Jeremiah – Page 15 – Be Still…

Jeremiah 10:17-25 – When Terror Strikes

Jeremiah will witness the very thing he is preaching about. I wonder when he figured out that he wasn’t warning the people of something that would happen way into the future. His words were nearly coming true as he said them. My heart breaks for him being separated from his children never to see them again. I can relate to being apart from my kids now that they are grown, but we regularly connect thanks to the technical advances in visual communication!

But imagine the terror of uncertainty Jeremiah must have faced. Have you ever lived through a natural disaster or perhaps even lived in a war zone, where terror is fresh and real? Perhaps you were on high alert for something you expected to happen. It serves us well to see how Jeremiah handles this pressure.

Jeremiah 10:1-16 – What’s an Idol?

Read Jeremiah 10:1-16

Big gold plated dollar sign with people praying to it

What a description the LORD gives us of idol worship in Jeremiah’s day! Can’t you just picture how easily random pieces of wood became something people worshipped? So much emphasis was also placed on predictions of the stars that people’s minds were clouded from what mattered.

Our reading not only reveals idolatry for what it is in God’s eyes, but it reminds us who is sovereign and what we can do to help people who are misled by idols. It does us good to strengthen our own devotion to read Jeremiah’s words mixed in with God’s messages.

Jeremiah 9:17-26 – In Whom We Boast

Read Jeremiah 9:17-26

Some people really have a hard time with pride. Their obsessive ambition seems dependent upon the recognition they receive. They expend so much energy in achieving their goals that any thought of God is distant and far from their minds.

On the other extreme, we see athletes, for example, who gush on and on about how God brought the victory! God did win the battle over sin and death. That is the only victory we should concern ourselves with when it comes to boasting.

Jeremiah 9:3-16 – They Don’t Know God

Read Jeremiah 9:3-16

black and white image of a man covering his eyes, set against black background

God is illustrating how far his precious children have fallen. The people he describes don’t sound like they would be folks I’d want to hang around with. Who wants to be slandered or taken advantage of? What’s their excuse? “‘They do not know me,’ says the LORD.”

There are plenty of people walking around this planet that don’t know God. There are even people attending church every Sunday who are clueless about God and his character, much less his desire for their life. It’s tragic. Is there something we can do? Our churches should be safe places where we can worship God, hear the Word, and share fellowship with other believers.

Jeremiah 8:18-9:2 – Jeremiah Weeps

Read Jeremiah 8:18-9:2

woman weeping with head down, grayed out but read rose buds on ground near her

What brings you to tears? A sappy movie, hearing about natural disasters and people suffering, a moving worship song, etc. Few, if any, of us have had a situation like Jeremiah where he pronounced doom on his friends and co-habitants of Judah only to watch the horrific destruction come to pass. In that situation, I would be weeping, too.

As it is, looking around at how some people today are following in Judah’s footsteps of idolatry and trusting false prophets, tears aren’t far from my eyes. There are plenty of examples in the Bible speaking to the strength of our sinful nature, I shouldn’t be surprised of the human frailty I see in me and those I love.