- For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord. Jeremiah 39:18 – After an 18-month long besiegement the walls of Jerusalem were broken. If you were to read Lamentations 4 you can get a glimpse of how dire the famine was within the city after such a long time. We see all the prophecies Jeremiah spoke to the king and the people coming true, the city was destroyed and the people carried off into exile. Yet also notice the promises of God being fulfilled. We see Jeremiah himself is taken care of by the word of the Babylonian king, but we also see God’s protection come over a man named Ebed-melech. He was the one who stood up for Jeremiah when he was stuck in the cistern and was the one to organize his rescue. While not even a Jewish man, Ebed chose to believe the words of the Lord and the Lord saved him. This would have been such a wonderful encouragement for Jeremiah, for what we can gather from scripture is that throughout his 40 year ministry only two people turned to become followers of God, and Ebed was one of them. Decades of preaching yet no response, years in prison, 18 months of famine within a besieged city, and the hate of the people and king looming over you…this was the life Jeremiah was called to. All this was worth it to him for the two that were saved, and hopefully many more that we just don’t know about from scripture. Yet even if there weren’t others, those two lives were worth navigating the trials for. Know today the trials you go through may be what we go through to help someone know Jesus. Choose to settle in your heart that what you must go through to help someone know Jesus will always be worth it. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3269
- When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled, going out of the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls; and they went toward the Arabah. Jeremiah39:4 – When you see exactly what God promised would happen now actually happening in front of you, what would you do? For the king and soldiers it was to flee, trusting in their own strength to change the circumstances. Maybe we do the same. We see scripture telling us these paths are harmful or these types of relationships aren’t healthy, but we pursue them anyways. Then, like the people in our story, we’re faced with exactly what God warned us of yet we say I can fix this on my own. Let’s first learn to listen to the warning God gives. Second, if we don’t initially follow His way and we’re face to face with what He warned us of, turn to lean on Him rather than running to your own strength. If your own two feet and choices got you into the mess, maybe you’re not the best guide for your life. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 958
- Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave command concerning Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, saying, “Take him, look after him well, and do him no harm, but deal with him as he tells you.” Jeremiah 39:11-12 – Nebuchadnezzar dealt kindly with Jeremiah, yet this is the same Nebuchadnezzar that just verses before killed the king of Judah’s sons before the king’s eyes and then gouged out the king’s eyes. What was the difference then between Jeremiah and the king of Judah that caused there to be such a blessing on one and horror given to the other? Jeremiah had the protection of the Lord and the king of Judah didn’t. Jeremiah listened to the word of the Lord and the king of Judah didn’t. Both had blessing offered to them, but only one listened to the voice of the Lord. So understand this isn’t a story about God’s cruelty but about the horror attached to man’s refusal of God’s ways. God has a path of promise available for all. A path that gives peace to all and salvation to any who take it. See from this passage such peace and salvation is available for those who follow God’s ways. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2171
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