I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     Jeremiah is instructed not to pray for the people of Judah any more. The prophets who are prophesying that they will have peace and prosperity are lying. God did not send them. God will punish those prophets for lying in His name. Further God tells Jeremiah that he will not listen to any intercessor for the people, not even Moses or Samuel. The people have sinned against God and He will not turn aside His wrath. However, God tells Jeremiah that He will protect Him. If we turn to God, He will guard us even in times of trouble. We are to influence the society in which we live, but not be influenced by it. That is certainly easier said than done. God tells Jeremiah that he is not to mourn with the people, because God is bringing a time when there will be such disaster that no one will offer another comfort. He also tells Jeremiah not to take part in their celebrations and parties because the time is soon coming when no one will be celebrating anything nor gathering for a party of any sort. When the people ask why such terrible things are in store for them, Jeremiah is to answer that it is because of the sins of their ancestors who abandoned God and worshiped other gods. But not only that, the current generation was guilty of being even worse. They pursued their own evil desires and refused to listen to the words of God. This is a warning to us today. Are we telling those around us the words that God has for them? Are we calling them to follow God? Or are we preaching false prophecies of peace and prosperity when judgement is coming?
     Despite all of these prophecies that Jeremiah had of the coming judgement for the sins of the people of Judah, he also had a prophecy of hope. Jeremiah prophesied that after scattering the people to lands they have never heard of, God will gather them together again. Jeremiah told the people of Judah that their descendants would turn once more to God and God would redeem them.

     We should plead with, encourage and urge our brothers and sisters in the Lord to live their lives in a way that God would consider worthy. The message we have received of the gospel is not mere human ideas. It is the very words of God. If we stand firm in this we will suffer persecution from our own countrymen as they try to keep us from preaching the gospel. We have been warned that troubles will come both to ourselves and to others who preach the gospel. Let us stand firm in our faith and not let temptation separate us from God. Let us pray night and day for our fellow believers and for the salvation of those we meet. May the Lord make our love for each other and for all people grow to the point where it overflows on all around us. Let us keep the faith that Jesus will return.

     When we face trouble let us turn to God for protection. More than that, let us pray to God that He will turn our souls away from evil and back to Him. May He revive us and strengthen us in His service.

     If those who govern wish to be secure, they should get rid of all those who influence them towards evil or injustice. No one can fully comprehend this universe, either to the mighty distance of the stars nor to the miniscule level of atoms.