- But if you listen to me, declares the Lord, and bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it, 25 then there shall enter by the gates of this city kings and princes who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city shall be inhabited forever. Jeremiah 17:24-25 – Much of this chapter is revealing the hardness of Judah’s rebellion against God. God had searched the depths of their hearts and found no desire for Him but only a desire for their sinful ways. In this last section God commands Jeremiah to tell the people to follow the command about no work on the Sabbath. Not that this command was uniquely more important than others, but that it would be a simple one to follow for it wasn’t about doing anything but the opposite, not doing things. If the people would follow God, even in this one command, it would show they were willing to actually repent and God would change His course of punishment. The image we get of the Lord here is one that does not long to bring wrath upon His people, but one that is seeking even the smallest amount of a sign that His people want to live faithfully so He can relent from bringing destruction. In our story the Lord behaves the same way. God is not seeking to condemn to Hell masses of people, His heart is that no one should suffer but that all would come to Him. Yet like in this chapter, even though the escape from Hell is a simple “yes” to following Jesus, many will refuse. In your life is the Lord seeing signs of a pursuit of holiness or a rejection of the word He’s given you? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3246
- Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:5-8 – Compare the two men in this passage. One is cursed and dry while one is blessed and flourishing. What caused there to be such a difference? One trusted in God and the other trusted in man. Scripture speaks for itself here. A life trusting in God is far more fulfilling than one trusting in ourselves or anything other than God. Maybe if your story has been feeling a little parched this passage can reveal why. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 936
- “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10 – As I read this passage my mind goes immediately to 1 Samuel 16:7…“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” The heart is what God looks at when He looks into our story. Is our heart for Him? Is our heart seeking His will to be done? Know then as well God is looking at other’s hearts as well. Maybe from the outside, from our perspective, it seems like they are not following the Lord, but God knows their heart and what He has laid on their heart to accomplish. Meaning we should strive to see their heart as well rather than assume. Seek intentional relationships with people in order see past the outward appearances to see their heart. Then, once a deeper view of their life is seen, is when we can speak into their life if what we see isn’t a heart after God. Be striving to look at others how God looks at people. Not at outward appearances of holiness or sinfulness, but at the heart. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2149
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