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Jeremiah 14-16, Psalm 76, 2 Corinthians 13

When was the last time you were on an airplane?  Were you afraid?  Of course not.  That is probably because the risk is so very low.  In fact, the International Air Transport Association documents just one accident for every 2.1 million flights.  That’s a great record!  It does not come by accident.  That jumbo jet that took you safely to the beach was subject to very careful examination.  The most basic happens every 500 flight hours.  Then, it gets a little more detailed every 18 months, and finally, every 4-5 years, experts examine every fastener, nut, wire, hinge, and component.  Each of these parts must be tested to ensure its quality, durability, and ability to perform the operation it was designed for.

Obviously, Paul knew nothing about inspecting airplanes.  He did, however, know a think or two about our hearts.  These need examination, too, he says.  “Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5).  What exactly are we examining?  Everything.  That includes our actions and behaviors, thoughts, mindsets, relationships, possessions, desires, and our health.  Examination is not enough though.  We must also test.  Inevitably, we will find things that do not fit with our faith.  These need to be repaired, maintained, or fully replaced.  Many things, we hope, will pass the test.  These are the ones that provide proof, first-hand evidence, that Jesus is in you.

Sure, testing and examination is tough, scary work.  But it is worth it.  Done right, we will safely arrive at our final destination.  We might even enjoy the ride.

A friend was recently speaking metaphorically about the manufacturing business and comparing it to the production of wine (where a business needs investments to run, grow, and continue to be relevant and profitable for a long period of time). To make wine you need seeds for the grapes, fertile soil, sunlight, water, attention to the vines, machinery, and a lot of equipment to store and ferment the juice until it is ready to be bottled. People are also needed for the care of the vineyard, harvesting the grapes, and executing all the various processes to ensure a successful (and delicious) final product. There’s also marketing, distribution, financial management, and much more. Without any of the necessary “ingredients,” there can be no success in the wine business.

That description has one important thing missing. Our sustainer, God almighty. Without his provisions, without the life he breathes into us, without his blessing, there is nothingness.

Today’s reading: Jeremiah 8-10; 2 Corinthians 11

Jeremiah 8:4-12 talks about false prophets, the sin of man, and God’s brewing anger. To paraphrase the sins (from the NLT version) we:

• Are even more sinful as we don’t turn away from our sins (v.4)
• Cling to our lies (v.5)
• Lie about everything and have no remorse (v.6)
• Do not know the Lord’s laws (v.7)
• Write lies about God’s word (v.8)
• Reject the word of the Lord (v.9)
• Are greedy and fraudulent (v.10)
• Superficially respond instead of being peaceful (v.11)
• Are unashamed of our sin (v.12)

As a result of these sins, God promises his judgment:

I will surely consume them.
There will be no more harvests of figs and grapes.
Their fruit trees will all die.
Whatever I gave them will soon be gone.
I, the Lord, have spoken!’ (Jeremiah 8:13)

I take too much for granted and am guilty of returning to the same sins over and over so this is a stark reminder of God our sustainer (everything good that we have comes from him) and that God’s anger and punishment are real.

Just one sin separates us from God, and therefore he has every right to punish us and take things away. Our sins put us into voluntary bondage and leave us with feelings of guilt and shame. Whether we admit it or not, there’s still that soft voice letting us know we are in the wrong.

What then shall we do?

1. Ask God to reveal our sins so that we can confess (telling him what he already knows to be true). Fill our hearts with gratitude for God’s love for us and what he has done and continues to do with us. Put all our hope and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to the Holy Spirit speak to us and reveal a way out from our sin.
2. Stop sinning, stop trying to do it on our own, and put every situation in our lives through the lens of God’s word (The Bible). Therefore, don’t put up with false teaching. False teaching is anything that doesn’t align with God’s word. The early Christians were prone to this, and we can be as well if we are not careful. ^“You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.” – 2 Corinthians 11:4)
3. Watch out for Satan’s deceit as he is the ruler of lies. He loves to twist just the smallest of facts to lure us away slowly but surely from God. “But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)

Don’t lose hope or heart! Our God is the same today as he has ever been. He loves us more than we can comprehend, and with each new day, we have the opportunity to know him better, to become more like his son Jesus (through trust and obedience), to share him, and ultimately spend eternity with him. The more we fill our lives with God’s truth and light, the less room for sin. How will you choose today?

Jeremiah 1-4, Psalm 130, 2 Corinthians 9

They did not say, Where is the Lord?  Jeremiah 2:6 (ESV)

It is easy in our grief, challenges, and wantonness to ask, ‘where is the Lord?’  These are opportunities to cry out, chances to seek a power greater than what we can attain on our own in this world.  The question comes in the most dire of circumstances.  Sometimes.  But what if it doesn’t come?

It happens more than you think.  We grumble and complain about our lives but do not ask, ‘Where is the Lord.’  We wander in the mire of broken relationships and ruined circumstances but refuse to inquire ‘where is the Lord?’

Perhaps your life is different.  Maybe you have riches and influence.  You live in the land of fruitfulness and bounty, but you still do not ask, ‘where is the Lord?’  You choose, instead, to ignore Him and waste your time on worthless idols.

Today, whethere in want, or in plenty, there is one thing that can satisfy our deepest longing and our greatest need.  That is to know right here, right now, in these circumstances, ‘where is the lord?’

From the time we wake up until the moment we fall asleep, there is decision after decision to be made. There is a question we all live out, including what we will do in the next 24 hours.

The world offers plenty of options.  I can reach for my phone, go to the fridge, work out, turn on t.v., cater to my kids, the list can go on and on, looking different for each of us.

Today’s Reading: 2 Corinthians 8,

⁸ I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.

Today, test the sincerity of your heart.  Where will you put your time, mind, heart, actions, and words? Paul was reminding the Corinthians and us to

7.  excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you^[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

Sadly this test I have and will fail over and over again. I am so grateful for His grace.  I pray that I look to Him every day from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep.  Even though the world may paint the picture that we serve ourselves, I pray for the heart and sincerity to love others.  To point everyone to God, who sent His son to die for us all to walk in the grace provided to me today.

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

 

2 Kings 21, 2 Chronicles 33, Psalm 71, 2 Corinthians 3

There is something odd about reading 2 Kings vs 2 Chronicles today.  Both are an account of King Manasseh, but they are different.  In reading 2 Kings, you would believe that all hope is lost.  Manasseh was full of evil.  The account in 2 Kings mentions mass murder, then his death.  You would think that this is the story of another hopeless king.  But that is not true, 2 Chronicles tells the rest of the story.

As we see in 2 Chronicles, Manasseh’s evil has consequences.  The Lord allowed him to be captured, bound with chains and taken to Babylon. This should have been the end for him, but it wasn’t.  Instead, Manasseh does a curious thing.  He repents.

But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the Lord his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors.  2 Chronicles 33:12 (NLT)

The best part of the story comes next.  How exactly would you expect God to handle an evil, mass-murdering leader?

And when he prayed, the Lord listened to him and was moved by his request. So the Lord brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh finally realized that the Lord alone is God!  2 Chronicles 33:13 (NLT)

That’s one powerful prayer! We don’t learn much about it from 2 Chronicles, except that Manasseh turned to God, humbly.  I imagine that much of his prayer mirrored that of David’s from Psalm 71.  Consider the first five verses:

O Lord, I have come to you for protection;

don’t let me be disgraced.

Save me and rescue me,

for you do what is right.

Turn your ear to listen to me,

and set me free.

Be my rock of safety

where I can always hide.

Give the order to save me,

for you are my rock and my fortress.

My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked,

from the clutches of cruel oppressors.

O Lord, you alone are my hope.

My cynical heart wonders what Manasseh’s response had been if God had chosen not to return him to Jerusalem.  Would he have remained faithful?  That thinking is a dark path that fails to trust in who God is.

 Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.  Deuteronomy 7:9 (NLT)

1,000 generations.  Chat GPT estimates that at 20,000 years.  Jesus promises that it is much longer.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39 (ESV)