Sometimes God just does cool things!!! As you all may remember, Jeremiah 29:11 is my favorite verse in the WHOLE Bible and that is what I get to do my post on today! Doesn't God just make your day? Well, He makes my day everyday and I hope you feel the same way! Anyway, I digress...let's get to the post. :)
My Legacy Bible had a little character sketch on Jeremiah and I wanted to share a few things from it with you:
"Most of the differences between us and the people of Biblical times are relatively superficial. Their external sounds, tastes and sights may not have been much like ours, but their internal world was surprisingly familiar. When we read about their thoughts, hopes and fears, we can connect immediately. Those are our thoughts, hopes and fears too...The legacy of Jeremiah reveals two priceless lessons. First, Jeremiah didn't hold anything back from God. Anger, blame, sadness and rejection were thrown at God by the troubled prophet. Jeremiah wasn't afraid to give God a piece of his mind because God already had his heart and soul...Second, Jeremiah showed that God met him in the worst moments of life...Like Jeremiah, the worst moments of life can be preludes to realizing in a new way the persistent, personal presence of God, with whom we can always be honest."
In chapter 26 we see Jeremiah seized and locked up for telling the Israelites about the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the temple due to their idolatry and disobedience. In this country, we do not know what it is like to be truly persecuted for the Lord - being beaten, locked up, or killed for the cause of Christ. In my opinion, this time is coming to our country as we get closer and closer to the rapture and the end of the Church Age that we are in right now. Are we ready for that kind of persecution? Are we really ready for that kind of battle?
Chapters 27 and 28 deal with false prophets and the lies that they tell the people of Israel. The Israelites believe them because it is what their "tickling ears" want to hear! We too have false prophets that are telling people what they want to hear. We have prophets who are preaching half-truths with prosperity gospel thrown in there and they pack HUGE stadiums because this is what people desire to hear! What happens when we DON'T become prosperous according to this world's standards? Does that then mean that we are not "good" Christians and have done something to displease the Lord? What if our lot in life determined by the One who is in control of everything is to suffer continuously while we are here on this earth? Are we then not doing something right so that we will be blessed? The Lord Jesus Himself told us to be aware of these false prophets. And it is only going to get worst as we get closer to the end times. That is why we need to be in the Word everyday and know it for ourselves so that we can protect ourselves from these false prophets. It is the only offensive weapon we have against the enemy (Ephesians 6). Paul tells us in II Timothy 4:3 "For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new." Do we know what sound doctrine is?Chapter 29 is the text of a letter that Jeremiah sent to the exiles in Babylon. In that letter is where we find these amazing words that transcends all time and speaks to us even today:
"For I know the plans I have for you" - this is the Lord's decleration- "plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you..."Let these promises just fall all over you for just a moment. They are quite profound and are meant for you to claim! Do you seek the Lord...truly seek Him? Do you search for Him with all your heart? Do you REALLY believe He has a plan for you and that it is to give you a future and a hope?
~Jeremiah 29:11-14a
