Category Archives: Righteousness / Serving God

All Powerful / King of All, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Miracles, Peace / Rest, Worry/Anxiety

Cast Your Anxiety Upon the LORD and Enter Into His Peace

Yeshua consistently amazed the crowds and His disciples with wisdom and with miracles. The miracles helped to show His power and authority from Yahweh and to help focus people as to why they should pay attention to Him vs. other teachers. We too should pay attention to His wisdom and power and let it serve as a constant reminder that we can trust Him and should indeed model our lives after His life and His teaching.

Mark 4:35-41

Jesus Stills the Sea

      35On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. 37And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

A few things to consider. First, though perhaps not the most important, Jesus did not simply stay in one place to teach the people just because He drew a crowd. He knew His mission was to move and teach in many different places to have the most impact. We should take note in our own lives to not just go or stay somewhere because we draw a crowd. Let us instead seek to understand God’s will for our lives and be willing to pick up and move on when He calls us to do so.

Building on that theme, consider that Jesus knew He was leading the disciples into a storm. Sometimes God will lead us out of a comfortable place and into a challenging one in order to help us grow and develop in our faith.

We will all face difficult times, even when we are with Jesus. Our lives will be challenging for sure and sometimes even those of us who love Yeshua and try to follow Him will be distracted by our circumstances, as the disciples became afraid because of the storm.

We can take heart and be encouraged by looking to Yeshua, remembering the power of Yahweh and putting our faith in Him. When things seem difficult, let us always try to remember that Yahweh is in control and we can trust Him. It is often in the midst of the storms that we realize we need Him most and  draw near to Him.

What storms are you facing in your life? Do you believe Yahweh is in control and can handle the situation… really believe it? That does not mean that you do not prayerfully take actions to help your situation, but it certainly reminds us to pray and look to Him for help and should help us to not worry and be anxious or fearful.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me not to be anxious and worry, even in difficult situations. Please help me to grow in my faith and trust for You, even when it may appear that You are “sleeping in the back of the boat”. Thank You and may all the praise and honor and glory be for Your name’s sake as I am able to demonstrate the desired behavior, which will garner attention from others as they wonder how I stay calm in the storm. Amen

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Am I on the path?, Faith / Trusting God, Jesus (hearing from God), Parables

The Transformative Journey of Faith: From Small Beginnings to Great Impact

Yeshua speaks to many about the kingdom of God through parables. In Mark 4, He uses several stories about farming to teach believers about the kingdom of God. He begins with the Parable of the Sower and continues with the Parable of the Seed and then the Parable of the Mustard Seed.

Mark 4:30-34

Parable of the Mustard Seed

      30And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? 31“It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, 32yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE.”

      33With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it; 34and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.

We should not get too distracted by the fact that there are smaller seeds and larger plants. That is not the point. Yeshua is not trying to teach a botany lesson about the relative size of plants and seeds, but rather using information commonly understood amongst members of the audience to help “paint a picture” that teaches about the kingdom of God.

In the earlier parables, Yeshua portrays the word of God as the seed and the sower as the one who shares it. Each of us is the soil, upon which the word of God lands. What type of soil we are, how prepared we are to accept and embrace the word of God, determines how it will grow inside of us, or not. Then, in the parable of the seed, Yeshua makes the point that we do not need to know “how” the word of God grows inside of us, just that it grows so long as we continue to be fertile soil for it to grow inside. It will transform us even if we don’t know how.

In the third parable, that of the mustard seed, we see Yeshua presenting the truth that in each of us the truth of God’s word and our faith begins as very small. We are inherently sinful people until the word of God and His spirit grow inside of us. Though the seed begins small, when we allow it to grow inside of us, it will grow over time to a great bush with strength and be able to provide shade and comfort. As we let the word and spirit of God grow inside of us, we can be sure it will transform us and build our faith to be more like Yeshua. There will be a change reflected in our behaviors and thoughts when the Spirit grows inside of us. It will be noticeable, though not always fast.

As we grow, we should not expect the seed of faith to remain small, but rather become large and obvious and strong. Take time to prayerfully reflect on whether or not you see the growth of the Spirit in you over time. If your heart is wholeheartedly set on discipling after Jesus, you will see a change over time. If you can not notice a change, ask others who know you well and you trust and seek God in prayer to help you. Challenge yourself to make sure you are not just complacent in your relationship with God, content to claim Him in name and go to church, but not truly embracing and seeking Him wholeheartedly. Truly following after Yeshua… truly accepting Him as Lord and Messiah… means changing who we are, to be more like Him.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for teaching me through Your word and the Spirit. Help me to grow in my faith so that it becomes strong and help Your word grow strong inside me. Transform me to be faithful and pleasing more and more as I walk with You. Amen. 

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Holy / Set Apart, Parables

Do We Need to Understand the Process to Reap the Joy of the Harvest?

Jesus had a fascinating way of speaking in parables. For those whom Yahweh allowed to understand, the parables help enable understanding of the spiritual through comparison to the physical. Sometimes, He even points out to us that there are some things… ok, many things… which we do not need to understand, but rather we just need to accept them and trust God.

Mark 4:26-29

Parable of the Seed

      26And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil; 27and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. 28“The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. 29“But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

We should consider the context of these verses. They follow immediately after the parable of the Sower and the Soils, in which the seed represents the word of God being shared with people. The people are represented by four soils, with different reactions to the seed… the word of God.

Yeshua shows us that we do not need to understand how the seed grows in order to benefit from it and enjoy the harvest of what it provides. Yes, we can study and pray to try to understand more about the kingdom of God and about how faith grows inside the righteous… but we do not need to understand the “how”. We can leave that to God. We are to plant the seed in others and help care for the seed that is planted in each of us, as individuals and as community, by prayer and study of the Bible daily and by fellowship with other true disciples of Yeshua.

Do not get distracted with “having to know” the “how”. Instead, focus on the role  Yeshua calls each of us to play in growing and honoring the kingdom of God.

As an added reflection, we can consider verse 29 a bit more so as not to overlook it. Yahweh makes the seed of faith grow inside of us. When the plant is now ready to harvest and use for His purposes, He does so. Of course, it is up to Yahweh to determine for each of us what it means to be ready to harvest based on what plans He has for us.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Am I on the path?, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Doubt / Lacking Faith, Faith / Trusting God, Obeying God, Parables

Parable of the Sower and Soils… Which Soil Are You?

As you read this well known parable from our Lord, Jesus Christ, pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you and reveal answers to the following questions…

“Which soil are you?”

“Are you just the soil, or also a sower?”

I would also encourage you to keep in mind that the seed, the word of Yahweh, is consistent throughout. That is not what drives the difference in outcome. The difference in outcome is driven by the soil.

Mark 4:1-25

Parable of the Sower and Soils

1He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. 2And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, 3“Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5“Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6“And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7“Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8“Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN.”

Explanation

13And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? 14“The sower sows the word. 15“These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. 16“In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 17and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18“And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20“And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

21And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? 22“For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. 23“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. 25“For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

I can look back on my life and see times when I have been the path and then later choked by the weeds and now more and more I see God moving in my life and leading me to bear fruit for His kingdom. As I have become more fruitful, I begin to become a sower as well, though I must never stop being the soil to draw in His word.  I still have a long way to go, but praise God for His grace to work inside of me!

As you pray for wisdom and guidance from the Spirit, also reflect prayerfully on how to change to become even more fruitful for the kingdom of God. Identify a few simple actions to take even starting this week. Do not be so discouraged as to not try nor think of yourself as better than you are and risk remaining complacent. Rather be honest and start your journey from where you are today. The only lasting regret is if you refuse to move forward to serve Yeshua more!

I also encourage you not to try to do this all on your own. Ask the Spirit to help you, to transform you, so that you can be more fruitful.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for Your word. Thank You for the Spirit to help guide me. Please help me to be more fruitful for Your kingdom. Help me to be the good soil. Lead me in growing to be more of a sower as well of Your word. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Grace / Forgiveness, Repenting from Sin

Exploring What Jesus Called “The Unpardonable Sin”

It is sometimes referred to as “the unpardonable sin”. Much can be said and debated and studied about this important topic. Who among us does not want to take note of anything that Jesus would say is an “eternal sin”. Do not blaspheme against the Holy Spirit.

Mark 3:28

   28“Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Read and reflect on the full context of Mark 3 by clicking the link above. Jesus had publicly healed many and cast out demons. The Pharisees and scribes looked upon the manifest miracles of God, listened to how Jesus explained clearly that these works could not come from Satan, lest he be battling himself, and then accused Jesus of being a demon. They blasphemed against the Holy Spirit by attributing the works of God to Satan in an unrepentant fashion.  The hardness of one’s heart that must be required to bring this accusation against Jesus in the direct observation of healing miracles and casting out demons is amazing. It is a flat out, ongoing,  unrepentant denial of Jesus Christ as God.

It really is that simple. Jesus died for all of us, for all of our sin. But if we refuse to acknowledge the deity of Jesus Christ and accept Him as our Lord and Savior… as God… then we are essentially rejecting His offer of grace and forgiveness and reconciliation with God.

If there is one sin which can not be overlooked… that is it. With genuine repentance and submission to God through the person of Jesus Christ we can be forgiven any other sin. Pray that the Holy Spirit would lead you to truly and genuinely accepting Christ as Lord and Savior if you have not yet done so. Reach out to other Christians you trust or even to a local church or our ministry for support. Getting this right is the most important thing in your entire life and has eternal consequences.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Miracles, Share the Good News, Teachable

Lessons from Jesus’ Selection of the Twelve Disciples: Learn, Preach, Miracles

Mark chapter 3 records Jesus’ selection of the twelve disciples who are selected to be closest to Jesus. It is interesting to study a bit the reasons stated for why the twelve were appointed.  They were appointed to be with Jesus, to be sent out to preach, and to have authority to cast out demons.

Mark 3:13-19

The Twelve Are Chosen

      13And He went up on the mountain and summoned those whom He Himself wanted, and they came to Him. 14And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, 15and to have authority to cast out the demons. 16And He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), 17and James, the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, “Sons of Thunder”); 18and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot; 19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

I find it interesting to consider the order in which Mark lists the three reasons for appointing the twelve. How natural for us to think first of being sent out to preach or to have miraculous power such as casting out demons. However, these are not the first reasons listed.

First, the twelve are appointed to be with Jesus. I can think of at least two main reasons… first before one can be entrusted to preach or to do miracles, one must first draw near to the Lord and learn and disciple after Him. Second, Jesus likely appreciated the support and companionship of these close friends during His earthly ministry. While He was fully God, He was also fully man and we are created to be social beings.

I find it telling also that the second reason listed for appointing the twelve is to preach. After we learn and disciple under Jesus we become more prepared to preach the good news and share with others.

It is not until the very last of the three that Mark records the authority to cast out demons. I believe that this is because if you have not spend time with Jesus and do not patiently disciple under Him, you will not be prepared to preach truth appropriately. Further, what is the purpose of the miracles? The purpose seems to be to reinforce the truth of the gospel. Therefore, one must learn to preach the truth before God desires to grant the ability to cast out demons, lest one cast out demons and preach the wrong gospel. The people would then be easily led astray to follow wrong doctrine.

As with most things, God’s order contains much wisdom, but would not be the same order and manner that most of us would anticipate or map out on our own. The power to cast out demons can lead people to hell if not anchored in the strong faith and truth of teaching people the truth of the gospel!

We can also consider for our own lives the order provided here. Let us first seek to learn and disciple at the feet of our Master. Then let us learn to share the truth with others. Lastly, we can trust the Master to demonstrate miracles through or around us at His discretion to support His truth.  Let us not rush to ask for power to do miracles before we first disciple ourselves after Christ!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Compassion, Healer, Help / Serve Others, Jesus (hearing from God), Miracles

Jesus’ Righteous Indignation: Lessons from His Anger

Scripture identifies a few examples where Jesus actually gets angry. I think it is good to pause and consider what it was that makes Him angry. Thus we can learn something from it and apply it in our lives to live in obedience to Him.

In Mark 3, Jesus goes into a synagogue on Sabbath and finds a man with a withered hand.  Here, in the place intended to help connect man with God,  the religious leaders are more interested to “catch” Jesus doing something they think is wrong than they are to see one of their people healed. This is the definition of being hard-hearted and selfish instead of gracious and kind and focused on others.

Mark 3:1-6

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

      1He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. 2They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” 4And He said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

Jesus was clearly grieved and angry for the hardness of their hearts. I am a proponent of recognizing and observing Sabbath consistent with what God has commanded in scripture. However, the Pharisees demonstrate that they have missed the point. They would rather leave someone in need of healing and play “gotcha” around rules with Jesus to plot to destroy Him than see one of their people healed and recognize the power of God right in front of them!

They already knew Jesus had the power to heal… they were watching for it… and yet all they could think about was if they could trap Jesus in their perception of Him breaking a rule! They were selfishly protecting their own power and authority and completely overlooking God’s miraculous power.

Yes, we are to obey God’s instructions in scripture. However, in our efforts to honor and obey God, whether for to Sabbath or other commands, let us not miss the greater point in helping others and demonstrating God’s love and compassion to them. Yes, we are to hold teachers accountable for properly teaching truth of scripture, but we need not focus so hard on trying to catch them doing something wrong that we miss the glory of God right among us!

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Seeking God, Spiritual Warfare

Rekindle Your Passion and Pursuit of Christ

It is good to reflect on the power of the miracles and teaching of Jesus and the impact it had on many who were there to witness it. Mark 3 captures the essence as crowds pressed in so forcefully, Jesus got in a boat to keep some space. He had healed and cast out demons. He taught the truth of God’s word.

Mark 3:7-12

      7Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from Judea, 8and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a great number of people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him. 9And He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready for Him because of the crowd, so that they would not crowd Him; 10for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed around Him in order to touch Him. 11Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” 12And He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was.

Ask yourself, “Am I that hungry to pursue Jesus? Do my actions and choices in life reflect that about me?”

If the answer is “no”, then it is a good time for reflection and prayer to change your focus and priorities and pursue Jesus with greater passion.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Courage / Fear, Purposeful / Intentional, Rebuke Wrong Behavior

Confronting Opposition: The Boldness of Jesus

For any who have read the Bible or are reasonably familiar with the earthly ministry of Jesus, you know that Jesus was not afraid to stand and confront those who came against Him. In fact, when the timing was right and He was ready, He waited for them in the garden of Gethsemane and came along willingly. He knew they were coming and what would follow next.

Jesus was willing to confront those who opposed Him at times and places of His choosing. Typically He used these times as “teachable moments” to make an important point.

Mark 3:1-6

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

      1He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. 2They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3He said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” 4And He said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

It is too easy for us to allow ourselves to get intimidated by those who oppose God and to avoid standing up for God because it is easier for us. Jesus demonstrated boldness and courage as He focused on His ministry and purpose.

Let us pray that God would give us wisdom to choose which battles to fight along with when and where to fight them. Those who serve and follow Jesus will certainly face strong opposition. We need wisdom from God to effectively navigate these challenges and accomplish the work He has called us to do.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Am I on the path?, Discipline / Guidance From God, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Guide, Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Slow to Anger

Live According to God’s Righteousness: A Message from Jeremiah 22

The message of Jeremiah 22 is dramatic. God is not pleased with His people and how they have been living without righteousness… His righteousness.

I am sure they felt they were living right. To every man, his way seems right. However, God judges based on His instructions for how to live, based on His righteousness. We do not get to decide what is right and pleasing to the LORD.

Do not assume just because you call upon the LORD that He is pleased regardless of what you do and how you live. Seek to live according to His righteousness.

Jeremiah 22

Warning of Jerusalem’s Fall

      1Thus says the LORD, “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word 2and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on David’s throne, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates. 3‘Thus says the LORD, “Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place. 4“For if you men will indeed perform this thing, then kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting in David’s place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, even the king himself and his servants and his people. 5“But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself,” declares the LORD, “that this house will become a desolation.”’”

6For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah:
“You are like Gilead to Me,
Like the summit of Lebanon;
Yet most assuredly I will make you like a wilderness,
Like cities which are not inhabited.

      7“For I will set apart destroyers against you,
Each with his weapons;
And they will cut down your choicest cedars
And throw them on the fire.

      8“Many nations will pass by this city; and they will say to one another, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this great city?’ 9“Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.’”

      10Do not weep for the dead or mourn for him,
But weep continually for the one who goes away;
For he will never return
Or see his native land.

      11For thus says the LORD in regard to Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of Josiah his father, who went forth from this place, “He will never return there; 12but in the place where they led him captive, there he will die and not see this land again.

Messages about the Kings

13“Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness
And his upper rooms without justice,
Who uses his neighbor’s services without pay
And does not give him his wages,

      14Who says, ‘I will build myself a roomy house
With spacious upper rooms,
And cut out its windows,
Paneling it with cedar and painting it bright red.’

      15“Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar?
Did not your father eat and drink
And do justice and righteousness?
Then it was well with him.

      16“He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy;
Then it was well.
Is not that what it means to know Me?”
Declares the LORD.

      17“But your eyes and your heart
Are intent only upon your own dishonest gain,
And on shedding innocent blood
And on practicing oppression and extortion.”

      18Therefore thus says the LORD in regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah,
“They will not lament for him:
‘Alas, my brother!’ or, ‘Alas, sister!’
They will not lament for him:
‘Alas for the master!’ or, ‘Alas for his splendor!’

      19“He will be buried with a donkey’s burial,
Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

      20“Go up to Lebanon and cry out,
And lift up your voice in Bashan;
Cry out also from Abarim,
For all your lovers have been crushed.

      21“I spoke to you in your prosperity;
But you said, ‘I will not listen!’
This has been your practice from your youth,
That you have not obeyed My voice.

      22“The wind will sweep away all your shepherds,
And your lovers will go into captivity;
Then you will surely be ashamed and humiliated
Because of all your wickedness.

      23“You who dwell in Lebanon,
Nested in the cedars,
How you will groan when pangs come upon you,
Pain like a woman in childbirth!

      24“As I live,” declares the LORD, “even though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull you off; 25and I will give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life, yes, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26“I will hurl you and your mother who bore you into another country where you were not born, and there you will die. 27“But as for the land to which they desire to return, they will not return to it.

      28“Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar?
Or is he an undesirable vessel?
Why have he and his descendants been hurled out
And cast into a land that they had not known?

      29“O land, land, land,
Hear the word of the LORD!

30“Thus says the LORD,
‘Write this man down childless,
A man who will not prosper in his days;
For no man of his descendants will prosper
Sitting on the throne of David
Or ruling again in Judah.’”

Avoid the trap of assuming that if you call upon the name of the LORD, He is pleased and satisfied with you. He expects more from His children than just “lip service”. He calls us to live according to His righteousness, according to His word. This is what is pleasing to Him.

Take time to pray and reflect. What changes should you make in your life to live more in tune with God’s instructions?

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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