Day 250: Ez 29:1 - 32:31

It's amazing reading these passages and imagining the amount of faith that these prophets had to have possessed to speak to the men that they spoke to. It's very humbling to consider the fact that most of us shudder at the thought of having to offer a prophecy to a pier or even someone who is not as spiritually mature as us, and yet these prophets had no problem standing in front of kings and emperors and all sorts of powerful men and women who could have them killed with one nod of the head. We as believers need to believe God for the kind of faith that isn't even a little bit worried about what others can do to us. Whether we're worried about what they can do to our bodies or our reputations, there's absolutely nothing that man can do to us that compares to what God can do. God wants us to have faith in Him so that whether He wants us to talk to our neighbor or talk to the President of the United States, we will be able to put everything we have into His hands and just do what He said.

- Father, help me to hear and hear more of Your Word so that I can build up my faith stronger and stronger every single day. Help me to have to kind of faith that fears nothing but rather believes that You will be heard through my voice. -

Day 249: Ez 26:1 - 28:26

In this passage, we see a perfect example of the Biblical principle that pride comes before the fall. I must admit that I read that New Testament plenty of times before I found it in myself to make it to the Old Testament and it's very interesting because the names Tyre and Sidon have long been familiar, but only in the same sense as Sodom and Gamorah. Tyre and Sidon were 2 cities that seemed to have everything going for them, but instead of honoring God and understanding that He provided them with those blessings, they decided that they were gods and they were the only reason that they were so successful. God wants all of us to understand that if we get the stupid idea that we are responsible for all of our own success, God will allow that to be tested by leaving us all alone with nothing but our "success" to keep us standing. And inevitably, we will fall face-first just like Tyre and Sidon and just like Sodom and Gamorah.

- Lord, Help me to never allow my pride to get the best of me. Help me to always remember that You are the reason that I am where I am and You will always be the One I rely on not only to stay alive, but to thrive in this world. -

Day 248: Ez 23:15 - 25:17

It's difficult to read some passages like this in the Bible and not find yourself being a little shocked by the bluntness of the writer. As much as we would like to step around or avoid the truth, the way that the people of Israel (and many in our generation) were acting is nothing short of spiritual prostitution. It's amazing how many people are willing to simply sell their soul to the highest bidder. We see people everyday who will just throw their hearts at any and every new fad that comes along. Whether it's material possessions, "intelligent" theories, popular leaders, or "progressive thinking," the more people give their hearts away, the more worthless their "allegiance" becomes. God doesn't want to get somebody's second-hand commitment. God doesn't want to be thrown into the mix of our passions just like another stranger is added to the list of men that a prostitute has slept with. God wants us to offer Him whole, unadulterated, pure passion that is reserved totally for Him and nobody else.

- Lord, help us to warn against spiritual prostitution and help us to stay far away from it ourselves. You are a jealous God and You demand our complete devotion. You are worthy of all of our praise and that is what You will receive from us. -

Day 257: Ez 20:49 - 23:14

It's important to note in all of these books of prophecy that none of the prophets seem to sugar coat their message. It has become a very popular thing to turn our sermons into something less offensive and more "palatable" to the general public, but in doing so, we take away the urgency and the truth behind the words that we say. It's very common to hear a preacher explain that the reason he doesn't tell it straight is because he loves his congregation too much and he doesn't want to hurt their feelings. But the truth is, that isn't love at all. The reason preachers won't be honest with their congregations is because they're selfish and too afraid of someone looking down on them for hurting their feelings. If those preachers truly loved the people they were ministering to, they would do everything possible keep them from going to Hell - even if that meant hurting their feelings. I realize that the case was a little different in the book of Ezekiel, I mean, the children of Israel were going to be judged no matter what, but the same basic concept applies - if we really love those who we're called to speak to, we should be willing to be honest with them and say exactly what God tells us to say.

- Lord, give me the strength to say exactly what You want me to say when You want me to say it. Help me to not be intimidated by those around me because I know that there's nothing they can do to the real me. They may be able to hurt my flesh, but that's absolutely nothing compared to what will happen if I turn away from You. -

Day 256: Ez 18:1 - 20:48

One thing that we must always be aware of is the fact that God will make Himself known one way or another. God Himself said that every eye will see and every tongue will confess that He is the Lord. Now, as wonderful as it is to read this verse or study the verses in chapter 20, this doesn't mean that in the end everyone will be able to go to Heaven. Sure there will be many of us who will have gone to Heaven praising the Lord saying that He is Lord because He has revealed it to us through His Grace and Mercy; but there will also be those who will confess that He is all powerful not because of His Grace and Mercy but because of the judgment and suffering that they have received as a result of not believing His Word. In this light, I think it's so imperative that we understand that it is our job to make sure that everyone we come in contact with will be in that first group. God will ultimately make His power known to everyone and everything in existence and it is our job to reflect that power here on earth so that everyone around us experiences that side of His power and not the other.

- Lord, I know that I will be in that first group of people who will bow down and worship You because I have experienced You mercy and grace. Help me to do everything I can to ensure that everyone I come into contact with will be standing right there beside me. -

Day 255: Ez 16:1 - 17:24

In these passages, the prophet compares the nation of Israel to a prostitute. It's sad to say that there are many people and groups in our generation who have done the exact same thing. Just as faithfulness is one of the most important things in a marriage, God expects for the church to be faithful to Him. So many times the church has sold herself to the highest bidder. The church has found so many hundreds of opportunities to compromise and has taken every single one of them. We need to get to the place where compromise isn't even in our vocabulary. The day that God stops being our main focus is the day that we stop loving Him and begin loving ourselves. There are so many congregations out there doing everything they can to grow their numbers so they can "change lives" yet every word that comes out of their mouth does nothing but tickle peoples' ears and push them deeper into a life of compromise. If we truly love God and if we truly love people, then we will be faithful and speak only the Word and do only the things that God has told us.

- Lord, help Your church to remain faithful. Give her the strength and the fortitude to continue on and keep her eyes set on pleasing You and reaching the lost. -

Day 244: Ez 12:1 - 15:8

In the last part of chapter 14, the Prophet makes a point that is so incredibly valid for today's generation. He talks about the fact that if God finds 3 righteous people in the land, He will destroy everyone except for those 3 righteous people. He explains that the evil around them will not necessarily destroy them, but the simple fact that they are righteous is not enough to save all of those around them. It seems there are so many Christians today who seem to think that the fact that they're saved is enough to bring their whole family to heaven. But Jesus clearly states that the only way to Heaven is through Him. We as believers must stop assuming that we can just bring a bunch of people to Heaven based on our own salvation and begin stepping out and reaching those who need to hear the true and honest Gospel that will save their souls. It may be more convenient to just let them "follow your lead," but in the end, convenience won't make the difference.

- Lord, help me to have the faith and the boldness to step out and share Your Word with others. Help me to remember that I can't bring anyone with me based on my own salvation, they too must believe in order to be saved. -

Day 243: Ez 7:27 - 11:25

It's interesting to note that Ezekiel referred a few times to the people who assumed that God had already forsaken them. We live in a generation that is full of people who have already decided that God has turned His back on them. Oddly enough, once a person has determined that God doesn't care about them, they decide that they won't care about God. We must never allow ourselves to come to the point where we don't think God is watching us. You can find plenty of verses about God promising not to forsake His children and yet you can find so many more about His children forsaking Him. Before we start feeling sorry for ourselves and thinking that God has turned His back on us, maybe we should re-examine our own position and find out if perhaps we are the ones who have turned our backs on Him. God will never leave us nor forsake us but He's not going to force Himself on someone who doesn't want to have anything to do with Him.

- Lord, help me to ensure that those around me never get to the point where they have decided that You have forsaken them. Give me the words to say and the things to do to help spread Your love to them so that they will stay faithful and not walk away from everything You have for them. -

Day 242: Ez 3:1 - 7:26

It's sad that there are alot of Christians out there who seem to find very convenient ways of avoiding the blame for not speaking God's Word to those around them. They say things like, "Well I don't want to offend them," or, "I'm just trying to be an example and maybe eventually they will approach me and ask me about God." As nice as it would be to be allowed to go throughout this entire life without making anybody uncomfortable, our mission in this life is not to make sure that everyone likes us and that nobody is uncomfortable around us. Our mission in this life is to go into the world and preach the Gospel to every living creature. The first part of chapter 3 has a relatively heavy message attached to it - If we are supposed to give someone a warning from God, but instead we just stand by and watch them die, their blood is on our hands. When it comes to preaching the Gospel, omission is not an excuse and what they don't know them won't hurt them, it'll kill them.

- God, help me to remember that my job is to step out and show true love to those around me which usually means making them feel uncomfortable enough to realize they need You in their lives. Give me the strength and the passion to step out and say every word that You have put in my mouth. -

Day 241: Lam 4:1 - Ez 2:10

You know, I normally try to post an entry that offers somewhat of a summary of everything I read in that one passage, but this one made one specific point that I really want to focus on. In verse 7 of Ezekiel 2, God tells the prophet that his job is to simply speak to the people of Israel. Whether or not they listen to what he has to say is none of his concern. God's commission on his life was not to push the subject or try to "defend" the Word that God said. Ezekiel's job was to simply say what God told him to say and let God do the rest. There are alot people out there wasting alot of time trying to convince people who care nothing about being convinced. Charles Spurgeon refers to the Word of God as a lion. He explains that, just like a lion, God's Word doesn't need us to stand around and defend it. All God requires of us is that we would let His Word out of its cage. If we will be faithful to let the Word, God will take care of the rest.

- Lord, help me to not believe the lies of the enemy and crack under the supposed pressure that somehow it's my job to defend Your Word. My job is simply to present Your Word to my generation and watch as You work mightily through those words. -

Day 240: Lam 2:1 - 3:66

The book of Lamentations is such a good reminder of the fact that although Jeremiah was a strong in-your-face kind of prophet, he said what he did to God's people because he loved them. It's easy to read some of the books of the Prophets and feel like maybe the prophets were actually hoping that the people they were talking to would end up dying terrible tragic deaths. All of the passion and gusto that went into writing these books can sometimes be mistaken for joy or some sort of strong desire to see these people destroyed. But we can clearly see in the book of Lamentations that Jeremiah's heart was broken to see the very things that he prophesied come to pass. No matter how convinced we are that those around us are headed for hell, we must never view them through the eyes of anything other than love. If our motivation is revenge or "justice," then when we see those near us die and go to hell, their blood will be on our hands because instead of doing all we could to save their lives, we sat back hoping and expecting their lives to fall apart. But if we will act in love and do everything in our ability to wake them up, then if they reject us, as terrible and and heart-breaking as it will be watching their lives implode, we will be able to stand before the Father knowing that we loved them and their blood is on their own hands.

- Lord, just like the Prophet Jeremiah wept for the people of Israel when they had to pay for their sins, break my heart for those around me. Help me to love them the way Jeremiah loved his people. Help me to preach Your Word not so I can prove a point or condemn them to hell, but so I can help pull them out of the mess that they've gotten themselves into and bring them to the place where You have called them to be! -

Day 239: Jer 51:45 - Lam 1:22

Well we have finally come to the end of the book of Jeremiah and I must say that the ending is rather poetic in my opinion. Not only is it poetic though, this factual ending to a book of prophecy does so much to legitimize everything written in the book thus far. I would be one thing for Jeremiah to prophesy all of that destruction and pain and then there never be any sort of proof that it actually happened, but we can very clearly see that everything that Jeremiah had warmed the Israelites came true. I wonder how many people stood and listened to Jeremiah and just blew it off as if he were just some crazy old man yelling at people for no good reason. Reading the prophesies and then reading what actually ended up happening is a very strong reminder to those of us today. We must never take what God has said to us and just assume that it wasn't right. If God is trying to speak to our generation, it is our job as sons and daughters of God to stand up and listen to what He said and pass it on so that we can save this generation and bring healing to this land.

- Lord, help us to never lose faith in Your Word. If You said something is going to happen, that means it's going to happen and it is our job to spread Your Word all around so that our generation will be saved. -

Day 238: Jer 50:1 - 51:44

If you've never really been sure about the fact that vengeance is the Lord's, I think reading this passage may change your mind. It's funny because most of us usually seem to think that God is going to exact vengeance upon our enemies by using us personally, but when you think about it, God rarely ever works like that. To be honest, I have somewhat of a difficult time wrapping my head around the concept of God punishing Babylon for punishing Israel when He was the One who allowed them to come in and take over. But I guess if you really think about it, it wasn't God who sent Babylon in to destroy Israel, It was Israel who chose to turn their backs on God and refuse His help. Once they did that, God was in no position to protect a people who didn't want protection. But we see as soon as they turn from their wickedness and go back to their Father in Heaven, he went to work taking care of those who treated His children wrong. God is a wonderful Father and if we will let Him, He will see to it that vengeance is taken out on those who deserve it.

- Lord, help me to not try to take vengeance into my own hands. It's easy to assume that it's my job to show my enemies right and wrong, but I know that if I will keep my faith in You, You will take care of me and You will also take care of those who oppose me. -

Day 237: Jer 48:1 - 49:39

I must say that Jeremiah seems to be one of the most impressive characters in the Bible in my opinion. I mean, This guy is not at all afraid to say what God tells him to say, and he's not afraid to say it to anybody. I would have to say that I don't know if I could stand up and speak out against anyone and everyone that God told me to. Jeremiah is the perfect picture of someone who has laid it all down and is willing to sacrifice it all for the sake of doing what God called him to do. So many people out there claiming to live for God would much rather make people feel happy and comfortable by watering down the Word that God has given them. Our generation needs to hear exactly what God has to say to them without it being sugar coated and fluffed up. And if that means that we need to say it to the meanest scariest, most intimidating people we know, then so be it. We are God's ambassadors and if He told us to say it, then He is responsible to protect us once we've said it.

- Lord, give me the strength and resolve that Jeremiah had. Help me to not be scared or intimidated to preach Your Word to others. I know that what You have to say is very precise and direct and it is my responsibility to communicate it exactly as You want me to. -

Day 236: Jer 43:5 - 47:7

It's sad to read about the ignorance of people who had such a man of God right there instructing them on what to do. It seems to be human nature to just abandon everything we knew once things start going bad. I know from experience how difficult it is to stand firm even when it feels like everything around is falling apart. We read in the passages the warning that Jeremiah issued to the people of Israel for retreating and running away from everything that was right. We as believers need to remember that when things start falling apart, that's not the time for us to run away and try something new. That's the time for us to get back to the basics and figure out what we can do to ensure that we're in right standing with the father. Sometimes we get so focused on things being easy and fun that when they become difficult and not fun, we think that we have failed and we decide to completely rebel. Regardless of whether we have failed or succeeded, it is our job to follow our Lord and Saviour whole-heartedly.

- Lord, give me the strength to not retreat when things get difficult. You have always been faithful to me so no matter what happens, it is my responsibility to remain faithful to You. -

Day 235: Jer 38:28 - 43:4

I know there's alot going on in these verses, but I want to focus on Jeremiah and his ministry in this passage. I would venture to say that the average Christian would probably just give up and find something else to do once his nation was destroyed and picked apart by its enemies. But we see here that Jeremiah never once stopped doing what God called him to do. Even in the midst of all of the turmoil and upheaval of his homeland being destroyed, he remained faithful to do all that God was calling him to do. And it's so awesome to see the outcome of his faithfulness. When you think of the Babylonians attacking the nation of Israel and taking everyone captive, you normally would expect to read about the concepts of mercy and kindness and yet we see just that being shown to Jeremiah not because he was a fast talker or managed to trick the enemy. God allowed Jeremiah to blessed in the midst of curses simply because he remained faithful to everything the God told him to do.

- Lord, help me to not lose faith even when everything around me is falling apart. I know that the call that You've placed on my life is dependent upon how everything around me is going. As long as there is breath in my lungs, I will serve You! -

Day 234: Jer 35:9 - 38:27

You know, reading passages like this one really makes me feel for Jeremiah. I mean, serving God can prove to be difficult enough, but reading about the trials and pains that He went through just to be obedient is incredible. So many times, we find ourselves being willing to serve the Lord as long as it fits into our agenda and as long as what we have to say makes people happy. I would venture to say that probably 75% of the things Jeremiah had to say didn't make anyone happy, and yet he will still faithful to do what God told him to do. The church today needs to stop worrying about what people will say about and do to them and it needs to start focusing on the fact that God has given us a job to do and we are responsible to carry out that job no matter what. God's Word is not always the most popular or the most comfortable thing for people to hear, but if we will open our hearts and accept what He has to say to our generation, only then will we truly be set free.

- Lord, help me to be more like Jeremiah. Help me to go out and say whatever You want me to say regardless of how nice or popular it might be. I know that Your Word is sharper than any 2-edged sword and it will cut through any opposition that might be standing in Your way. -

Day 233: Jer 32:16 - 35:8

It's funny how it seems that no matter how bad the punishment is, God is always ready to promise His children recompense and redemption. I wonder how many of His children gave up too early though? I know that there are alot of Christians today who end up giving up right in the middle of some sort of trial or "valley." Usually we end up finding ourselves in some sort of mess that we made, and we end up blaming God. It's interesting because so often people blame the bad things that they did to themselves on God and then selfishly take all of the credit for the wonderful blessings that God gave them. We need to take a step back and realize that if something isn't going right in our lives right now, instead of panicking and blaming God for everything that has happened, we should set our eyes on Him and know that if we will remain faithful even in the valley, God will eventually bring us out of the mess that we go ourselves into and He will bring us back into the promise that He has for our lives.

- Lord, help me to hold one even when I don't exactly see the point. Help me to call to memory the Children of Israel and remember that You blessed them when they trusted in You and I know that You will do the same for me. -

Day 232: Jer 29:32 - 32:15

It's so fascinating to read these passages and see how seamlessly God transitions from talking about disciplining His children to loving His children. The worldly way to look at discipline is to believe that discipline is something that a mean parent or master does to someone or something that he doesn't like, but wants to teach it a lesson. Our society has turned something as important and Scriptural as discipline into something that is more synonymous with abuse and pain. The truth is, God is our Father and He loves us so so much. And one of the aspects of loving your children is ensuring that they are properly disciplined when they need it. God wasn't simply punishing His children because He was ticked off and wanted to teach them a lesson, He had to allow them to be disciplined because true love sees beyond the here and now and God knew that if He didn't allow something to happen, His children would never fully understand the importance of abandoning everything they have to follow Him.

- Lord, help me to learn from the lives of others in the Bible and throughout my life so I can develop discipline with You. Help me not to fret or panic when I feel the pressure because I know that You truly love me and as long as I turn my eyes upon You, I will be delivered from anything that comes my way. -

Day 231: Jer 26:1 - 29:31

Once again, we see alot of warning regarding false prophets and teachers. Previously, there was more of a warning against what would happen to the people who listened to the false prophets, but in this passage, we see a warning issued to the false prophet himself. So often in this world, we see people who think that they have something good to say and they just automatically assume that what they have to say is from God. This is such a dangerous attitude to have because just like anyone else, God doesn't like it when people try to speak on His behalf. As believers we must always be careful not to market our thoughts and opinions as God's Word. It may make people feel good, but that doesn't always mean that it's from God. and just as we saw with the prophet in these verses, when we attempt to make a liar out of God, whether or not it was intentional, things normally won't turn out well for us.

- Lord, help me to always be sure that it really is You talking before I start telling people that I have a Word from You. I know my opinions can sometimes cloud my thoughts, but help me to always have a clear heart so that I may be able to clearly and concisely communicate Your words to Your people. -

Day 230: Jer 23:1 - 25:38

In these verses, we read about Jeremiah warning the people about listening to preachers claiming to have been sent from God. It's funny how thousands of years later, people are still falling into the same traps. There are so many people in the world who find themselves basing their entire existence on some idiot's opinion of what God meant in the Bible. We need to always understand that God does speak through people, but everything He says will always agree with His Word. Of course, there are plenty of "inspirational speakers" out there who have some great things to say, but that doesn't mean that their words come from God. It's OK to tell people that everything will be OK, but telling them that they can live in the nasty rotten sin-hole that they formed for themselves isn't OK. The irresponsible Christian will always follow anything they hear that makes them feel better, so we have to be careful and weigh everything we hear with the Word of God.

- Lord, help me to not be enticed my smooth-talking preachers who think they know all of the answers. Help me to be a responsible Christian and base what I hear and believe on the truth found in Your Word and not on the lies found in this world. -

Day 229: Jer 18:23 - 22:30

So reading this passage makes me consider the fact that so many of the things we hold so dear mean absolutely nothing to God. So many of us spend our entire lives trying to get more money, more friends, more power, more influence, more this and more that and yet none of that even matters in the long run. We see in these passages that God is threatening to wipe out everything that His people hold oh so dear to themselves - even to the point on wiping out their lives altogether. To be honest, I never actually understood until this moment as I was writing, and I may never understand it completely, but the reason God had to wipe them out wasn't just because he was ticked off and wanted to show them a thing or two. God demands that we show Him the respect and honor that He deserves. The people of Israel were His chosen people and when they decided to put everything in life above God - including life itself - God had no choice but to allow everything they held dear to fall apart. God didn't allow the fall of Israel because He was ticked off, He allowed it because His people put their faith in something corruptible and corruptive. He stepped back and let them see firsthand what everything they held dear was really worth.

- Father, Help me to keep my eyes on that which is incorruptible. And give me the knowledge and wisdom to help others turn their eyes from the very thing that will kill them and put their faith in You, the only One who can save them. -