October 21st readings

~ Click on this link for today's readings ~
Jeremiah 37:1-38:28 ~ 1 Timothy 6:1-21
Psalm 89:38-52 ~ Proverbs 25:28

Old Testament - Interesting dynamics in Jeremiah chapters 37 & 38 today... Jeremiah goes from dungeon to prison to cistern to prison to king's confidant. Being a prophet is quite a life!

I continue to admire Jeremiah's boldness in speaking the truth in these chapters. 37:17 jumps out - "Later King Zedekiah secretly requested that Jeremiah come to the palace, where the king asked him, "Do you have any messages from the Lord?" "Yes, I do!" said Jeremiah. "You will be defeated by the king of Babylon." Jeremiah goes right to the truth... no beating around the bush! And then 3 verses later he asks Zedekiah - "Listen, my lord the king, I beg you. Don't send me back to the dungeon in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for I will die there." He speaks a harsh truth to Zedekiah and then asks for a favor. I like that.... Do we speak the truth in our lives? Even if we know we'll need to ask for a favor of someone later, will we still speak the truth?  Or will we default to the un-truthful position of "hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil...."

New Testament - 1 Timothy 6 is full of great wisdom! Verse 7: "Yet true religion with contentment is great wealth." Are we seeking true religion? What is true religion? I think Paul gives some great hints to us in verses 11-14: "Run from all these evil things, and follow what is right and good. Pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for what we believe. Hold tightly to the eternal life that God has given you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. And I command you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, that you obey his commands with all purity."  Are you holding tightly to the eternal life that God has given you?  Hold tight!

Verse 10 is powerful for me today - "For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows." It's interesting - the "love of money" is the root of all kinds of evil. Not money in and of itself - that's not the root of evil. But the love of money.... great distinction and a great truth. Do we love money? If so, should we be worried about this? If we love money, might we wander from the faith and pierce ourselves with sorrows?

Psalms - Psalm 89 verse 48 is something important to keep in mind as I think it does help us think about how we are really living our short earthly lives - "No one can live forever; all will die.  No one can escape the power of the grave."  Knowing this, how are you living your life?  Are you living your life filled with love?  Are you loving God and loving other people with all that you are?  Are you living your life intentionally?  Are you living your life as God would want you to live your life?  Anne Lamott (Traveling Mercies author) wrote a book called "All New People", which I have not read.  However, I heard her speak live this past year and basically she stated - "Just keep in mind that we're not going to live forever.  100 years from now on this planet?  It will be all new people."  That is an interesting thing to keep in mind...  100 years from now...  all new people.  Hopefully this is a fact that encourages each of us not to waste our precious time here on things that are not of God!  No one escapes the grave.  Our condition is terminal.  (But of course our condition can be eternal through faith in Jesus!)

Proverbs - Today in Proverbs 25:28 we read: “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.” Does this Proverb remind you of our recent readings in Jeremiah? Are there parallels to the captivity of the Israelites and this Proverb? How does this Proverb speak to you personally? Are your walls in need of some repair? Will you allow Jesus to repair them? Will you allow Jesus to restore self-control in those areas of your life that are lacking in self-control?

What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up in the Comments section below!

Grace,
Mike

Comments

[Michael Stone]

Growth...,

I admire the wonder that comes with age and how hard it has been for God to truly mature me....,and yet really so easy.

I only thank God those around me survived it and realize I owe so much to all others for either putting up with me..., or maturing me to the person I am ( and I still have a long ways to go.)

When I read the portions today I thought of how much I liked in my past trying to be a prophet and quite frankly blasting away with the Word of God...

Oh I never thought of myself as one...but act and talk and literally lower the boom and suffer the consequences like one?

Oh Yeah...move over Elijah and Jeremiah here I come.

Then Paul...hehehehe....gee I thought if I had enough Zeal it could make up for depth..., though in those days I suppose I thought I knew so much.

And of course a verse like todays:

"For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows." It's interesting - the "love of money" is the root of all kinds of evil. Not money in and of itself - that's not the root of evil. But the love of money.... great distinction and a great truth. Do we love money? If so, should we be worried about this? If we love money, might we wander from the faith and pierce ourselves with sorrows?

Mikes commentary is poignant.

I like this tact though, I use love for People and love them accordingly as God gives me ability...I like money.

I will never love it, but I do like.

When Jesus said Love not the World nor the things of the World I have learned to use the Love of God in me, to love those who really need their love turned vertical and not horizontal.

Money, as Jesus did for the road tax, can be as easy as catching a fish with a coin in it.

But love my enemy, love my neighbor, love my brother....I would rather make a way to love money and only Like my fellow human beings.

For me today I needed todays devotion from Oswald Chambers to remind me my priority in a world that is a master at compromising.

"Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on water is easy to someone with impulsive boldness, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is something altogether different. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but he "followed Him at a distance" on dry land ( Mark 14:54 ).

We do not need the grace of God to withstand crises—human nature and pride are sufficient for us to face the stress and strain magnificently.

But it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours of every day as a saint, going through drudgery, and living an ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus.

It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God—but we do not.

We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people—and this is not learned in five minutes."

I thank God my todays are a lot easier on the people around me and though God has always loved me..,

I am glad I am liking what He has done in me, so He can love thru me to those around me.

Who don't need to see me religious, but involved in a relationship that is devoted in such a way as to appear as religion.

Maybe true religion really is a relatiionship with "the Living God" that can't help but be seen as a godly life with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

I know I didn't get this way I am today overnight, but I like what God is doing and as long as he keeps doing it....

I think my religion is ...,
all right.