Jeremiah – Chapter 27

So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’ ¹⁰For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you, with the result that you will be removed far from your land, and I will drive you out, and you will perish. Jeremiah 27:9-10 – Verses like these aren’t new to us who have been studying Jeremiah. We’ve seen before Jeremiah telling Judah that there were prophets among them speaking words of peace that were untrue and that listening to such words would result in their destruction. Yet what’s unique about our verses above is that they weren’t solely directly this time at Judah, but to a host of other nations. Jeremiah sent this warning to multiple different kings in the surrounding countries to warn them of the false prophets within their kingdoms. It wasn’t just Judah who had this problem, but false prophets had filled the nations and were speaking their deceptions there too. This reminds us of a reality we must remember today, the enemy isn’t just working on us but is other places to working his evils. Yes, we can see how the enemy is working in our own life speaking lies and causing devastation, but his forces are at work beyond us too. He is working in the lives of our coworkers, our family, and our church…and everywhere in the world too. Does this mean we’ve lost? Does this mean the enemy’s reach is just too grand that it’s pointless to even try to fight anymore against his works? Absolutely not! It just means we need to be more focused on the work God has called us to and to unite more with other believers doing the same. For yes, the enemy is working his evils deeds in so many lives right now, but God is working on even a greater scale than he is. Be about the Lord’s work and see the hand of the enemy fail just as scripture says it will. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3257

So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’ For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you, with the result that you will be removed far from your land, and I will drive you out, and you will perish. Jeremiah 27:9-10 – We must accept that not all those who carry the proper title are preaching the truth. We see a list of titles in our passage, and for today I want you to think about the titles of pastor or priest. Sadly, there are some who carry those titles and use the influence that comes with it for selfish and sinful gains. Do we need to be wary of every pastor that comes into our life? No, but what can help is you deepening your knowledge of scripture so when the word is preached, you have knowledge of it to compare it to. Remember most pastors are here for your good and only want to help you grow, yet as in Jeremiah’s time, there are those who don’t have that same heart. Know God’s Word well enough to discern the difference. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 946

Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon and live. Why should this city become a desolation? Jeremiah 27:17 – Jeremiah was given a unique message to proclaim to all peoples, submit to the invading nation of Babylon. Imagine how that message must have been taken by the people who heard it! All the other “prophets” during that time were proclaiming falsely the opposite, to not serve Babylon and God would keep them free from the hand of the enemy king. What God though was saying was quite different than what these prophets were proclaiming. Be ready for that to be the reality you’ll step into as well as you tell others what God wants you to tell them. The words God wants you to proclaim are going to often be very opposite of what the world is proclaiming. Words like, “Live your truth,” or “As long as no one gets hurt it’s ok,” or “All ways lead to heaven” are being spoken over and over in our world today and they are so opposite of what God is saying. So like Jeremiah, be ready for the world to push back against what you say because it will be so counter to what they are hearing from everywhere else. Yet, like in Jeremiah’s day, while his words were different than the masses of other words being given, whose words actually came true? Jeremiah’s. Your words will be different, but if you’re saying what God directs you to say, then know your words will be the ones that are true. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2159