Jeremiah 14:1

 Jeremiah 14:1 says, The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth.  God's word came to Jeremiah, and it was about the coming suffering of the people of Judah because of their failure to keep their covenant with Him.  Verse two adds, Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.  God said that the people of Judah were going to be mourning because Jerusalem was going to be left desolate.  They would be mourning not for their sin though, but for the loss of material blessings.  If we find ourselves suffering today we need to make sure that we have examined our live and have no unconfessed sin in it, and we should mourn more for the loss of a close spiritual relationship with God more than we do for the loss of any material blessing.  Verse three states,  And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.  The nobles sent their little ones, most likely referring to their own children instead of the servants they would have once sent, to get water but they found none.  The nobles themselves still did not go.  If we find our self spiritually thirsty, we must go our self to the source of the Living Water.  We cannot send someone else for us.  Verse four adds,  Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads.  God said the earth would be chapped, or extremely dry, because of the sins of the people.  Sin corrupts everything, even if people do not want to admit it.  Verse five declares, Yea, the hind also calved in the field, and forsook it, because there was no grass.  Cows would desert their new born claves, because there was no grass to eat.  Verse six adds, And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass.  Even the wild donkeys, who usually could find enough to eat, would be left without enough grass for a meal.  The people of Judah were still denying that they were going to have hard times come to them, but God told Jeremiah to tell them that the hard times were indeed coming.  We as Christians need to make sure that we do not allow material blessings to become the standard for proving that we are following God's will.  Verse seven declares, O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.  Jeremiah prayed for the people as they should have prayed for themselves.  He acknowledged their sins and asked for God's mercy.  We cannot attain forgiveness for the sins of others, but we can pray for them and that they will ultimately ask for forgiveness themselves.  Verse eight adds, O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?  Jeremiah acknowledged the fact that God was the only One Who could save them, just as we must today.  Verse nine continues, Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.  Jeremiah said that God was in the midst of them, who were called by His name.  It is not enough to be called by God's name and to realize that He is in our midst if we do not obey His word.  Verse ten states, Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.  God answered Jeremiah by stating that those who were called His people no longer followed Him.  It is not enough to be God's people in name alone and not follow His commandments.  Follow the commandments does not save us, but following God's commandments is a requirement to show our love and obedience to Him.  Verse eleven adds, Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good.  God told Jeremiah to no longer pray for the people of Judah.  We need to pray that we as a nation or even individually never reach the point of having God say that prayers for us will do no good because it is too late.

 Today we come to the end of 2020, which has been a very strange year.  A lot that was normal was changed by a virus so small that it can not be seen, but is very real.  What we must realize is that as followers of Christ, we are protected by a God Who may not be seen by the human eye but Who is very real.  By the end of the year, there were vaccines developed that help protect people against the virus, and God has always had vaccine to protect us from sin, and that is the acceptance of Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  The vaccines are not one hundred percent effective, but faith in Christ is.  The vaccine is not yet available to all, but salvation is.  Some  people have said they will die fighting against taking the vaccine, and some people say that they will die fighting against accepting God's gift of salvation.  I pray for everyone who survived 2020 and that 2021 will be a better year, but no matter what, I pray that you will realize that God is still God, and that if you are a follower of Christ that no matter what happens in the coming year that everything will be okay.  

Jeremiah 13:1

 Jeremiah 13:1 says, Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.  God told Jeremiah to go and put on a linen girdle. Matthew Henry says that it being unwashed would make it last longer, but that it would be stiffer.  Verse two states, So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins.  Jeremiah said that he did what God instructed him to do, even though he may not have known why he was told to do so.  We don't have to understand everything that God tells us to do, but we only need to do it.  Verse three says, And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, Then verse four adds, Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.  Matthew Henry says that some people believe that this was not a literal journey but a dream that Jeremiah had since it would have taken time to go to the Euphrates and Jeremiah was needed more where he was.  He also said that he had no problem with believing that it was a literal journey, and that would be my understanding as well.  The Bible usually tells us when someone is doing something in a dream, and we will never lack the time to do what God tells us to do.  Verse five says, So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.  Jeremiah said that he went and did as God had instructed him to do, hiding the girdle under a rock by the Euphrates.  As followers of Christ, we may not always understand why God tells us to do something, but if we know it is Him that is telling us to do it, we must simply obey His command.  Verse six states, And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there.  After many days, and we are not told how many, the word of God came to Jeremiah again, telling him to go and reclaim the girdle from the Euphrates.  We are not told what Jeremiah was doing during these many days, but I don't believe that he was just sitting around idle.  Verse seven states, Then I went to Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing.  Jeremiah said that he went and dug up the girdle from where he had hidden it and that it was useless.  He might have really wondered why God had told him to do these things, but we find no record of that.  We should not question God but should only be obedient to what He tells us to do, even if we don't immediately understand why He has told us to do so.  Verse eight declares, Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,  Then verse nine adds, Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.  God told Jeremiah that the marred girdle was representative of the people of Judah.  They had become marred in their relationship with God and were useless to Him.  Verse ten continues, This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing.  God once more stated why the people of Judah were going to be defeated.  They had started to walk after their own imagination instead of following God and were not only doing that but were worshipping other gods as well.  Like the girdle, they had become good for nothing to God.  Verse eleven concludes, For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.  God said that the people of Judah were supposed to cleave to Him, but they were not doing so.  As followers of Christ, we are to hold fast to the word of God, and if we do not, then we become worthless in our spiritual life.

Jeremiah 13:12

Jeremiah 13:12 says, Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?  Jeremiah told the people that their bottles would be full of wine, and the people answered that they knew that, but basically said so what.  Matthew Henry said that they were sure that Jeremiah meant something more than just the physical act their having bottles full of wine.  When God speaks to us, we must look beyond just the words and see the message that He has for us.  Verse thirteen declares, Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David’s throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.  God told Jeremiah that he was to fill all the inhabitants of the land with drunkenness,  I don't believe that this means that God was going to cause them to be drunk, but that it means He was going to allow them to go on in their drunkenness.  Verse fourteen adds, And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.  God said He was no longer going to pity or have mercy on the people of Judah but was going to destroy them.  Without God's protection and mercy, we can only be destroyed spiritually, even if we are prospering materially.  Verse fifteen proclaims, Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken.  God told Jeremiah to hear what He had to say and to not let self pride get in the way.  Some people are so full of self pride that they never allow themselves to believe in the word of God.  Verse sixteen adds, Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.  God told the people to look to the light of God before He allowed the world to turn into total darkness.  If we do not listen to the word of God, we will always stagger around in the darkness of sin.  Verse seventeen continues, But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD’s flock is carried away captive.  God said that if the people of Judah would not listen to His word that He would be heartbroken, because they would be carried away captive.  God does not want anyone to be lost from His flock, but even if He is heartbroken when they are, He still allows people to refuse to follow Him if they choose to do so.  Verse eighteen states, Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.  God called on the leaders of the nation to humble themselves, and we need that same humility before God in our leaders today, and not just lip service to the word of God.  Of course, this applies not just to the leaders but to all who are called by God's name.  Verse nineteen declares, The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.  God said that all of Judah was to be carried away captive, and anyone who does not put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord today will be carried away in the captivity of sin.  Verse twenty declares, Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?  The people of Judah were warned to look to the coming destruction and then to realize that when it came that they would have lost everything.  Verse twenty-one adds, What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail?  God asked what could the people say since they had brought His judgment on themselves.  We will be without excuse if we face God in the judgment without Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty=two continues, And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare.  God said that the people of Judah would ask why this judgment had come on them, because they were blind to their own sins.  Verse twenty-three states, Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.  God said that just as people and animals were unable to change their appearance, so were the people of Judah unable to change their sinful nature because they refused to listen to and obey God's word.  We likewise cannot change our sinful nature by our own ability, but can only do so by putting our faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty-four declares, Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.  God said that He was going to scatter the people of Judah like stubble before the wind.  Verse twenty-five adds, This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.  God said this was what the people of Judah had earned because they had turned away from Him and trusted in falsehoods.  We either believe in the truth of God and accept His salvation or we too will be sent away from Him into everlasting punishment.  Verse twenty-six continues, Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear.  Verse twenty-seven concludes, I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?  God said that the sins of Judah were not hidden to Him, and asked why thy would not be made clean.  God today knows the sins of each individual, and He asks why each one would not be made clean.  God has given the great gift of salvation to everyone who will accept it, so the question is why will we not be made clean by putting our faith in Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 15:1

 Jeremiah 15:1 says, Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.  God said that the people of Judah had reached the point that no one had the power to convince Him to spare them.  He did not say that had the people honestly repented that He would not forgive them, but that someone else, even someone like Moses or Samuel, could not change His mind by pleading for them.  We cannot be saved simply by others pleading for us, but must confess our sins and accept forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse two adds,  And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.  God told Jeremiah that if the people asked him where they were to go that he was to tell them that some would simply die, some would be killed by the sword, some would starve, and some would be taken captive.  Verse three continues, And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy.  Even in death, things were not going to be good for the people of Judah.  Verse four states, And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.  God said because of the sins of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, that the people of Judah were to be scattered into all the earth.  Of course, they were not all being punished for the sins of one man I believe, but his actions were indictive of the sinful nature of all the people.  Verse five asks, For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?  None of the other nations were going to have pity on the people of Judah or Jerusalem, and since God no longer had pity on them, then who would.  If we are not following God then there is no one who will really care for us in a way that will make a difference in our spiritual destination.  If God condemns us, then no one else can save us.  Verse six declares, Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.  God said what was about to happen to the people of Judah was because of the fact that they had forsaken Him and gone backward spiritually.  The fault was with the people and not with God.  We can never blame God if we find ourselves in a bad situation spiritually.  Verse seven adds, And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children, I will destroy my people, since they return not from their ways. Verse eight states, Their widows are increased to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noonday: I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city.  Judgment was coming quickly and certainly.  Even the children, the hope of the next generation, would be cut off.  Verse nine adds, She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD.  Already made widows, the women would even be deprived of the protection of their sons.  When we turn our back on God and He sends His judgment, there is nowhere that we can find relief. 

Jeremiah 12:10

 Jeremiah 12:10 says, Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.  God said that pastors had destroyed His vineyard and had trodden His portion underfoot.  Those who should have been doing all they could to promote the kingdom of God, which He still valued greatly, were instead promoting idols.  God still values His creation today, and we as His people should be doing all that we can to protect it, and especially His word.  Verse eleven states, They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.  God told Jeremiah that the whole land was made desolate and that the people of Judah did not care.  When God created man, He placed him and his helpmate in charge of caring for the earth.  We have as our greatest responsibility the calling of people to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, but we are to do so because we are followers of Christ, and as such we have a responsibility to take care of God's creation as well. Verse twelve adds, The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.  God said because of the disobedience of God's people that the spoiler was come upon them.  We should not be surprised if God allows destruction to come on our land if we turn away from Him.  Verse thirteen says, They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD.  God said that the people had gone through the effort of planting but they would not profit by it.  We may put a lot of effort into the things of this world, but if we are not living in accordance with the will of God, we will not profit from it in the way that it matters, which is in God's view, no matter how much we may gain in this world.  Some people spend every free moment working for the things of this world and never have time for God, but ultimately they will be left with nothing.  Verse fourteen says, Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.  God had a warning for those who would come against His people, even if He was not pleased with His people.  God will always be against those who are not for Him, especially those who would attempt to destroy His people.  Verse fifteen declares, And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.  God said that He would come again and pluck those that were truly His people out of captivity and return them to their heritage and their land.  As followers of Christ, God has plucked us out of the captivity of sin and brought us into our heritage, which is a right relationship with God and the coming time when we will be brought to our heavenly home.  Verse sixteen adds,  And it shall come to pass,  they will diligently learn the ways of  my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people.  God said that if those who would destroy His people would learn to call on Him as they had taught His people to call on Baal that they would be built up in the midst of His people.  God never intended for the people of Israel to be the only people who would be a part of His kingdom, which is very good for us today who were not born into the Jewish people.  Verse seventeen warns, But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.  Those who would not put their faith in God would be utterly destroyed, and this is still true.

Jeremiah 12:1

 Jeremiah 12:1 says, Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?  Jeremiah begins by acknowledging the righteousness of God, and so should we when we speak to Him in prayer.  Whatever is happening in the world is not going to change the righteousness of God.  Jeremiah did not come to God making demands, but came pleading to Him.  He had valid questions about why it seemed that the wicked prospered, and we may ask the same question today, but we cannot do so while blaming God for treating us unfairly.  Verse two adds, Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.  Jeremiah said that God had planted the people of Judah, but that they had not taken root, or grown in the ways that they should as His people.  He said they only paid lip service to God.  Many people today profess to believe God, but their actions are not consistent with their words.  Verse three declares, But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.  Jeremiah said that God knew him and his heart.  God knows us better than we even know ourselves.  Jeremiah asked God to punish the wicked.  This is never our call to make, but we must simply put our faith in the fact that one day God will punish the wicked.  Verse four asks, How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.  Jeremiah asked God how long the land would suffer because of the sins of the people of Judah.  When those who profess to be God's people turn away from His will, then we should not be surprised if the whole land suffers.  Verse five declares, If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?  God gave Jeremiah his answer by asking if he couldn't even run with the footmen then how could he run with the horses.  In other words, if Jeremiah could not hold strong in the smaller problems, then how would he be strong when the bigger ones came.  Our faith in God should be strong enough to keep us true to God in the small problems, and if we question God then, how are we going to do when the really big problems come long.  Verse six adds, For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.  Jeremiah was warned to beware of those who professed to be his brothers but rally persecuted him for what he was saying.  Verse seven declares, I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.  God told Jeremiah that He had forsaken His people because they had forsaken Him and started worshipping other gods.  God will never just arbitrarily abandon us, but if we abandon Him we should not expect to still have His protective hand on us.  Verse eight adds, Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it.  Those that were supposed to be the sheep of God's pasture had instead turned into ravenous lions, and God said He hated that.  Verse nine continues, Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.  God's chosen people had become a group who fought against each other and destroyed each other.  If we are truly one of God's people, we cannot be fighting against each other, and we certainly cannot be fighting against God's word and hope to be successful in our relationship to Him.