DAY 24
DATE: 1/24/2013
Good Morning! My name is Andrew Knox and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of Jeremiah chapters 1 and 2.
KEY VERSES:
2:11 Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit.
12 Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.
13 For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.
REFLECTIONS:
Jeremiah was a man with a very hard job! For a little background, God’s revelations to him took place towards the end of the period when kings who were descended from David ruled in Jerusalem. His preaching began during the time of godly king Josiah, but went through the reigns of Josiah’s wicked sons and the beginning of Israel’s captivity in Babylon. Basically, God wanted Jeremiah to proclaim a last warning and judgment upon the wayward people of Israel. Do you think that message was popular and well-received? As it is today, a proclamation of judgment on sin was not welcomed! But Jeremiah 1 has some amazing promises of protection which can be a comfort to those who stand for God’s way even today, because our God is the same! Jeremiah 1:2, 18, and 19 show God’s commitment to caring for Jeremiah, and for us when we stand for truth.
However, I want to focus on chapter 2:11-13. God’s message concerning the sins of His people gets right to the point. God says (incredulously, in my opinion) “have you changed your God(s), to something which is obviously not a god?” God’s people have substituted their glory, their biggest advantage for something with no profit! The only possible reaction for people in that sorry state is to be horribly afraid and desolate. Specifically, God’s people have taken a never-dry fountain and replaced it with a broken, leaky fountain that holds no water. Why would someone ever do that, especially in the context of the dry Middle East where water is always at a premium?
APPLICATION:
I believe that is exactly the question God wants us today to ask ourselves. Why do I replace the life-giving truth of His word with my own fears, opinions, and temporary entertainment? Don’t I know my “cistern” will leak if it’s based on those things? We can see people all around us who have made decisions to base their life on instant pleasure or worldly wisdom, and we know they are desolate spiritually! May each of us daily turn to the only fountain that will not run dry.
Thank you for being a part of the Route 66 Challenge. Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!
In Christ,
Andrew Knox
WHEN YOU GOT SAVED: 6 years old
FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE: Habakkuk 3:17-19
OCCUPATION: Grad student at Valparaiso University
MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT AT VBC: Impact Youth
DREAM VACATION: Tibet
HOBBIES: Basketball, traveling