relationships (Jeremiah 24:1-10) It's All About Our Hearts

(Jeremiah 24:1-10) 

After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken into exile Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the officials of Judah with the craftsmen and metalworkers from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me: behold, two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord. 2 One basket had very good figs, like first-ripe figs, and the other basket had very bad figs which could not be eaten due to rottenness. 3 Then the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “Figs: the good figs are very good, and the bad ones, very bad, which cannot be eaten due to rottenness.”

4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard as good the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans. 6 For I will set My eyes on them for good, and I will bring them back to this land; and I will build them up and not overthrow them, and I will plant them and not uproot them. 7 I will also give them a heart to know Me, for I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me wholeheartedly.

8 ‘But like the bad figs which cannot be eaten due to rottenness,’ indeed, this is what the Lord says, ‘so will I give up Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and the ones who live in the land of Egypt. 9 I will make them an object of terror and an evil for all the kingdoms of the earth, as a disgrace and a proverb, a taunt and a curse in all the places where I will scatter them. 10 And I will send the sword, the famine, and the plague upon them until they are eliminated from the land which I gave to them and their forefathers.’”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

How many times has God rescued Israel from captivity and helped them rebuild!  A few times, already!  And God will do so again in the future.  Israel will see the signs of Jesus' second coming and as a nation believe, then Jesus will rescue them (and all others who become believers during the Tribulation). and will take all of them into the Millennial kingdom.  As their King, Jesus will help Israel rebuild, fulfilling all covenants with them, while bringing peace and justice to all nations.  The Lord will build them up again into a nation of strength and peace.

Just like with a marriage, it's all about our hearts!  Giving ourselves wholly to our spouse, which should not be a choice driven by emotion, but a choice which includes a definitive, sincere and wholehearted action.  Out of that will come emotions, but our emotions and our fleshly desires should never drive us.  Just so, with the Lord, it's all about our hearts, and it's all about having a close, personal relationship with Him!  Then, the Lord will build us up in His strength and peace.

Being all-knowing, God knows when and who will turn to Him, believe in Him, and follow Him in a personal relationship.  As well, being ever so patient, God never gives up on those who will turn to Him and follow Him.  When we turn to Him, humbly and wholeheartedly, we will have a heart who knows the Lord personally!  And again, it is the Lord who will build us up, guide us, and help us in being fruitful!

relationships (Jeremiah 23:1-40) Truly Loving

(Jeremiah 23:1-40) 

“Woe to the shepherds who are causing the sheep of My pasture to perish and are scattering them!” declares the Lord. 2 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not been concerned about them; behold, I am going to call you to account for the evil of your deeds,” declares the Lord. 3 “Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

5   “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
     “When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch;
     And He will reign as king and act wisely 
     And do justice and righteousness in the land.
6   In His days Judah will be saved,
     And Israel will live securely;
     And this is His name by which He will be called,
     ‘The Lord Our Righteousness.’

7 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when they will no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought the sons of Israel up from the land of Egypt,’ 8 but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up and led the descendants of the household of Israel back from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will live on their own soil.”

9   As for the prophets:
     My heart is broken within me,
     All my bones tremble;
     I have become like a drunken man,
     And like a man overcome by wine,
     Because of the Lord 
     And because of His holy words.
10 For the land is full of adulterers;
     For the land mourns because of the curse.
     The pastures of the wilderness have dried up.
     Their course is evil 
     And their might is not right.
11 “For both prophet and priest are defiled;
     Even in My house I have found their wickedness,” declares the Lord.
12 “Therefore their way will be like slippery paths to them,
     They will be driven away into the gloom and fall down in it;
     For I will bring disaster upon them,
     The year of their punishment,” declares the Lord.

13 “Moreover, among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing:
     They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.
14 Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing:
     The committing of adultery and walking in deceit;
     And they strengthen the hands of evildoers,
     So that no one has turned back from his wickedness.
     All of them have become to Me like Sodom,
     And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.

15 Therefore this is what the Lord of armies says concerning the prophets:

     ‘Behold, I am going to feed them wormwood 
     And make them drink poisonous water,
     For from the prophets of Jerusalem 
     Ungodliness has spread into all the land.’”

16 This is what the Lord of armies says:
     “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you.
     They are leading you into futility;
     They tell a vision of their own imagination,
     Not from the mouth of the Lord.
17 They keep saying to those who despise Me,
     ‘The Lord has said, “You will have peace”’;
     And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart,
     They say, ‘Disaster will not come on you.’
18 But who has stood in the council of the Lord,
     That he should see and hear His word?
     Who has paid attention to His word and listened?
19 Behold, the storm of the Lord has gone forth in wrath,
     Even a whirling tempest;
     It will swirl down on the head of the wicked.
20 The anger of the Lord will not turn back 
     Until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart;
     In the last days you will clearly understand it.
21 I did not send these prophets,
     But they ran.
     I did not speak to them,
     But they prophesied.
22 But if they had stood in My council,
     Then they would have announced My words to My people,
     And would have turned them back from their evil way
     And from the evil of their deeds.

23 “Am I a God who is near,” declares the Lord,
     “And not a God far off?
24 Can a person hide himself in hiding places
     So that I do not see him?” declares the Lord.
     “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the Lord.

25 “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a dream, I had a dream!’ 26 How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, these prophets of the deceitfulness of their own heart, 27 who intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they report to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal? 28 The prophet who has a dream may report his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word truthfully. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the Lord. 29 “Is My word not like fire?” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock? 30 Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who steal My words from each other. 31 Behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the Lord, “who use their tongues and declare, ‘The Lord declares!’ 32 Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams,” declares the Lord, “and reported them and led My people astray by their lies and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them nor command them, nor do they provide this people the slightest benefit,” declares the Lord.

33 “Now when this people or the prophet or a priest asks you, saying, ‘What is the pronouncement of the Lord?’ then you shall say to them, ‘What pronouncement?’ The Lord declares, ‘I will abandon you.’ 34 Then as for the prophet or the priest or the people who say, ‘The pronouncement of the Lord,’ I will bring punishment upon that person and his household. 35 This is what each one of you will say to his neighbor and to his brother: ‘What has the Lord answered?’ or, ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 36 For you will no longer remember the pronouncement of the Lord, because every person’s own word will become the pronouncement, and you have perverted the words of the living God, the Lord of armies, our God. 37 This is what you will say to that prophet: ‘What has the Lord answered you?’ and, ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 38 And if you say, ‘The pronouncement of the Lord!’ for that reason the Lord says this: ‘Because you said this word, “The pronouncement of the Lord!” I have also sent word to you, saying, “You shall not say, ‘The pronouncement of the Lord!’”’ 39 Therefore behold, I will certainly forget you and thrust you away from My presence, along with the city which I gave you and your fathers. 40 I will put an everlasting disgrace on you and an everlasting humiliation which will not be forgotten.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

God will perform and carry out the purposes of His heart, with or without us.  He doesn't need anyone's help, and there isn't anyone who can stop Him.  But the loving Lord God wants us to go to Him to be saved, because He has given each of us purpose, for our own benefit as well as to give glory to the Lord.  While He doesn't need us, He does WANT us... He desires that all come to know Him personally.  As verse 23 says, He is near, because He is omnipresent, and He intentionally comes to us.  We just have to make a decision to reject Him, or accept Him into our lives!

Even though as Christians we will still struggle with sin, the Lord's grace protects us.  And even though we will still struggle with sin, He wants us to be part of His plan.  Because He is sovereign, nobody's sin (believers' or unbelievers') will thwart His plan.  But if one fights against God's plan, things will not go well for that person.  For the believer who serves God, in His plan and in His will, and in His wisdom and His strength, they will be blessed.  Therefore, we need to know what is God's will, and what is truth.

In society, from many different sects, religions, cults and people all around us, there are all sorts of proclamations of what is true and what are the many ways "to God".  These "truths" and "ways" are all created by people, and they contradict themselves as well as each other.  This one says this and that one says that - yet somehow, they are "all correct and good"?  (Oh, except these same people will say that Christianity is wrong!)  So which one to choose?  Which one is right?  How could there be any faith and confidence in any of it?  But all of these other religions are not worshipping the Lord God who created all things.  They are worshipping spirits, or manmade gods, or animals, nature, stars and planets that the Lord created...

Therefore, let's ask ourselves, what kind of God would He be if He contradicted Himself?  Therefore - our only source of Truth and the only authority of God is found in His own word, the Bible.  Throughout history, no one has been able to find any inconsistencies or contradictions within the Bible.  And so, within the infallible word of God, the Lord clearly gives us His plan, and His purposes, and the path, which He was provided.  As well, what kind of loving God would force anyone to love Him back?  What kind of loving God would remain completely mysterious?  And what kind of loving God would adopt someone as His child, but then leave them to wander around, blindly, without direction?

(John 14:6)  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.

relationships (Jeremiah 22:1-30) Love and Justice Work Together

(Jeremiah 22:1-30) 

This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and there speak this word, 2 and 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 This is what the Lord says: “Do justice and righteousness, and save one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. And 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 will indeed perform this instruction, then kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting in David’s place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, the king himself, 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 place of ruins.”’” 6 For this is what the Lord says 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 a wilderness,
     Cities that 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 this to this great city?’ 9 Then they will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.’”

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

11 For this is what the Lord says regarding Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of his father Josiah, who went out from this place: “He will never return there; 12 but in the place where they took him into exile, there he will die and he will not see this land again.

13 “Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness,
     And his upstairs rooms without justice,
     Who uses his neighbor’s services without pay 
     And does not give him his wages,
14 Who says, ‘I will build myself a large house 
     With spacious upstairs 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 your father not eat and drink 
     And do justice and righteousness?
     Then it was well for him.
16 He pled the cause of the afflicted and the poor,
     Then it was well.
     Is that not 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.”

18 Therefore this is what the Lord says regarding Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

     “They will not mourn for him:
     ‘Oh, my brother!’ or, ‘Oh, sister!’
     They will not mourn for him:
     ‘Oh, for the master!’ or, ‘Oh, 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 raise 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 way 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 certainly be ashamed and humiliated 
     Because of all your wickedness.
23 You who live in Lebanon,
     Nested in the cedars,
     How you will groan when sharp pains come on you,
     Pain like a woman in childbirth!

24 “As I live,” declares the Lord, “even if Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull you off; 25 and I will hand you over to those who are seeking your life, yes, to those of whom you are frightened, that is, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Chaldeans. 26 I will hurl you and your mother who gave birth to you into another country where you were not born, and there you will die. 27 But as for the land to which they long 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 This is what the Lord says:

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

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Here, God tells us that we should not mistreat or take advantage of the strangers, as well as the orphans and widows.  This does not mean that a country should "open their borders" to allow anyone and everyone to stream in, because God also tells us that we are to do justice and righteousness.  But, if criminals and terrorists are allowed to freely come in and out of a country, guess what?  They will take advantage of those who are wanting to come into the country.  There's a price that they require, in order to traffic them in.  But guess what?  Part way there, they stop and ask for more money.  If one cannot pay, they will have to work off their debt... by either working for the cartel, or being trafficked in forced labor and/or sex slavery.  Therefore, if one supports the idea of open borders, they support the idea of slavery.

We've even heard some of the politicians complain about the deportation of illegal immigrants.  In their hopes of coming across as concerned and caring, they say things like, "Our economy is going to collapse!"  "Who is going to take care of our children, clean our homes, do our yardwork..." etc.  Well, these are the very same things that plantation owners said, back when the GOP fought to free the slaves!  How much does one love money when it comes down to taking advantage of desperate people and getting cheap labor!  And there are hundreds of thousands of children being trafficked for sex and forced labor.  Is there no compassion and care for these victims?  How is this not upsetting?!

There is a right way to be an immigrant, and to safely come into our countries.  It not only protects the citizens, but it protects the immigrants themselves.  Most people are NOT against immigrants - IF - it is done the right way!!!  And then, we are to show love and kindness to those strangers, as well as the neighbors who are strangers only because we haven't gotten to know them yet.  As for those who are here illegally, we are still to show love and kindness, but that doesn't mean we support their illegal behavior.  Every country has border control and laws around why and how one enters it.  

If we look at verse 16, God explains that by in pleading the cause of the afflicted and poor, it is demonstrating that one knows the Lord in a personal relationship.  Doing good doesn't save us, but it proves that we have been saved.  Love and kindness, as well as justice and law enforcement, can and should go hand in hand.  With that, love needs to be directed and applied appropriately.  The issues above come out of the love for money!

Why Christianity is not a prosperity-name-it-and-claim-it kind of system-of-belief is because as a true believer in Jesus Christ, our focus will be on Him, and not on money.  The LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil.  This does not say that one cannot have wealth.  Notice in verse 21, God says that He warned Israel in their time of prosperity, but they would not listen.  They were prosperous because the Lord had blessed them, but then... because of their disobedience, God allowed them to lose everything.  It is typical that people will not see their need for God while they are "rich" and everything is going their way.  It is also typical for those who love money, to be jealous of others who seem to have more than them, and will even accuse them of being selfish, greedy and lacking in compassion, even if they are generous, compassionate and philanthropic.

In verses 3-4, the Israelites are told that - IF they do justice and righteousness - THEN they would prosper.  When we become Christians and live obediently in God's righteousness, He will bless us, but we do not know if it will be monetarily.  That is not what our hope should be fixed on.  What we do know is that we will have treasures in heaven, and for here, right now, the Lord will give us (at the very least) everything we NEED.  And even better, as we allow Him to work in our lives, He will give us His peace, joy and hope, and have access to His wisdom and strength.  

We can also be content in all things when we rely on and put our trust in the Lord.  I can tell you from experience that even though we lived at poverty level for several years and were not "well off" for many more... our kids never realized that we were "poor."  And even when we went through various sorrows and struggles, those were very wonderful "rich" years as we saw how God worked things out, which helped us mature in our walk and faith in the Lord!

relationships (Jeremiah 21:1-14) The Hug of Protection

(Jeremiah 21:1-14) 

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, saying, 2 “Please inquire of the Lord in our behalf, because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is making war against us; perhaps the Lord will deal with us in accordance with all His wonderful acts, so that the enemy will withdraw from us.”

3 But Jeremiah said to them, “You shall say to Zedekiah as follows: 4 ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: “Behold, I am going to turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you are making war against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall; and I will gather them into the middle of this city. 5 And I Myself will make war against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, and in anger, wrath, and great indignation. 6 I will also strike the inhabitants of this city, both the people and the animals; they will die of a great plague. 7 Then afterward,” declares the Lord, “I will hand Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people, that is, those who survive in this city from the plague, the sword, and the famine, over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to their enemies, and to those who seek their lives; and he will strike and kill them with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them nor have pity nor compassion.”’

8 “You shall also say to this people, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 Anyone who stays in this city will die by the sword, by famine, or by plague; but anyone who leaves and goes over to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live, and he will have his own life as plunder. 10 For I have set My face against this city for harm and not for good,” declares the Lord. “It will be handed over to the king of Babylon and he will burn it with fire.”’

11 “Then say to the household of the king of Judah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, 12 house of David, this is what the Lord says:

     “Administer justice every morning;
     And save the person who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor,
     So that My wrath will not spread like fire 
     And burn, with no one to extinguish it,
     Because of the evil of their deeds.

13 “Behold, I am against you, you inhabitant of the valley,
     You rocky plain,” declares the Lord,
     “You who say, ‘Who will come down against us?
     Or who will enter our dwellings?’
14 But I will punish you according to the results of your deeds,” declares the Lord,
     “And I will kindle a fire in its forest 
     So that it may devour all its surroundings.”’”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Some people have a problem with God having wrath, but if anyone wants justice, fairness, peace and safety, one has to have a sovereign authority.  And that authority needs to be fair, just, powerful, reasonable, and able to make that happen.  And the people need to cooperate within that system, and work together.  God tells us that we are to defend and protect the rights of the innocent, and the vulnerable, as well as to stand up for what is right.  God also tells us to respect those in authority and the laws of the land, and not let criminals get away with their crimes!

There's a disturbing trend happening in our North American countries.  Right now, there is a group, or groups, who are (in the name of "compassion" and "the law") protecting, defending and enabling the criminals and terrorists, but vilifying and fighting against the law and authority figures.  This defies all logic.  But in creating chaos, fear and hate, it's all about those leaders or want-to-be-leaders, desiring more money and control.  Their hope is that the people will see them as their only solution for peace and safety, and in that, they will be more than willing to just hand over the control and their hard-earned money.

Can you show me any communist country where all the people are free, happy and thriving, and do not experience fear?  Could communism work?  Yes, BUT only in a perfect world.  And we most certainly do NOT live in a perfect world!  It is interesting though, when things get really bad, that unbelievers will ask Christians to pray for them that things go well, but they refuse to go to the Lord themselves.  Do they feel the heat of God's fire and are afraid?  Yet, as they choose to avoid or run away from God, they run towards chaos, deception, destruction, death and an eternal fire.  

The truth to realize is that the only way to extinguish the fire that will burn against us is to humbly go to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness.  Verse 8 shows us that God is loving and wants a personal relationship with all people.  And so, He always gives us a choice, and one of them is always the way of life.  In becoming a Christian, we are not just saved from our own sins, we are saved from God's wrath.  And in this, we can run into the Lord's open arms of protection, compassion, healing, comfort, peace, joy and eternal life.

relationships (Jeremiah 20:1-18) True Love's Confidence

(Jeremiah 20:1-18) 

When Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief overseer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, 2 Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks that were at the upper Benjamin Gate, which was by the house of the Lord. 3 Then on the next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “Pashhur is not the name the Lord has called you, but rather Magor-missabib. 4 For this is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to make you a horror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will hand all Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will take them away as exiles to Babylon and will kill them with the sword. 5 I will also give all the wealth of this city, all its produce and all its valuable things—even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will hand over to their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away, and bring them to Babylon. 6 And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into captivity; and you will enter Babylon, and there you will die and there you will be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have falsely prophesied.’”

7   Lord, You persuaded me and I let myself be persuaded;
     You have overcome me and prevailed.
     I have become a laughingstock all day long;
     Everyone mocks me.
8   For each time I speak, I cry aloud;
     I proclaim violence and destruction,
     Because for me the word of the Lord has resulted 
     In taunting and derision all day long.
9   But if I say, “I will not remember Him
     Nor speak anymore in His name,”
     Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire 
     Shut up in my bones;
     And I am tired of holding it in,
     And I cannot endure it.
10 For I have heard the whispering of many,
     “Terror on every side!
     Denounce him; let’s denounce him!”
     All my trusted friends,
     Watching for my fall, say:
     “Perhaps he will be persuaded, so that we may prevail against him 
     And take our revenge on him.”
11 But the Lord is with me like a powerful champion;
     Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
     They will be put to great shame because they have failed,
     An everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.
12 Yet, Lord of armies, who tests the righteous,
     Who sees the mind and the heart;
     Let me see Your vengeance on them,
     For to You I have disclosed my cause.
13 Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord!
     For He has saved the soul of the needy one 
     From the hand of evildoers.

14 Cursed be the day when I was born;
     May the day when my mother gave birth to me not be blessed!
15 Cursed be the man who brought the news 
     To my father, saying,
     “A boy has been born to you!”
     And made him very happy.
16 But may that man be like the cities 
     Which the Lord overthrew without relenting,
     And may he hear an outcry in the morning
     And an alarm for war at noon;
17 Because he did not kill me before birth,
     So that my mother would have been my grave,
     And her womb forever pregnant.
18 Why did I ever come out of the womb
     To look at trouble and sorrow,
     So that my days have been spent in shame?

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

In a weak moment, a believer could be persuaded to stray away from God.  But understand that unbelievers do not care about us, they just want to bring us down and have things go their own way.  It helps for us to know and remember that there will be suffering no matter which side we choose.  Rather choose to continue allowing God to persuade us, because God does care for us, very much so.  

While we will suffer for the sake of the gospel, for God to have His way in us is the most excellent thing.  No matter what we are going through or what we will go through, as we continue to draw closer to the Lord in a personal relationship, we will experience His strength, peace and joy.  And as He promises to look after us, since He is just and fair, love, and all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere present, we can be very confident in Him and His plans for us!

Romans 8:28   And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.