- Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn because there is no grass. The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights; they pant for air like jackals; their eyes fail because there is no vegetation. Jeremiah 14:5-6 – One of the deadly results of the people’s sin was terrible drought on the land. No rain, no sources of water, and no vegetation. While certainly this was a troubling time for those being punished, our verse reminds us that our sin has an impact on the world around us to. We see that the deer and wild donkeys, creatures that had no hand in idol worship or turning away from the Lord, were suffering and dying as a result of Judah’s sin. I believe this ought to be a regular pathway our thoughts go to when the temptation of sin is present: who else will my sin hurt? If you choose to sin in some way at work, how many of your coworkers who did nothing wrong will suffer somehow as a result of that sin? If you choose to sin in some way within your marriage, how will your spouse, your kids, your in-laws, and your church family be impacted by such a choice? Don’t be a fool and say your sin only hurts you, giving yourself the allowance to do what you want. Not only do you know that not to be true, but you’ve felt the sting of other’s choice to sin in your own life before. God is offering us a life of choosing holiness, and such a life will also have an impact on those around us, yet this time in a positive way. However then you choose to live your life, whether pursuing sin or pursuing Jesus, know each pathway will impact those around you. Choose the path that will bring life, rather than death, to the people God has placed in your story. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3243
- Her nobles send their servants for water; they come to the cisterns; they find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are ashamed and confounded and cover their heads. Jeremiah 14:3 – They search for what they need and can’t find it. They then return as empty as when they left. Such is the result of pursuing sin. We have in our minds things we need, love, acceptance, happiness, purpose, etc. We then hear culture today offering paths to find all those things and more so we chase down those paths like everyone else. We then end up with what everyone else who follows those path have, nothing more than they started with except some regrets. God wants you to know all those things you need you can find in Him, but in Him alone. While you can find temporary shadows of those things in what the world and sin offers, the true versions of them that your life needs only can be found in God. What course changes then does your life need to make today so you can stop wasting time pursuing empty things and begin pursuing the one scripture calls living water? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 933
- Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are you not he, O Lord our God? We set our hope on you, for you do all these things. Jeremiah 14:22 – Drought and famine were plaguing the land during this time. God had caused the rain to be withheld as a consequence for the people’s refusal to let go of their sinfulness and God was clear in His words to them rain wasn’t coming. Yet here we have Jeremiah the prophet approaching God on behalf of the people he loved. When we read Jeremiah’s prayer the answers to his questions are no and yes. No, the false gods being worshipped by the people can’t bring rain, and yes, the Lord is He who can. When then in distress are you crying out to something that isn’t able to provide? Imagine having a difficulty with a coworker or an issue in your marriage and you decide the best way to find help is going into your backyard to speak to a tree and ask it to intervene in the stressed relationship and bring healing. That would be ridiculous, but so is turning to anything else for help other than God. No, that tree in your backyard, that bottle of alcohol, that next high, that next relationship, that extra time in the gym, that extra amount of effort you put in isn’t going to fix what needs fixed in your story because of your sin. God can though. Choose to begin turning to Him in life over all else for anything else can’t offer what you need. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2146
Daily DEVO 