- For I heard a cry as of a woman in labor, anguish as of one giving birth to her first child, the cry of the daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands, “Woe is me! I am fainting before murderers.” Jeremiah 4:31 – In this chapter the Lord is outlining the severity of the destruction to come upon Israel as a consequence to their sin. The Lord would bring invaders from the north that would utterly destroy their cities and lives. What we see in the later parts of the chapter is Israel’s plan. She would seek to seduce her enemy. The image given is a woman, knowing an attacker is coming her way, deciding to dress in her best, putting on her jewelry, and getting her make up on. When the attacker came to her door, she’d get out of the pain because she’d seduce him. Yet the actual end of this escapade is seen in our verse. She wouldn’t be feeling the embrace of a new lover, she’d experience the pain of dying at the hands of her murderer. What’s the message then the Lord wanted Israel to hear? Trying to get out of God’s punishment on their terms wasn’t going to work. The only way to find escape from the coming destruction was to listen to the Lord and turn to Him. Our story is much the same. We have a world seeking to “seduce” their enemy, hoping to get out of the consequences of death on their own terms. Yet that path will only lead to pain, when God’s offer of life is available by simply turning to Him. It seems like there are many paths to getting out of the wages of our sin, but there is only one way and that way is Jesus. If you haven’t made that choice yet to follow Jesus and you have questions, reach out. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3233
- And you, O desolate one, what do you mean that you dress in scarlet, that you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In vain you beautify yourself. Your lovers despise you; they seek your life. Jeremiah 4:30 – Don’t live your life for the wrong person. So far in Jeremiah we’ve seen God directing His people to follow Him. What we’ve seen though from His people is a pursuit and devotion of their lives to other things. This verse when it’s says “in vain you beautify yourself” is meaning it’s a worthless pursuit for you to try and impress these other things you’re pursuing. Unlike God, they don’t actually want you and they only want to take from you everything. While hearing what you are pursuing in life isn’t right is a hard message to take in, if God isn’t what you’re pursuing then there needs to be a change in direction within your story. Don’t allow yourself to be deceived in pursuing something that won’t give you what you’re looking for. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 923
- “If you return, O Israel, declares the Lord, to me you should return. If you remove your detestable things from my presence, and do not waver, and if you swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.” Jeremiah 4:1-2 – If you’re going to return anywhere, return to the Lord. Here God had made His desires known for His people to come back to Him and faithfully serve Him. They expressed their desire for true repentance, but here was their time to show how true their words were. They needed to either remake a choice to return to God or return to their sin. Each day we are faced with this choice as well. Will today be a day we return once again to a faithful pursuit of God or is today the day we return back to the sin we’ve been saved from. It’s a daily choice and often a choice we have to make multiple times a day because sin is so accessible in our story. Who though has captured your heart more and who can provide for you better? If sin can truly do more for you than Jesus can, then it would be foolish to set aside your sin. Yet, sin never could match what Jesus can do for you. So return today once again to a faithful pursuit of Jesus. Let your sin be behind you and the path of following Jesus in front of you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2136
Daily DEVO 