for us to do it on our own, so that is why we need the help of the Holy Spirit. As we reflect on our lives, here are some good questions to ask ourselves: Am I seeking out instant gratification or am I seeking the eternal rewards? Am I self-seeking, or am I seeking Christ? Am I being a positive influence to others, or a negative one? I think what is most powerful about this film is that it brings to light a desperate need for more people like Mr. Rogers. An ordinary, imperfect man, centered on Christ, called to minister to others (particularly children) through love and kindness. A man who challenged cultural norms and fought for the dignity of all children. Because of this, his ministry and legacy continues to live even beyond his years. What once was a humble television show intended to change the way children deal with the difficulties of life has now become a film inspiring adults in the present day to continue that work and make a change in this world. Now, before you think, I am no Mr. Rogers, remember that no matter who you are, you are a teacher to someone.

So whether that person is a child, a sibling, a co-worker, a friend, or even a stranger, know that God gives us amazing opportunities to make a positive influence in other people’s life. Speak truth, show kindness, and share the love of Christ!

Prayer: God, help me to live a life that influences others in a positive way. I know that how I choose to live my life matters to You, so Holy Spirit, help me not to fall into temptation and continue walking in rebellion towards You. Root me in Your truths and cover me in Your grace so that I am firmly grounded and able to minister to others with love and compassion. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 40

Lunch Break Study

Read Colossians 3:12-17: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Questions to Consider

As God’s chosen people, what character traits does He call us to strive for?
How can we have the peace of Christ rule our hearts?
Think about someone in your life whom God is calling you to extend a little more compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and/or patience towards. Pray for that person and ask the Holy Spirit to give you an opportunity to minister to them.

Note

God calls His people to have compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. He also calls us to forgive and to put on love.
We can have the peace of Christ by allowing the Word of God to dwell among us. As we read and meditate on the Word of God, as we sing praises with a grateful heart, the peace of God will be upon us.
Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Read over Ephesians 4:29-32. Spend some time meditating on these verses and consider areas in your life where you may be tempted to fall into sin. Does your speech corrupt others, or does it build them up? Are you quick to become angry or bitter, or are you able to forgive and show kindness? If there are sins that you need to surrender to God, take this time to do so now. Acts 3:19 tells us to, “Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

July 1, Sunday

The AMI Devotional Blogs from June 25-July 1 are written by Phillip Chen, college pastor at Church of Southland. Philip, a graduate of University of California, San Diego, is currently studying at Talbot School of Theology. He is married to Esther.

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Scars of Remembrance”

Jeremiah 16:14-15 (ESV)

“Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it shall no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ ¹⁵but ‘As the Lord lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ For I will bring them back to their own land that I gave to their fathers.”

I am dreading the day that I will have to discipline my daughter. When my parents used to say, “This hurts me more than it hurts you” before spanking me, I would mouth back, “Yeah, right.” I didn’t understand how it could hurt them more than me when they were the ones who were punishing me; but I suppose I can say that I understand them now. In the end, the discipline of a loving parent always hurts the parent more than the child. The parents know that the discipline is good for the children, but it’s not an enjoyable experience.

We’ve been following along this dialogue between the LORD and Jeremiah this week regarding the judgment that is to come upon Judah. The LORD has made up His mind and tells Jeremiah that nothing can cause His wrath to relent. Judah has turned so far away from God that they don’t even know they are sinning against Him anymore. Yet as this conversation draws to a close, it seems as if the LORD can’t help but blurt out a promise of restoration—even before Judah encounters the wrath of God. Not only will they be restored, but their restoration will be more glorious than their initial deliverance—this is a powerful word that the Lord is giving Jeremiah. The LORD is saying that people will no longer talk about the exodus, where God delivered Israel out of the hands of Egypt; instead, people will talk about how God gathered His people back from exile into the land that was promised to their forefathers.

The nation of Israel has looked upon their deliverance from Egypt as a watershed moment, the forming of their nation as they know it. It is a moment that they can look back upon and declare that their God is not only powerful, but that their God is with them. However, God is promising that their restoration to the land of Israel will be even more glorious than when they first entered into the Promised Land. How is that possible? And why does God choose to give this promise in the thick of His pronouncement of judgment over Judah?

If we see God as a God who disciplines with the end goal of restoration rather than out of anger or frustration, then we can see why God would give them this promise—even in the midst of this pronouncement. He knows that a very hard time will be coming for this nation, and He wants to reassure them that restoration will be coming.

As we’ve gone through the book of Jeremiah, it is a particularly sad book to read through. Not only is it sad to see the judgment that is coming for the nation of Judah, but it’s also sad to see it from God’s vantage point. Yet the exile is not the end. Discipline may last for a while, but God promises that His people will be restored—and the glory of that restoration will surpass the former glory of their deliverance. Perhaps you are going through a particularly difficult time: maybe you are going through a season of discipline, wilderness, or silence of God. Whatever God may be doing, you can be sure that He has restoration in mind. Hang in there as you look to the light at the end of the tunnel!

Prayer: Father God, thank You that You always have restoration in mind—even in the midst of discipline. Help me to persevere in seasons of Your discipline, that I may not become hardened or jaded, but rather look on hopefully to the point of restoration that You are leading me towards. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 39

June 30, Saturday

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Adjusting to Dark Places”

Jeremiah 16:10-12 (ESV)

“And when you tell this people all these words, and they say to you, ‘Why has the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? What is our iniquity? What is the sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’ 11 then you shall say to them: ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the Lord, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law, 12 and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me.

When the lights are suddenly shut off in a room that we are in, we become a little bit disoriented because we are unable to see anything. However, our eyes slowly start to adjust, and we are able to start seeing things in the dark even though the degree of darkness hasn’t necessarily changed. Our eyes are able to adjust to the darkness so that we can still function, however limited. This shows that we have an uncanny ability to adjust to our physical surroundings.

There is a painting in our bathroom that is slightly crooked. It’s not a hard fix, but I just never got around to adjusting it. It used to bother me a lot, and I would tell myself that the next time I get the chance to fix it, I would do it then. A week went by, a month, and now years later, it still is not fixed. I simply got used to the imperfection because my mind had somehow adjusted to it as normal. Chances are, even after writing this, I’m still going to leave the painting as it is because it just doesn’t bother me that much anymore.

In spiritual matters, we also have an uncanny ability to adjust, particularly in areas of sin and darkness. Isn’t that how we get stuck in habitual sins? The first time we speak a lie, we feel horrible about it and we vow to never lie again. But we do, and the second time we don’t feel as bad. The third, fourth, fifth time, it seems to flow right out of us. Pretty soon, it doesn’t bother us when we tell a white lie. It’s just part of our way of life. Gossip may seem like something we shouldn’t do, and we are convicted that we shouldn’t gossip – but over time, we actually come to enjoy gossiping. Pornography or sexual sin might be something we feel bad about longer than normal, but over time, we can adjust to it and it becomes normal. We end up justifying our sin. It’s the same pattern for so many areas of sin in our lives. Our lives are often so littered with sin, and if we are not careful, we end up becoming used to it. It becomes normal in our lives. It just doesn’t bother us that much anymore.

In today’s passage, we see the people of Israel responding to God’s indictment on them. They have the gall to ask Him, “What is the sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?” This goes to show that they are so steeped in their sin, so comfortable and adjusted to the ways they have turned from Him that they don’t even realize the sin they’ve committed against God. Their corporate sin has become such a norm in their lives that they don’t see any problem with it anymore. Idol worship doesn’t even bother them anymore as it is deeply embedded in their culture. Even though individuals may have a problem with it, it is such a norm in their culture and society that it doesn’t bother them that much anymore. What can they do after all? Can you imagine how spiritually destitute a nation must be to not even recognize what sins they’ve been committing against the Lord? Israel must have been so morally and spiritually bankrupt.

There are many areas in the communities we are part of that have been repeatedly sinning against God. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel so hopeless and so dejected that I come to a place where I throw my hands up, sighing, saying, “This is just how it is.” May it not be so. May we continue to ask God for conviction in our hearts and may we continue to be lights in our cities. God will use those who make themselves available, and rather than becoming comfortable with sin, let’s strive to contend with God for His revival, repentance, and restoration!

Prayer: Father God, I want to be a catalyst for revival. Even though I live in a time and in a place where sin runs rampant, I know that Your grace has not run out on me nor the communities that I am part of. Help me to see how I can be a mouthpiece, just like Jeremiah, to speak Your truth. Help me to see how I can be a part in awakening your people and seeking their restoration. Help me to persevere even in the difficult times. In my personal life, may I never grow comfortable with sin, but I ask that your Holy Spirit would bring heavy convictions in my life so that I may live a life that is right before You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Bible Read for Today: Ezekiel 37-38

June 29, Friday

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Seeing Things in the Right Way”

Jeremiah 16:5-6 (ESV): For thus says the Lord: Do not enter the house of mourning, or go to lament or grieve for them, for I have taken away my peace from this people, my steadfast love and mercy, declares the Lord. 6 Both great and small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, and no one shall lament for them or cut himself or make himself bald for them.

Ocean’s 11 is a classic movie where the lead character, Danny Ocean (George Clooney), plans out an incredible and elaborate plan to rob three different casinos in Las Vegas that share the same vault. It’s not an easy task, and he assembles a team to do so. What’s interesting is that the movie makes these characters such likeable characters that we end up rooting for them. Even though they are committing what we all believe to be a huge crime, we still want them to win in the end—that is, sympathizing for the people who are actually in the wrong. I think it’s a scary thing that filmmakers are able to manipulate our emotions to celebrate what they want us to celebrate: in this case, they want us to celebrate this heist, because the casino owner “deserves it.” Although our feelings are definitely important, they may distort our perceptions of things.

When I read passages like today’s text, I can’t help but feel sorry for Judah. Why can’t Jeremiah grieve for them? Why can’t he mourn for them? Why does God’s discipline have to seem so harsh? Do you sometimes feel like rooting against God because you feel like He is wrong? Why did He have to allow this evil to happen, or why did He have to say it like that? Our sinful nature flips our perception of God’s goodness, and we end up despising God.

I recently heard a pastor share about how airplanes typically have two altimeters (instrument to measure altitude), because what you feel isn’t always what is actually happening. I’ve never flown a plane before, but apparently, sometimes it can be so disorienting that you may feel like you’re climbing in altitude when you’re actually diving towards the ground. So the altimeters are there to tell you what is actually happening, though your feelings might tell you otherwise.

My point is this: our spiritual gauges can sometimes be wrong. Sometimes, we might call evil good, and good, evil; or we look at God, His Word, His commands, and we don’t feel like He is really for us, or that He really cares about us. We end up cheering for wickedness rather than righteousness. It’s those times where we must come before God and recalibrate—choosing to believe that He is who He says He is, a God who loves us. In this case (and in this passage), a strong-handed discipline for Judah must come, but not without a promise of restoration, which we will touch upon at the end of this week.

Prayer: Father God, I don’t always understand what You are doing. Sometimes my spiritual gauges are way off, and I just don’t understand why things happen the way they do. Even when I don’t understand, lead me in Your ways and Your truth. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 36

Lunch Break Study

Read Hebrews 12:7-11 (ESV): Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Question to Consider

What does this passage list as the importance of discipline?
What is the fruit of discipline?
What are ways you are currently experiencing the discipline of God?

Notes

Discipline is for all who are considered children. When discipline occurs, it reminds the one being disciplined that they are legitimate children (of God). Sometimes, we don’t care for the discipline, nor do we understand the reason, but we submit to the Father who disciplines for our good.
Discipline produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Those who have been disciplined and have experienced the fruit of discipline are not as allergic to the thought of further discipline, for they know that there is more fruit to come out of the discipline.
Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Think back to a time where you experienced the discipline of God. What was the fruit that came out of it? Oftentimes, we are quick to forget the good that comes out of the discipline, but as we reflect on the fruit that was produced, it causes us to welcome the discipline of God rather than to despise it.

June 28, Thursday

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Scars of Remembrance”

Jeremiah 15:19 (ESV)

Therefore thus says the Lord: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.”

“Do as I say, not as I do.” How many times do we see this happen in our own lives? I would propose to you that we do this more than we think: we are quick to point out what others need to do; we are experts when it comes to what others need to repent of, or what others need to be more disciplined in. But when we turn the magnifying lens back on our own lives, we don’t see our own weaknesses. Parents are even more likely to fall into this category, as well as leaders. The higher up the leader becomes, the less people there are to point out their faults or their weaknesses. Yet Scriptures remind us to be careful to take care of our own hearts in regards to repentance and restoration.

The irony of this passage is that Jeremiah has been telling Judah to turn back to the Lord. He is telling them to repent so that God would restore them, and that God is merciful and will forgive them (although God tells him repeatedly to stop interceding for them). Yet we see the Lord reply to Jeremiah, urging him to repent and turn back to Him so that He can restore him. What did Jeremiah need to repent from? It seems as if he was starting to harbor bitterness towards God, that God would turn the entire nation against him even though he was only trying to be faithful to God. He was starting to think that God was out to harm him. Whatever Jeremiah was going through and thinking, God was asking him to return and repent so that God could restore him and continue to use him as a prophet.

We may not be in as dire of a situation as Jeremiah, but the Lord reminds us to turn to Him and seek His restoration, because we are all in need of it! Whether you are a teacher, a parent, a spiritual leader, a mentor, or anyone who speaks into other’s lives, we are all responsible for keeping our hearts tender so that we may continually repent and seek restoration. Leaders, let’s not get caught up with simply telling others what to do and forget to turn to the Lord yourself! We’ve seen too many leaders fall because they were not careful in taking care of their own hearts. God wants to use His people, and He wants to use you as a leader—provided that you turn to Him in repentance on a regular basis.

Prayer: Father God, help my heart to stay tender and pure before You. I desire to be used by You. As I examine my own heart, I pray that You would highlight things in my life that I need to repent of – that I would be restored and to continually be used by You in a powerful way. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 35

Lunch Break Study

Read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (ESV): Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Question to Consider

How should we live this life, according to this passage?
What is Paul afraid of in verse 27?
Especially as it is the middle of summer, what are some spiritual disciplines that you have become lax about? What are things you need to be mindful of as you run this race?

Notes

Corinth was home of the Isthmian games, which was a festival of athletic and musical competitions. The Corinthians would have seen firsthand the intensity of the training and the tenacity needed by these athletes. So Paul is comparing how the believer’s life should be like those of these athletes. If these athletes train so hard for a perishable medal, how much harder should we train for imperishable rewards?
One commentary says that the preaching refers to the “office of the herald”—meaning, that he would be the one telling the guidelines of the games, displaying the rewards, and encouraging the participants. As the herald, he must remember that he is part of this as well and should be careful lest after it all, he is disqualified from the reward that he is talking about.
Personal response.

Evening Reflection

Tonight, spend some time in reflection on ways that you need to “return to Him,” and believe in your heart that He restores those who turn to Him. May His loving kindness draw you into a place of intimacy and may you experience His grace and mercy in the process.

June 27, Wednesday

Devotional Thoughts for This Morning

“Being a Prophetic Voice”

Jeremiah 15:10 (ESV)

Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me.

I strongly dislike confrontation; not only that, I’m just not good at it. Sometimes when I need to rebuke someone or point out an area that they need to improve on, I stress out while planning out what I’m going to say. Of course it may sound good in my head—until, the actual confrontation happens. Then, for some reason, all of the things I’ve prepared escape my mind, and I talk about everything but what I need to say, until I’ve thoroughly confused the person. I definitely have to grow in this area. Yet some people are naturally good at it: for example, my wife can rebuke people with a smile on her face, and they actually leave feeling convicted and loved.

Whether you’re good at it or not, there are times where we need to confront people— particularly convictions that God has placed on our hearts. After all, we are His mouthpieces. Whether it’s sharing the gospel with someone we’re nervous about sharing with, or having a difficult conversation about sin in people’s lives, we know that we must be faithful to the word that the Lord has put on our lips. But it’s definitely not easy.

I used to think about how amazing it must be to be a prophet, since they get to be the direct mouthpiece of God; not only that, they had the ability to do miraculous things (because the power of God was so present in their lives). And then I realized that most of the prophets actually had a very difficult time. They had to say hard things to people that no one wanted to say and were probably hated by many. They were definitely not the popular ones—many of them lived very tragic lives. Jeremiah (known as the “weeping prophet”) probably cried so many tears over the nation of Judah because he knew what was coming for this nation but also because the whole land hated him. In fact, in the middle of this conversation with God, he cries out in agony because the whole nation is angry at him for prophesying destruction upon their nation. How difficult it must have been to be a prophet in a time of rampant sin, prophesying that God’s judgment was coming!

Yet God gave Jeremiah the grace to speak the difficult words that needed to be said—despite a whole nation against him. God has also given each of us specific words that need to be said. In the midst of difficult conversations, and the truth we must speak from our convictions, He gives us the grace to do so. May we live prophetic lives, speaking forth the word of God through our lips with grace and truth.

Prayer: Father God, I pray that You would help me to speak Your truth with wisdom and grace. In times when I need to have difficult conversations with someone, strengthen me and give me the courage to speak forth Your truth. Give me a love for people and a tenderness in my words to lead people closer to You rather than further away from You. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

Bible Reading for Today: Ezekiel 34

Lunch Break Study

Read Colossians 4:2-6 (ESV): Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Question to Consider

What is Paul’s prayer request?
What are some ways salt would be used, and why do you think Paul uses this analogy of being “seasoned with salt”?
When you have a conviction from the Lord to confront someone, how do you approach it?

Notes

That he would have opportunities to share about Jesus. Even though he is in prison on account of the gospel, his prayer is that God would use and strengthen him to be faithful in speaking forth the good news of Jesus. He also asks the believers in Colossae to pray that he would be clear in his speech so that people would understand the mystery of Christ.
Salt was used to bring greater taste to bland foods, it was used to preserve foods that would spoil easily, and in some instances, it was used as a means of healing. With that, our speech ought to bring greater taste (edifying), it ought to preserve this decaying world, and it definitely must be a means of healing. Our words are so powerful and ought to be used to build up rather than to destroy.
Personal response.

Evening Reflection

James 3 talks about the power of the tongue – it has the power to do great things (to build up or destroy people). Think about the words that came out of your mouth today. How did you use these words? Did you speak forth the love of God? Or did you use it to hurt others? Spend some time reflecting before the Lord and ask Him to fine tune your tongue to be used as an instrument for His glory.