My father was a man of unwavering faith. Not the “God-is-going-to-give-me-everything-I-ask-for” kind of faith. But the kind of faith that stays strong and committed, no matter what is going on. I think he got that faith from his father.
My grandfather worked in a factory but also traveled around the Ohio area preaching in churches. One time he was asked to preach a week-long revival at a church several miles away. He agreed to do it, but he wasn’t sure the car would make it. The U-joints were going out, and he knew the car could break down any day. So he asked my father and some of the other sons to gather around the car with him. They laid their hands on the car, and my grandfather prayed that God would hold the car together until the revival was over, and he could get it fixed.
My grandfather drove back and forth each night, faithfully fulfilling his commitment to the church. On the last night of the revival, he drove the car home, pulled it up into the yard, and when he turned it off, the transmission fell off and onto the ground. God did EXACTLY what my grandfather had prayed for.
My grandfather trusted in God. As Jeremiah says in our passage today, he made the Lord his “hope and confidence.” He had no confidence in the car; he knew it was about to break down. But he had complete confidence that if God had called him to do this revival, then God could see him through. And He did.
How about YOU? Is God your “hope and confidence?” Do you trust the Lord, fully and completely, with everything? Many people waver at the first sign of trouble. When things get hard, some people complain and wonder where God is. But people who are rooted are immovable. They trust God in bad times as well as good, and in lean times, as well as in times of plenty. Rooted people have a depth to their faith that reaches all the way to reservoirs of God. Hard times, tough situations, and broken-down cars can’t make them throw in the towel. Their fruit just keeps on growing no matter what. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Some years ago, I had a friend who was really sharp. He had a great mind and, as an engineer, developed some pretty cool stuff. He was also a committed Christian, husband, father, and leader in the church. But something happened. Maybe it was the success. Maybe it was the desire for greater success. Or maybe he just got blinded to what was really important. Whatever it was, he lost his grip. He lost his grip on God. He lost his grip on his values. He lost his grip on his family. He lost his grip on the most important things in life and chased after the other “gods” this world entices us with. Wanting to “have it all,” he lost it all. For those of us who loved him, it was absolutely devastating.
That’s the heartbreaking warning God gives Judah in our passage today. God had a future for them. He had a land that “flowed with milk and honey” that was theirs. They had the promise of God’s protection and blessing upon them. They had a special relationship with God, unlike any people anywhere in the world. Then they lost their grip.
They stopped chasing after God. They stopped remembering all He had done for them. They lost their grip on the commitments they had made to Him. They lost their grip on the ingredients of living a blessed life. They let go of their grip on their covenant with the Almighty to become like the people in the lands around them. In doing so, they let God’s Promises and Blessings slip right out of their hands. It was incredibly foolish and horribly sad.
How’s YOUR grip? I’ve discovered that we don’t usually throw things aside that are important quickly. We just get busy, distracted, or drawn away a little bit each day. We slowly stop spending time with God in His Word, in prayer, and in worship. We slowly become more obsessed with our jobs, our hobbies, our interests, or other people, rather than our spouse or our family. We become more excited about being “liked” by a particular crowd than being favored by God. Most of us usually don’t just abruptly toss aside what we call our priorities. We just let them slide out of our hands. Get a grip.
Take a moment today to ask yourself the question, “What is really important to me?” Then ask this follow-up question. “Am I giving these important things the time, attention, love, and care that they require?” If you’re honest, you may find that you’re not holding on as tightly to some of these things as you once were. If so, take a moment to ask God to help you renew your commitment to the things that really matter. Don’t wait until you lose it all to wake up to what’s really important in life. Get a grip. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Have you ever felt all alone in the middle of a crowd? Have you ever felt as if you were going through something, and there was no one who really “gets” you or understands what you’re dealing with? Have you ever felt as if you’re on a shore watching a tsunami roll straight at you, and there was nothing you could do?
Welcome to Jeremiah’s world. God’s telling Jeremiah about what’s going to happen to his people. He gives Jeremiah the task of warning everyone. The problem is that no one is listening! Instead of repenting, the people turn on Jeremiah like they turned on God! Jeremiah is confused, frustrated, scared, and overwhelmed. He knows his world and the world of his people is about to get turned upside down. And there is nothing he can do about it. It’s no wonder Jeremiah is known as the “Weeping Prophet.” It was enough to depress anyone.
But as God gives Jeremiah a glimpse of His plan and his people’s ultimate deliverance, Jeremiah has an important, faith-filled realization: he’s NOT alone. It’s not HE who is fighting this uphill battle. It’s he and THE LORD! He is not the one who has to convince the people. GOD does! He wells up with faith as he realizes that God is WITH him, God is FOR him, and that God will ultimately accomplish His purposes. So, in the midst of all his struggles, he makes this incredible declaration of faith. “LORD, you are my strength and fortress, my refuge in the day of trouble!”
There’s a worship song called “Surrounded” that states this truth so clearly. It says, “It may look like I’m surrounded, but I’m surrounded by You!” It may LOOK bleak, but it’s not. It might FEEL as if you won’t make it, but you will. It might be more than you can handle, but it’s not more than GOD can handle. You might have problems all around you, but God has all your problems surrounded by His power and might!
Breathe this in today. Embed this truth in your heart and mind. Whatever you’re facing, whatever you’re going through, whatever trouble you have, God has you surrounded. He will be your strength to endure. He will be your fortress of protection. He will be your refuge of rest. Cry out to Him. Lean upon Him. Praise Him! You are SURROUNDED by the Great Love of God! That’s God’s Word for you today.

I had the privilege of praying with a few different people today at church. One of those I prayed with is facing a potentially tough situation. Only time will tell how challenging it’s going to be. So I prayed for God’s Hand upon them. I prayed for wisdom and discernment. I prayed for God to open the doors needed for them. I prayed that God would give them strength and faith for the journey. But I did one more thing. I thanked God in advance for His healing, deliverance, provision, and for seeing them through victoriously.
Please hear my heart. I am not a “name it and claim it” believer. I have no idea what is going to happen in this circumstance or what difficulty this person may incur. I’m not even saying that it’s going to work out the way that they want. But what I do know is this: God loves them more than they can ever imagine and that He WILL see them through. He will not abandon them. He will not leave them on their own. But whether or not the outcome is what they want, I know that God holds them in His Hand and will work in it and through it. And for that, I can thank God in advance for His goodness, His faithfulness, and His sovereignty. He is a good, good God. And that’s true whether we get our way or not. Does that make sense to you?
God gives Jeremiah a glimpse of that in our passage today. The people are about to suffer for their disobedience. They are going to suffer in many ways and even be taken into captivity. But God tells Jeremiah in advance something the people would never be able to understand. He’s going to bring them back. Despite their disobedience, He’s not going to abandon them. At the right time, His grace, mercy, and power will prevail.
This should be a great encouragement to you today. I’m not going to tell you that every prayer you pray is going to be answered the way you want. It won’t. But I am going to tell you that regardless of whether it works out the way you want it or not, God is with you. You may suffer. You may struggle. You may grieve. You may have to walk down a road harder than any you’ve had to walk down before. But put it all in God’s Hands. He will be with you. He will give you strength. He will be beside you every step of the way. Regardless of what happens, God will be working and going ahead of you. You may not see His Hand every day of this journey, but one day you will. So thank Him in advance for what you may only know looking back. He is a good, good God. That’s God’s Word for you today.

In John 17, in His prayer for us, Jesus asks the Father to help us be “in the world, but not of the world.” That life, as Jeremiah found out, is not easy to live. As Jeremiah acts as God’s spokesperson, he gets rejected, persecuted, and ridiculed. It wasn’t the kind of response he was expecting. Not from the people, and not from God.
I’m sure that Jeremiah believed that, as “the man of God,” people would respect him. Maybe even fear him. But instead, the people turned on him. His ministry among them was like trying to plow in concrete. Their hearts were hardened beyond penetration. Jeremiah was depressed and exhausted.
And, as if that wasn’t enough, Jeremiah became disillusioned with God. It seemed as if God had abandoned him. He didn’t feel heard. He didn’t feel protected. Where was the blessing of God? Where was the reward for obedience?
The result was that Jeremiah’s attitude began to become more like the people of Judah. He started to doubt. He started to become angry. Jeremiah began to wonder if this walk of faith was worth it all. Wouldn’t it be easier to just “fit in” and be liked than to keep banging his head against the wall? Jeremiah was beginning to become like the world he was trying to get the people to leave. That’s why we hear God calling him back in our passage today. “You must influence them; do not let them influence you!” This was Jeremiah’s recommissioning. It was a reminder of who he was and what he was called to do.
That’s a powerful word to all of us today. And it’s an important question for us to ask ourselves. Who is influencing whom? God calls us to be salt and light. He calls us to be “friends of sinners” just as He was on this earth. But we are to draw them heavenward, not allow them to draw us more into the world. Let’s not let our attitudes become like theirs. Let’s not let our language, our behavior, or our values become like those we are trying to lead to a higher place. As we go out into the world today, let’s be IN the world, but not OF the world. Let’s make sure we’re influencing them and not them influencing us. That’s God’s Word for you today.

“Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.” – Psalm 36:5 (NIV)

The last few days, it has POURED down rain. I’m talking street-flooding, streams-overflowing, an umbrella-won’t-help-you kind of rain. Funny thing is, it was only a week ago or so when we were talking about how hot it was and how much we NEEDED the rain. It’s like Mark Twain said. “Everybody talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it!” All you can do is wait.
As Jeremiah cries out to God on behalf of the people, he acknowledges that they are in that same situation. Idols can’t help them. Rituals and sacrifices won’t change anything. Running around, yelling, screaming, and panicking won’t bring one drop of rain either. Nor will any of those stop what’s coming. God is their only help. And all they can do is wait on Him.
Waiting on God. Have you ever been there? Maybe you’re there right now. Maybe you’re stuck in a situation where you’ve done all you can do, and you’re out of options and ideas. Maybe you’re dealing with a health issue, a financial issue, or a relational issue, and it seems nothing can be done. It seems God is the only one who can help you. And now you’re waiting on Him.
Waiting is a hard place to be, but it is also a unique opportunity. There are many things you can do while you’re waiting, but some of them may be things you don’t want to do. First of all, you can repent. I’m not saying that sin is the cause of your problems, but it was for Judah. Repenting was what God wanted, but what they refused to do. Waiting on God provides us a perfect opportunity to sit with Him, allow Him to expose our hearts and lives to us, and to show us anything we need to confess before Him. When we’re waiting, repentance seems a good place to start.
We can pray. And not just “When you gonna get this done, God?” kind of prayers. Prayers of surrender. Prayers of seeking God’s heart. Prayers that acknowledge God’s faithfulness in the past and tell Him we trust Him with our future. You know, “Not my will, but YOUR will be done,” kind of prayers. You can also stand on His Promises. Recite or read scriptures of God’s promises of help and deliverance. Commit to memory those scriptures that tell of His great love for you. Prayers, promises, and praising Him seem a much better way to wait than pouting and panicking.
When all you can do is wait, don’t waste your waiting time. Use it to draw closer to God rather than pulling away. Use it to increase your faith rather than feed your fears. Use your waiting room to get BETTER, not BITTER. The rain will come, the healing will come, the deliverance will come—but in God’s time, not yours. Trust me, when all you can do is wait, worshipping is a whole lot better than whining. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Not every prophet is a prophet. Not everyone who says they are speaking for God is actually speaking for God. That’s the point God makes here with Jeremiah. And it’s an important one.
Through the many years of ministry, I’ve had several people come to me along the way with a “word from God.” At first, it intimidated me. I thought maybe these people had some kind of hotline to God that I didn’t have. What I discovered was that people say these kinds of things for a variety of reasons. Some come making claims because they don’t know how to have an open, honest conversation about how they’re feeling or what they’re thinking. Plugging God’s name in lets them off the hook. “It’s not me, it’s God.”
Other people use God’s name as a control/manipulation technique. Instead of presenting something or taking a stand against something, they play the God card. After all, how do you argue with them if it’s God’s idea? Still other people, who falsely speak for God, do so out of a need for significance or recognition. Speaking for God gives them a feeling of super-spirituality or helps them feel as if they are more respected or admired.
Having to deal with a good bit of this along the way began to annoy me, rather than intimidate me. I developed a tendency to simply ignore, pull away, or even push back on such people. Then God showed me something I needed to see. Though He doesn’t speak through EVERYONE who claims He is, He does speak through some people to me. So instead of just writing every “prophet” off as a kook or control freak, I’ve tried to take a different approach. “Let me pray about that.” I’ve discovered that if God really is trying to say something to me and my heart is open to receive it, He can confirm His Voice in more than one way. I’ve found that when I take time to check it out, God lets me know.
John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.” That’s a good word for us. God uses good, wise people along our path to help guide us, correct us, and challenge us. And we need to be open to them. But we also need to remember that not everyone who claims to be a "prophet” is a prophet. Don’t be afraid to test it to make sure it’s from God. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Sometime ago, I read a story about a man named Danny whose life had been completely taken over by drugs. When bounty hunters found him (he had four felony warrants for his arrest), he was living under an I-40 overpass. He was addicted to heroin and weighed 92 pounds. He had accepted that this was how he was going to die. He had resigned himself to the fact that he could never change. The habit had its hooks in him too deeply.
But instead of taking him to jail, where he would have died, the bounty hunters took him to a hospital, where he spent two weeks in detox. After detox, his parents met him at the hospital and convinced him to go to a local recovery organization called Hope Is Alive. It was there that Danny began not only hearing about the process that is necessary to confront our addictions, but he also heard about Jesus. Danny knew that no matter how hard he tried, he could never overcome his addiction on his own. But he learned that Jesus, the One True Higher Power, could. Danny surrendered his life to Christ.
Danny continued in his recovery, grew in his faith, and secured a job with Panera Bread. His managers saw his work ethic and character and decided he was worth investing in. They helped him with a scholarship to college. He graduated with a 4.0 in his program. Danny credits his radical change of life entirely to Jesus. In his own words, Danny said, “This was all God. There’s no explanation for it. It was a miracle.”
Jeremiah quotes an old proverb in our passage today that basically says, “People don’t change.” And he’s right. People, left to themselves and their own devices, pretty much stay exactly as they are. But God DOES change people. Had Judah surrendered to God as Danny did, God could have changed them just like He did Danny. God’s not interested in changing spots or skin, but He IS in the business of changing hearts and lives. Just give Him a chance. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Years ago, I heard a wise pastor say something that has always stuck with me. He said, “If you can’t preach a message of chastisement to your congregation with a broken heart, then you shouldn’t preach it.” He was speaking to the point of how many pastors use the pulpit as a “whipping post” for their congregations. His point was that the disobedience, failures, or shortcomings of people should lead us to places of sadness, not anger and bitterness. It’s an important lesson for all of us.
You see, we often make other people’s issues about US. When a congregation isn’t doing what we, as pastors, want them to do, it can bring out our control issues, our pride, or our need to be right. But instead of being sorrowful because we’re concerned about what we believe to be their disobedience to God, or the hindrance to God’s vision for the church, or the lost souls that will not be saved, or the hurt it’ll cause to themselves or others in the church, we personalize it. We become mad rather than sad. And it comes out that way.
The same is true with parenting, mentoring, or trying to help people we’re close to. When those we’re trying to guide don’t take our advice, or they make choices that we know are not good ones, we often respond with harshness, criticism, or a lecture. What’s funny is that often, in our anger, we’ll bail them out or spare them the consequences of what would happen. Our false belief is that somehow this will give us “control” or make them feel obligated to us to do what we tell them to do. Usually, it doesn’t. Which only makes us angrier. Again, we’ve become mad, not sad.
Notice in our passage today how Jeremiah appeals to his people. As he warns them of God’s impending judgment if they don’t turn around, he says, “I will weep alone because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears.” Do you hear his sadness? Jeremiah’s heart is a great model for us as we lead, guide, teach, pastor, parent, and mentor. Let’s not make other people’s “stuff” about us. Let’s lead them with the character and compassion of God. Let’s ask God to help us be brokenhearted, not bitter. That’s God’s Word for you today.

A few years back, a couple of buddies in Great Britain hit the jackpot. They won almost five and a half million dollars in the lottery! You would think that people would be happy for two friends having such a stroke of good luck. But they weren’t. People were upset. These two “buddies” were actually a couple of career criminals who met in prison, then won the lottery while out on parole. If anyone DIDN’T deserve good fortune like this, it was them. It just didn’t seem fair.
Does it ever really annoy you when good things happen to bad people? It did Jeremiah. People in his hometown are threatening him for speaking God’s truth. He’s being persecuted, bullied, and abused. Meanwhile, the hypocrites who are causing him so much harm seem to keep on prospering. It was frustrating Jeremiah to death.
But Jeremiah was making the same mistake we often make. We take the short view rather than the long view. We want immediate reward and justice. God wants us to trust the process. Yes, those who are evil will win some battles. Yes, those who are unjust and ungodly will sometimes gain some ground and get ahead. Yes, those who seek God wholeheartedly will experience times of disappointment, heartache, and even defeat. It’s the way of things in this world. However, evil having moments of triumph doesn’t mean it will ultimately prevail. It won’t. And just because some people seem to escape justice now, it doesn’t mean that justice won’t eventually occur. It will. What Jeremiah has to trust, and what we have to hold onto, is that God is at work and He will make all things right in His time. Trust His timing. Trust His Sovereignty. Trust His Grace and His Justice.
Remember those two criminals who won the lottery? Turns out they bought that winning lottery ticket with an ATM card that they had stolen from someone. Instead of receiving a couple of million dollars each, they both got sentenced to prison again and had to forfeit their winnings. Shortcuts never pay off in the long run, and justice will ultimately prevail. In this life or in the next. Take the long view. That’s God’s Word for you today.

It’s funny how verses like this, which are so straightforward on the surface, can hit you between the eyes when you sit with it for a moment or two. Reading it today caused me to reflect on the whole idea of covenants—and how easy it is to not live by them. Marriage is a good example of that. At a wedding ceremony, we make these covenants to “love, honor, and cherish.” All you married people out there, think about those words for a moment or two. Are you truly loving your spouse with the “agape” love that you committed to? Because that kind of love means to put the other person first. It means “to be patient, kind, and not keep a record of wrongs.” Are you loving them that way?
Or how about to “honor” them. That means to hold them in high esteem. The sense of that word is to regard them as though they were royalty. It means you speak honoring words to them, and not words that degrade them, hurt them, or belittle them. It means to treat them with the utmost respect. Be honest for a moment. For many of us, if we talked to our boss like we talk to our spouse, we’d be fired. Honoring is part of our covenant.
To “cherish” is another piece of the covenant. That speaks to the idea of valuing. To cherish someone is to treat them as something precious, priceless, and irreplaceable. How are you doing with that one?
God tells Jeremiah to remind the people that they have entered into a covenant with Him, just like He has entered into a covenant with them. He has been completely faithful in living up to His part of the covenant. They have not. They’ve forgotten what they have committed themselves to. Time to remember.
The same is true with us. Just like we entered into a marriage covenant with our spouse, we entered into one with God as well. As Christians, we commit to love Him, seek Him wholeheartedly, and obey Him in all things. And though none of us do that perfectly, we probably all need to be reminded from time to time of what our part in the covenant is because we tend to forget. Oh yeah, and if you’re wondering what God’s part in the covenant is, it was dying on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin. And He promises to never leave us or forsake us. God’s living up to His part of the covenant. How are YOU doing? That’s God’s Word for you today.

My grandson is learning to drive. I can’t even begin to tell you how scary that is! But I imagine people thought that about me when I was learning to drive. In fact, my wife says that I’m scary NOW! Point taken. Learning to drive can be overwhelming. When you first get behind the wheel, it seems as if there are way too many things to remember. Adjust the seat. Put on your seat belt. Check your mirrors. Check your indicator lights for any trouble. Check your gas. Make sure your passengers have their seat belts on. Put your foot on the brake. Start the car. Check for pedestrians. Check for traffic. Put the car in Drive. All of that and you haven’t even made a move yet. Now comes the thousand things you have to remember WHILE you’re driving!
Remember learning all that? That’s why it’s important to have someone teaching you who is patient and gentle. If you were taught by a yelling parent or teacher, you understand this completely. The last thing you need when you’re already panicked behind the wheel is someone screaming at you. You need someone to teach you, yes. You need someone to guide you, yes. You need someone who takes note of what you’re not doing the way you should and corrects you, yes. What you DON’T need is someone who is more panicked and emotional than YOU!
That’s why I love Jeremiah’s prayer in our passage today. First of all, he humbly acknowledges that we are only stewards of this life, and not owners. “Our lives are not our own.” Wow. How different we would live if we truly lived out of that truth. We belong to Him. Then Jeremiah makes a great confession. “We are not able to plan our own course.” Like the new driver who knows how ignorant they are, Jeremiah admits to God that we need a Teacher, a Guide, a Lord to lead us. Lastly, Jeremiah surrenders to God’s correction, seeking His Grace in the process. “So correct me, LORD, but please be gentle.” Thankfully, for Jeremiah, God is a gracious and gentle Shepherd. He corrects with patience and kindness. His rod is His last resort, not His first option in keeping us on the path.
Jeremiah’s prayer is a good one for us to begin the day. Can I lead us in it? “I am Yours, Lord. My life belongs to You and is in Your Hand. Help me to be a good steward of this day and all that it holds. Guide me, Lord. Let me not wander off on my own paths or seek after my own way. I am lost without You. Correct me, Lord. Let me hear the gentle whispers of Your Spirit as you nudge me throughout the day. Let me feel Your gentle, guiding Hand upon my shoulder. My desire is to do Your Will, Father. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.” That’s God’s Word for you today.

“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” – Psalm 23:6 (NLT)

When I read our passage today, I laughed. It took me back to my childhood days of playing and arguing with friends. Our neighborhood of boys played a lot of sports together, which meant we had a lot of arguments with each other. They were usually arguments about whether a player was out in baseball, whether a player was offside in football, or whether a foul was committed in basketball. If the argument got heated enough, someone would often threaten to beat up the other guy. To which the other guy would often say, “Oh yeah? You and whose army?!” Have you ever heard those words before?
Jeremiah reminds us in our passage that when we have the Lord on our side, we have HIS army on our side. What a comforting thought as we’re facing the challenges of the day. Think about it. I’ve heard a couple of different people comment this last week about feeling as if the Enemy has been after them. Trying to scare them. Trying to discourage them. Trying to isolate them. What an incredible encouragement to know that we don’t have to face the Enemy alone! Not only is “the one who is in us greater than the one who is in the world,” but we have all of His Armies fighting on our side as well. Bring it on, Devil! You’re already beat!!
Some of us may be walking through circumstances where we’re feeling very alone. Maybe we’re dealing with several challenges on lots of fronts—physically, financially, emotionally, as well as spiritually. It’s easy to feel quite overwhelmed in times like that and believe we’re struggling all on our own. But we’re not! The Lord is with us! His people are with us! And all the Armies of Heaven are with us! Whatever you’re fighting against today, I can assure you that you are not going into battle alone. You have ARMIES on your side!
Stand strong today. Don’t cower or run or hide. Look square into the face of whatever you’re facing and declare that you are not backing down. You will stand firm. You will stand strong. You will fight, forge ahead, and be victorious. You WILL overcome. You are one of the invincible, unconquerable, Children of God. You’re not facing the world all by yourself today. It’s You and His Armies! That’s God’s Word for you today.

“LORD, there is no one like you!” What a beautiful declaration by Jeremiah! After reminding the people that their superstitions are silly and their idols are worthless, Jeremiah gives them a testimony to point them in the RIGHT direction. There is no one like God!
How true that is. Let me break it down for you:
There is no one who LOVES like God!
There is no one who is FAITHFUL like God!
There is no one who HEALS like God!
There is no one who DELIVERS like God!
There is no one who FORGIVES like God!
There is no one who REDEEMS like God!
There is no one who COMFORTS like God!
There is no one who RESURRECTS like God!
There is no one who STRENGTHENS like God!
There is no one who SAVES like God!
There is no one who has POWER like God!
There is no one who is WISE like God!
There is no one who has SACRIFICED like God!
Make your own list today. Declare before Him that there is no one like our God!! That’s God’s Word for you today.

Are you superstitious? Many people are. Some people believe that there are things that will cause them to have bad luck. Like breaking a mirror. Walking under a ladder. Having a black cat cross your path. Spilling the salt. When I was a kid, it was “step on a crack, and you’ll break your mother’s back.”
Then there are the things that many believe will bring them good luck. Things like finding a four-leaf clover. Carrying a rabbit’s foot (which obviously wasn’t so lucky for the rabbit!). Then there’s the lucky coin, the lucky golf ball marker, or the lucky hat. Many athletes have habits or rituals that they perform, or clothing they wear, believing that it brings them luck. One of the wildest I’ve heard of is a former baseball pitcher by the name of Turk Wendell. He had a number of rituals that he practiced at every game. He wore his lucky necklace, which was made out of the teeth and other body parts of animals he had hunted. He insisted his contracts end in the number 99. He made three crosses in the dirt on the mound before pitching. He also ate four pieces of licorice in any game he was pitching and would brush his teeth between innings. That’s one superstitious man!
God points out through Jeremiah in our passage today that superstitions and good luck charms don’t work. Idols and other “gods” we look to have no power over our lives or our future at all. But thankfully, there is a God who DOES have power and can alter and direct our future. He’s a God who loves us and wants to be intimately involved in our lives. Maybe it would be better if we let the poor rabbits keep their feet and trusted the Lord instead. He’s our Protector. He’s our Provider. And He is the one who leads, guides, and blesses. No more “stupidstitions.” Let’s trust in our Amazing God! That’s God’s Word for you today.

I read an article that showed pictures of ironic signs. One that I thought was hysterical was on an outside sign at an elementary school. They were promoting an evening where they were going to address the rising rate of illiteracy in their community. The sign read “Leteracy Night, Dec 8, 5:00.” It could have been a humorous way of promoting the event. But then again, we’re often not nearly as smart as we think we are.
That’s the point that God points out through Jeremiah in our passage today. The cause of Israel’s demise was its pride. They believed they were wise. They believed that they were unconquerable. They believed that their prosperity would continue forever. That pride led to a complete undoing. The entire country became the property of foreigners. And they became slaves.
As I sat with this passage today, I realized something. I’m not nearly as self-confident as I used to be. I’m not confident in my ability to lead or pastor. I’m not confident in my ability to preach or teach. I’m not confident in my ability to withstand temptation, endure difficulty, or overcome any obstacle. I’ve failed enough along the way to discover I’m not all that I believed I was when I was younger. But while I don’t have confidence in myself, I have more confidence than ever in God.
Last Sunday, after preaching at Salem Church in Clayton, Ohio, one sweet person told me how touched they were by the message I shared. They said, “It is so obvious that the hand of God is on you.” I thanked them and smiled and said, “You’re exactly right. Because if anything good happened today, it was God and not me!”
Please hear my heart. This isn’t some sort of false piety. I’ve learned the hard way that I am not smart, not strong, and not invulnerable. Any impact I’ve made for eternity is because of God’s Spirit and grace and not because of me. Does this make sense to you? So I’ve traded my self-confidence for God-confidence. Because even though I no longer believe in me, I have all the faith in the world in Him! That’s God’s Word for you today.

I read a sad but interesting article not long ago. It was about how a surprising number of young men are dying. Not because there is some undetectable new disease that’s spreading. It’s because so many young men refuse to go to doctors. The article said that about 75% of cardiac deaths are in men, mostly because men refuse to acknowledge or seek help for heart problem symptoms they experience. Men are also more likely not to get preventive exams for such things as prostate or colon cancer. The article points out that pride, fear, or just plain stubbornness can be deadly. It was a startling article to read.
That’s the same shock and grief that Jeremiah was experiencing as he watched his people refuse to turn back to God. They knew better. He warned them what would happen if they stayed on this path. God wanted to heal them. God wanted to forgive them. God wanted to save them from the death and destruction that was coming. The Doctor was IN! But they refused to go to Him. Pride, fear, and stubbornness would claim victims yet again.
Please let this serve as a word of warning and a source of hope for every one of us. The Doctor is STILL in! If your marriage is struggling, it doesn’t have to be the end. God can restore you. God can help you to reclaim the love that is lost. God can tear down the walls that are between you and help you rebuild your marriage once again. But you have to bring it to HIM. That addiction that you’re hooked on doesn’t have to take over your life. The chains that bind you may be stronger than you are, but they are not stronger than Jesus. I know you’re overwhelmed with shame and guilt. I know you feel as if you’ve tried before, and yet you’re still addicted. The Enemy wants you to believe that this is your destiny, but he is wrong. The Doctor is IN! Humble yourself before The One who can do for you what you cannot do for yourself. Bring your shackles to Him and live in the healing and freedom that Christ can bring you.
Whoever you are, whatever your struggle, the Doctor is IN! Stop living on a path that is going to take your life and steal your soul. Let go of your pride. Let go of your fear. Humble your heart and kick your stubbornness to the curb. Healing can be yours. Freedom can be yours. A New Life can be yours. There IS medicine in Gilead. His name is Jesus. The Doctor is IN, and He is waiting for YOU! That’s God’s Word for you today.

I recently met with a young pastor who is dealing with some of the real-world challenges of leading people. He’s finding out what many of us have already discovered: Leadership is not for the faint of heart. Many people come from troubled backgrounds and bring all their baggage with them. Many of the “tools” you need to lead well are not given to you in your formal education. Especially when it comes to needing emotional intelligence, conflict resolution skills, and listening and mediation skills. It doesn’t take long in this complicated age for most pastors to realize they’re in over their heads.
But this isn’t unique to ministry. These are the same tools needed to have a successful marriage, to be a good parent, to be an effective teacher, or to be a good manager or supervisor. My guess is that most of us reading this today have found ourselves scratching our heads in dealing with people and not knowing what to do. Although we can’t solve all the issues and answer all the questions that arise today, let’s begin at the beginning. Start with the heart.
When God was speaking to His People about their future and how they could return to becoming the people He had called them to be, He made this promise in our passage today. “And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.” Yes, the people would need leaders who can problem-solve and prioritize. Yes, they would need leaders with organizational skills and management savvy. Yes, they would need leaders who would oversee and orchestrate the rebuilding of the city and the Temple. But what they needed more than anything were leaders who had a heart after God. Without that, all the skills in the world would be of little value because they’d end up right back in the same mess as before.
This is a critical lesson for all of us today. There are a lot of skills and tools that can help us in the situations we find ourselves in, but at the center of it all is an important question. “Do I have a heart after God?” Yes, some skills can help my marriage. But more than anything else, my wife needs me to be a man with a heart after God. Yes, communication skills and organizational skills will help me be a better leader. But do I have a heart after God? There are lots of techniques and tools that can really help us along the way to be better pastors, parents, leaders, teachers, spouses, and managers. But let’s not forget where the work really begins. I need the fullness of God living in me before He can live through me. All the skills in the world won’t matter if I don’t see people as He sees them, love people as He loves them, and care for people the way He cares for them. Good shepherding happens inside-out. It starts with the heart. That’s God’s Word for you today.

A couple of weeks ago, a 22-year-old man sadly fell to his death by going over the Nevada Falls in Yosemite National Park. The falls, which are fed by the Merced River, are nearly 600 feet tall. The rocks of the Merced are quite slippery and make it dangerous to venture into the water at all. So why don’t they warn people about the danger? They do! There are brightly marked signs in several languages warning people of the danger of going into the water. There’s even a drawing of a person going over the falls in case people can’t read. But still, several people through the years have died. Why? People ignore the signs.
Let’s lock in on a truth today that can help every single one of us. “You don’t have to make every mistake yourself.” When other people make choices that are destructive and hurt themselves and others, it should be a lesson for us. We see what they did or said. We see the results. How hard is it to say, “I don’t want that to happen for me, so I’m going to choose DIFFERENTLY”? Yet, for some reason, like the swimmers at Yosemite, we often ignore the signs.
That’s what God is pointing out in our passage today. Israel, God’s people in the north, are suffering dire consequences by ignoring God and choosing to follow other gods. They take themselves out from under God’s protection and care and end up defeated, ransacked, and taken away into exile. Judah, God’s people in the south, see this. But even after watching what happens to Israel, they do the exact same thing. They’re just like the swimmers who convince themselves that though other people have gone to their death, it’ll never happen to them. But it does.
God loved us so much that He not only gave us the victorious stories of people who followed Him in His Word. He gave us the tragic stories of those who chose to go their own way. He wants us to be wise enough not to have to learn every lesson by personal experience. Yes, learn from those who have chosen wisely and been blessed by their faithfulness and commitment. But learn also from those who have not chosen so well and guard yourself from those paths. You don’t have to make every mistake yourself. Learn and LIVE! That’s God’s Word for you today.

“Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.” – Philemon 1:7 (NLT)

Today we celebrate our 250th birthday of independence as a nation. We often forget how blessed we are as a country. In fact, hosting the World Cup soccer event here in the U.S. has made many from around the world appreciate this great country of ours. Simple things that we take for granted, like air conditioning, ice in our drinks, the variety of available eating places, and, of course, the beauty of our country and the ability to simply drive around and enjoy it. Our freedom is precious and sacred. Today is a good day to remember that.
But since we are celebrating freedom, maybe it’s a good day to celebrate the freedom that we can only find in Jesus Christ. Because that’s the most precious freedom of all! When I was in college, I had a T-shirt that had a silhouetted image of Jesus on the front with the words, “The Liberator.” On the back, it said, “I’m free!” One time when I had it on in a Burger King down the street from campus, someone in line behind me tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Free from what?” I turned and smiled and said, “Sin.”
Sin is the one thing we ALL need to be set free from, and Jesus is the only one who can do it. Think about it. Jesus set us free from the debt of sin. That’s why when Jesus died on the cross, He said, “It is finished.” That phrase literally meant, “Paid in full.” Jesus also sets us free from the penalty of sin. The Bible tells us that the penalty of sin is death, but God’s gift through Jesus is a New Life. Thank you, Jesus! Jesus also sets us free from the bondage of sin. Sometimes sin gets its hooks deep into us through addictions, attitudes, and patterns of behavior that hold us hostage. But Jesus can break those chains, remove those hooks. He is the True Higher Power we need! Jesus also frees us from the destructive nature of sin in our lives and relationships. As He forgives our sins, He also transforms our lives. We become the husbands and wives we’re supposed to be. We become the parents, friends, and workers we’re supposed to be. He changes how we talk to other people, treat other people, and forgive other people. Think for a moment what a mess your life would be without the gracious, transforming work that Christ does in us. He sets us free, not only from the messes we made, but also from the messes we WOULD HAVE MADE without Him!
So on this day that we celebrate freedom, thank God you live in a country that is free. But if you’ve accepted Christ as your Savior, thank Him, too, for the One who lives in you! He has given you a freedom no one else can. If you’ve not yet accepted Christ as your Savior, today would be a Great Day to do so. He’s the only one who can pay the debt, save you from the penalty, break the chains of your addiction, and help you live the life you truly want to live. Jesus said it Himself. “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” Amen, Lord Jesus. Amen! That’s God’s Word for you today.

There was a bizarre story in the news a couple of years ago. It seems there was a couple in Arkansas who were trying to trade their two-month-old child for a six-pack of beer. The receiving couple, who were concerned about the welfare of the child, agreed. The first couple then returned later and asked for a $1000 cashier’s check as well. They even wrote up a handwritten contract, which they signed. The receiving couple videoed the transaction and then promptly called the police. The first couple was arrested, and the child was placed in protective services.
Hard to believe, isn’t it? That people could trade something so precious as a baby that easily. But God points out in our passage today that we do that as well. Israel lost sight of their identity. They became so integrated in the culture of the land that they began to practice the religions of the people there. They traded their sacred relationship with God for worthless idols. And it broke God’s heart.
When I read the passage today, I realized that we do that along the way as well. How many of us have wanted so badly to be accepted by a particular group of people that we let THEM determine our worth instead of God? We even find ourselves saying things, doing things, and acting in ways that we know are not who God wants us to be. But we trade our God-given identity and favor with God for something as shallow and fleeting as the approval of people.
Or sometimes our “idol” is our desire to get ahead or to make more money. So, we cut corners we shouldn’t cut. We lie on our taxes or lie on our resumes. We take advantage of people and justify it by saying that if they’re that stupid, they NEED to be taken advantage of. I’ve seen families fighting over inheritance money from a deceased parent or grandparent and acting in ways that are anything but Christian. Money is an idol that can steal your soul. That’s why Jesus said, “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”
What’s your “idol”? What is it you tend to trade your identity in Christ for or compromise your integrity for? What is it that you find yourself justifying in your mind but feel convicted about in your heart? Don’t trade eternal reward for temporary pleasures. Don’t trade your soul for something that will never satisfy your deepest desires. And don’t trade your love for God for a love of stuff. A baby is worth more than all the beer in the world. And God is worth more than anything this world has to offer. No more idols. That’s God’s Word for you today.

Several years ago, I was on a trip for about a week and was getting ready to fly home. I called Wanda to check in and let her know what time I would be arriving. When she answered the phone, I could tell there was something different about her. She seemed more anxious to see me and excited about my coming home than usual. Then she told me why. She had been attending a conference that was about a 45-minute or so drive one way every day that week. Since she had a long drive both ways, she decided to listen to the cassette tapes that we used to send each other when we were in college.
Back then, there was no internet, cell phones, or computer video calls. So, for the two years we dated long distance, we sent letters, cards, and cassette tapes. We were deeply in love and couldn’t wait for the day when we could finally be together forever. Listening to those tapes stoked the fires of love in Wanda’s heart. Listening to her tell me about it rekindled the fires of love in me. I’m telling you, that plane couldn’t get me home fast enough!
God was reminding the Israelites of how passionately they used to love Him in our passage today. He compares them to a young bride who is head over heels in love with her groom. God missed those old days and tried to get them to remember them, too.
That’s what needs to happen for us in our walk with God as well. It’s so easy to fall into the routines of our walk of faith that we forget why we started that journey in the first place. Remember how amazed you were to discover how much God loved you? Remember how overwhelming it was to be washed clean by His grace? Remember how you couldn’t get enough of His Presence, enough of His Word, or enough of worshipping Him with all your heart? Maybe today is a good day to do what Wanda did. Reflect and remember how amazing it all was. And just maybe the Holy Spirit will rekindle that fire of love for God again in YOU! That’s God’s Word for you today.