If you’re joining us in reading through Isaiah and Jeremiah, today’s reading is Jeremiah chapter 14 and the devotion is taken from verses 13-16. “But I said, “Alas, Sovereign LORD! The prophets keep telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.’ ” Then the LORD said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. Therefore this is what the LORD says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, ‘No sword or famine will touch this land.’ Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine. And the people they are prophesying to will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and sword. There will be no one to bury them, their wives, their sons and their daughters. I will pour out on them the calamity they deserve.” It is so easy to become discouraged in our Christian walk, particularly if you are a teacher or you regularly stand in front of people and proclaim God’s word. There is a lot of noise around us. There are too many voices saying too many different things. There is so much contradiction the Christian community that is creating massive confusion inside the general population. In a short period of time each one of us is going to have to decide where we are going to stand on a number of issues. In addition to having to make a personal stand you may need to make a stand in your family, or at work, or in some personal relationships. No matter what your decision is you’re going to have to understand why you made it and what the result of your decision is going to be. This may cause a significant disruption to your normal everyday life. People will view you differently. They may say some things about your character or your decision-making process. They may even stop being a friend. How will you know what decision to make? How can you be sure that the decision you make is the one that God would have you make? It is both simple and complex at the same time. First, you must rely on what you know to be true about God and Jesus. You can find out how accurate your position is by reading the old and New Testament and taking it on its word. Then you must apply it consistently in your life, recognizing that loving someone doesn’t necessarily mean you tolerate their actions. You can sincerely love somebody and yet know that they are completely wrong in what they believe and how they live.
Posted on: Tue, 27 May 2014 10:00:01 +0000