Our Daily Scripture – 8/28/24

SCRIPTURE:  JEREMIAH 4:

WHAT DID GOD TOLD THE ISRAELITES TO DO?

  1. Return to me and put your detestable idols out of my sight. (v. 1)
  2.  Walk in a truthful, just and righteous way. (v. 2)
  3.  Break up your unplowed ground and do not sow among thorns. (v. 3)
  4.  Circumcise yourselves and your hearts to the Lord (v. 4)

DISASTER FROM THE NORTH (vs. 5-31)

  1.  A lion has come out of his lair, a destroyer of nations has set out to lay waste your land and lie ruins in your towns without inhabitant. (v. 7)
  2.  The king and the officials will lose heart, the priests will be horrified and the prophets will be appalled. (v. 9)
  3.  A besieging army is coming from a distant land, raising a war cry against the cities of Judah. (v. 16)
  4.  Disaster follows disaster,, the whole land lies in ruins will all tents destroyed. (v. 20)
  5.  The earth was formless and empty and their light was gone. (v. 23)
  6.  The mountains were quaking and all the hills were swaying. (v. 24)
  7.  No people were their and every bird in the sky had flown away. (v. 25)
  8.  The fruitful land was a desert and all its towns lay in ruins. (v. 26)
  9.  The whole land will be ruined. (v. 27)
  10.  The earth will mourn and the heavens above grow dark. (v. 28)
  11.  At the sound of horsemen and archers, every town takes to flight.  Some go into the thickets, some climb up among the rocks.  All the towns are deserted; no one   live in them. (v. 29)
  12. There was a cry as of a woman in labor, a groan as of one bearing her first child. (v. 31)

Jeremiah told the people to break up the hardness of their hearts.  They needed to remove the sin that harden their hearts before God’s command could take root.  Jeremiah expressed his sorrow by God’s words.  People were blinded by their own sins but were expecting blessings because the false prophets kept telling them that all was well.  But disaster would be coming as punishment for their sins.  Judgment would continue unless the people turned from their sins and listen to God.

THOUGHTS:

As Christians, we must also remove the hardening sins from our heart in order to listen to God’s word and grow in our life.  The judgment of Israel should serve as a reminder to us that all sinners will be judged at the end of the world.

Right living is essential for a Christian to have a good testimony among unbelievers.  Ask God to help us develop skills in right living and pursue excellence in Christian living.