Category: More Than Bread

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JEREMIAH 39:1-41:18 | 2 TIMOTHY 1:1-18 | PSALM 90:1-91:16 | PROVERBS 26:1-2

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The day has come that was long prophesied by Jeremiah. 

Nebuchadnezzar routs the city of Jerusalem, and carries back to Babylon the treasures of the city, including the people worth taking.  These include King Zedekiah, his sons, and the nobles.  All of these meet a most horrendous end, but it is interesting to see what happens to Jeremiah.  Nebuchadnezzar gives instructions that Jeremiah, the crazy prophet—for that was his reputation far and wide—be  freed. 

The Babylonian general who seeks out Jeremiah tells him this:  “The LORD your God decreed this disaster for this place. ³ And now the LORD has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because your people sinned against the LORD and did not obey him. ⁴ But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.” ⁵ However, before Jeremiah turned to go,Nebuzaradan added, “Go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the towns of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please.”

And so, Jeremiah does go back to Gedaliah who has actually been appointed governor over Judah by Nebuchadnezzar himself.  The idea was that this puppet governor would tend to the affairs of this raped and pillaged land while the best of the loot and the people would be taken into captivity back to Babylon. 

But what happens next is what has frequently happened in the affairs of human events.  There is an uprising from within, and Gedaliah is assassinated.  There is no restoration of power or stability to the land of Judah.  Instead, there is a fast exodus to Egypt in order to flee the wrath of the Babylonians.

It is to be seen how this will all turn out.

We now turn to our New Testament reading of the day, and embark upon a new book titled Second Timothy, which is the second epistle or letter written by Paul to his much younger friend and colleague, Timothy.  Paul writes to Timothy like a father would to a son. 

He says to him affectionately, ⁴ Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. ⁵ I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

Paul continues to impart insight and instruction to Timothy.  He says:  ⁷ For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. ⁸ So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. ⁹ He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, ¹⁰ but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. ¹¹ And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. ¹² That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.¹³ What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Paul’s style of writing to Timothy is a little different from his other letters to the churches he has planted in Asia Minor and across the region.  While his exhortations to all remain steadfast, with Timothy, he is more personal, and writes about various people by name—citing them in his remembrances.

We turn now to our reading of the Psalms, and find one that David must have written in a most contrite spirit.  Acknowledging the omnipotence of the Almighty is a sure way to demonstrate humility, and David does not lack on this front.  His words, however, are timeless in their ability to allow for reflection no matter the reader. 

It would, in fact, behoove us to adopt an identical spirit to David’s in our meditation of his words.  David says:

⁷ We are consumed by your anger
and terrified by your indignation.
⁸ You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.
⁹ All our days pass away under your wrath;
we finish our years with a moan.
¹⁰ Our days may come to seventy years,
or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
¹¹ If only we knew the power of your anger!
Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.
¹² Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

And then, in his classic manner of contriteness, David asks for the Lord’s favor.  He writes:

¹³ Relent, LORD! How long will it be?
Have compassion on your servants.
¹⁴ Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
¹⁵ Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen trouble.
¹⁶ May your deeds be shown to your servants,
your splendor to their children.

¹⁷ May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands.

Today’s reading also includes Psalm 91 in its entirety, a psalm that I have had committed to memory since my childhood, thanks to my mother.  I reproduce it here in the King James Version which is how I learned it:

¹He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

 ²I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

 ³Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

 ⁴He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

 ⁵Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

 ⁶Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

 ⁷A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

 ⁸Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

 ⁹Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

 ¹⁰There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

 ¹¹For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

 ¹²They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

 ¹³Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

 ¹⁴Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

 ¹⁵He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

 ¹⁶With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Finally, two verses from the book of Proverbs, authored by Solomon, wise king of Israel.  Concerning two concepts of honor and disgrace, both are worthy of record and rumination:

¹  Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
honor is not fitting for a fool. 

² Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
an undeserved curse does not come to rest.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

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JEREMIAH 37:1-38:28 | 1 TIMOTHY 6:1-21 | PSALM 89:38-52 | PROVERBS 25:28

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Jeremiah doesn’t say the things that the people wish to hear, and the result of this is that the people make it quite clear that they don’t like what he has to say! 

At first, Zedekiah, the king at the time, appears to wish to heed the word of the Lord via Jeremiah, but after Jeremiah tells Zedekiah that the Babylonians will be back, Jeremiah is falsely charged of attempting to defect to the Babylonians himself and is soon arrested and thrown into prison. 

But Jeremiah doesn’t let up even in prison, and continues with the same prophecies.

The people are outraged even more, and with the king’s consent, they forcibly put Jeremiah into a cistern and lower it into an empty well—the idea being that he would starve to death.  But the Lord has other plans for Jeremiah, and soon, the king is informed of the exact fate of Jeremiah, and before long, Zedekiah seems to have a change of heart and Jeremiah is pulled up from the well.  Jeremiah tells the king everything that he is instructed by the Lord. 

Jerusalem will soon fall, but Zedekiah is now fully aware and convinced of the things to come.

We now turn to our reading of Paul’s first letter to Timothy.  Paul starts out by giving advice concerning the right attitude and temperament of slaves toward their masters.  We will see elsewhere how Paul sends a runaway slave back to his master because it was the right thing to do, and as per the norms of the times, Paul is careful to be a law-abiding citizen.  But despite these societal norms, Paul doesn’t lose sight of the greater connection that each person has one to another—when the love of Christ binds two people together, they are fellow-brothers and sisters in Christ.

Furthermore, Paul goes on to give Timothy more advice on the proper way to conduct oneself in all occasions, and warns against engaging in useless banter and such. 

He says:  ³ If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, ⁴ they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions ⁵ and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. ⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸ But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. ⁹ Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

And then, he states one of the most oft-quoted lines regarding money.  It is the love of money, mind you, not money itself that is the root of all evil.  Paul says:  ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Paul then prepares to end the letter with these final exhortations.  I reproduce these verses in their entirety as they are worthy of careful review and application to each person who is serious in their desire to live the “Christian” life.

Paul says to Timothy:  ¹¹ But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you ¹⁴ to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸

Paul continues:  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. ¹⁹ In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.  ²⁰ Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, ²¹ which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.  Grace be with you all.

We turn now to our reading of the Psalms, and find one that David must have written in his darkest hour.  He pleads with God to remember his “former great love” for him.  We have all most likely felt this way at some time in our lives as well.  David says:

⁴⁶ How long, LORD? Will you hide yourself forever?
How long will your wrath burn like fire?
⁴⁷ Remember how fleeting is my life.
For what futility you have created all humanity!
⁴⁸ Who can live and not see death,
or who can escape the power of the grave?
⁴⁹ Lord, where is your former great love,
which in your faithfulness you swore to David?

Finally, a verse from the book of Proverbs that offers a sharp visual of a person lacking an important quality.  Solomon, wise king of Israel, says:

²⁸ Like a city whose walls are broken through
is a person who lacks self-control.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

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JEREMIAH 33:1-34:22 | 1 TIMOTHY 4:1-16 | PSALM 89:1-13 | PROVERBS 25:23-24

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Jeremiah has already prophesied at length about the fortunes—or the lack of it—of Jerusalem, and he receives yet again another vision in which the Lord reveals to him a promise of restoration. 

The Lord says:  ⁶ “‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. ⁷ I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. ⁸ I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. ⁹ Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’

There is much to look forward to.  Jeremiah tells them: ¹⁰ “This is what the LORD says: ‘You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.” Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more ¹¹ the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD, saying,

   “Give thanks to the LORD Almighty,
for the LORD is good;
his love endures forever.”

   For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before.

If it can be said any better or any differently, God is prepared to do it, and this is what we read next.

Jeremiah says:  ²⁰ “This is what the LORD says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time, ²¹ then my covenant with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. ²² I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’”

Let there be no mistake, is what the Lord is saying. 

And here again, one more time, we find this.  Jeremiah says:  ²⁵ This is what the LORD says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night and established the laws of heaven and earth, ²⁶ then I will reject the descendants of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.’”

Turning now to our reading of Paul’s letter to Timothy, we find Paul offering some advice on common practices of the day.  Paul says:  ⁷ Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. ⁸ For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. ⁹ This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. ¹⁰ That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.

Next, Paul offers encouragement to Timothy who most likely was not being taken seriously because of his youth.  Paul says to him:  ¹² Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. ¹³ Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

And the next few lines bear such simple yet lovely pearls of wisdom, that it would behoove each of us to take these words to heart.  Paul says:  ¹⁵ Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. ¹⁶ Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

We now turn to our Psalm for the day, and find one authored by Ethan the Ezrahite.  Ethan evidently knows how to offer praise, and does so in these lovely lines:

¹ I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
through all generations.
² I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
³ You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant,
⁴ ‘I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through all generations.’”

Finally, two verses from the book of Proverbs, each one focused on a different topic.  The first concerns the effects of a sly and deceitful person’s style; the other about the misfortunes of a man with a quarrelsome wife.  The imagery employed with this latter verse is nothing short of hilarious, I think! 

Solomon, the wise king of Israel, says this:

²³ Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain
is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.

 ²⁴ Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

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JEREMIAH 31:27-32:44 | 1 TIMOTHY 3:1-16 | PSALM 88:1-18 | PROVERBS 25:20-22

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Jeremiah has prophesied at length about the devastation and doom that is to come upon the children of Israel.  He has told them in great detail how they will be led into captivity by the kings of Babylon.  But he now moves on to speak about what is to come beyond that. 

Jeremiah continues his prophecies about the restoration of Israel, and this is the word of the Lord regarding the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem and its people:

³¹ “The days are coming,” declares the LORD,
“when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
³² It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,”
declares the LORD.
³³ “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the LORD.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
³⁴ No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the LORD.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”

And then, here is a promise like none other—if ever there was a promise made to last the test of time, it would be like this one.  This is a promise concerning the everlasting love for Israel that the Lord gives to them.  Jeremiah says:

³⁵ This is what the LORD says,

   he who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar—
the LORD Almighty is his name:
³⁶ “Only if these decrees vanish from my sight,”
declares the LORD,
“will Israel ever cease
being a nation before me.”

 ³⁷ This is what the LORD says:

   “Only if the heavens above can be measured
and the foundations of the earth below be searched out
will I reject all the descendants of Israel
because of all they have done,”
declares the LORD.

Is that not remarkable in every singular way? I find myself at a loss for words for how so great an affirmation such as this does the Lord provide to his people.

Jeremiah then goes on to buy a field in a symbolic gesture as commanded by the Lord, and delivers this remarkable prophecy from the Lord who says:  ³⁷ I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. ³⁸ They will be my people, and I will be their God. ³⁹ I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. ⁴⁰ I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. ⁴¹ I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.  ⁴² “This is what the LORD says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them. ⁴³ Once more fields will be bought in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate waste, without people or animals, for it has been given into the hands of the Babylonians.’ ⁴⁴ Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord.”

I thought it necessary to reproduce in vast sections these verses so as to recognize and reaffirm the power of the written word.  To the believer, these are no ordinary words.  They carry within them all the power and meaning of the existence of the Jewish people.

Turning next to our reading of Paul’s letter to Timothy, we find Paul offering a long list of advice on the manner in which any person holding office ought to conduct himself. 

Paul goes on to explain the reason for all this good advice in this way: ¹⁴ Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, ¹⁵ if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

And just in case there are any lapses of memory as to why we ought to even bother, well, Paul offers a succinct version of the gospel.  He says: 

¹⁶ Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:

   He appeared in the flesh,
was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.

We turn now to our reading of the Psalms, and find one that David must have written in one of his darkest hours.  He cries out to the Lord:

³ I am overwhelmed with troubles
and my life draws near to death.
⁴ I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am like one without strength.
⁵ I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut off from your care.

So desperate is he for deliverance, that he employs only the faintest hint of sarcasm in his pleas to the Almighty!  He says:

I call to you, LORD, every day;
I spread out my hands to you.
¹⁰ Do you show your wonders to the dead?
Do their spirits rise up and praise you?
¹¹ Is your love declared in the grave,
your faithfulness in Destruction?
¹² Are your wonders known in the place of darkness,
or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?

 ¹³ But I cry to you for help, LORD;
   in the morning my prayer comes before you.
¹⁴ Why, LORD, do you reject me
and hide your face from me?

We know what the answer to that question is, of course.  Just like the turning away from the children of Israel was for a time, so also the Lord’s silence toward David would be only for a while.

Finally, two fascinating verses from the book of Proverbs.  The first one is concerning the futility of comfort when the distress is so deep in that even songs cannot lighten one’s heart.  The second embodies all the tenets of the Christian faith, in particular, the classic response of “turning one’s cheek,” only this has the added benefit of heaping coals upon your enemies’ heads! 

Solomon, wise king of Israel, says this:

²⁰ Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day,
or like vinegar poured on a wound,
is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.

 ²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat;
if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

²² In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

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JEREMIAH 30:1-31:26 | 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-15 | PSALM 87:1-7 | PROVERBS 25:18-19

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Jeremiah has had the unenviable task of making the most unpleasant prophecies concerning the people of Israel.  But he has also had the privilege of offering a glimmer of hope that would serve as an antidote to the horrific things to come. 

The ways of the Almighty are inconceivable and unknowable, and yet, once they are announced, they will surely come to pass.  If Israel was to be taken away into captivity, she would also be brought back, and this is what Jeremiah tells the people:

¹⁰ “‘So do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;
do not be dismayed, Israel,’
declares the LORD.
‘I will surely save you out of a distant place,
your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,
and no one will make him afraid.
¹¹ I am with you and will save you,’
declares the LORD.

And Jeremiah has more good news for them:

¹⁸ “This is what the LORD says: “‘I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents
and have compassion on his dwellings;
the city will be rebuilt on her ruins,
and the palace will stand in its proper place.
¹⁹ From them will come songs of thanksgiving
and the sound of rejoicing.
I will add to their numbers,
and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,
and they will not be disdained.

Furthermore, Jeremiah even has a message for the rest of the nations in his day:

¹⁰ “Hear the word of the LORD, you nations;
proclaim it in distant coastlands:
‘He who scattered Israel will gather them
and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’
¹¹ For the LORD will deliver Jacob
and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they.
¹² They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;
they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD—
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,
the young of the flocks and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,
and they will sorrow no more.
¹³ Then young women will dance and be glad,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into gladness;
I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
¹⁴ I will satisfy the priests with abundance,
and my people will be filled with my bounty,”
declares the LORD.

If the Lord has cast away his first-love, he will also gather her up again in time. 

Jeremiah tells his people:

¹⁶ This is what the LORD says:

“Restrain your voice from weeping
and your eyes from tears,
for your work will be rewarded,”
declares the LORD.
“They will return from the land of the enemy.
¹⁷ So there is hope for your descendants,”
declares the LORD.
“Your children will return to their own land.

And finally, this is one last summary of the things to come.  Jeremiah receives these words in a vision, and delivers them to his people.

He says:  ²³ This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “When I bring them back from captivity, the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: ‘The LORD bless you, you prosperous city, you sacred mountain.’ ²⁴ People will live together in Judah and all its towns—farmers and those who move about with their flocks. ²⁵ I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.”

Turning now to our reading of Paul’s first letter to Timothy, we find Paul going over some fundamental doctrines.  May it serve as a refresher to one and all.

Paul says:  ¹ I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³ This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all people.

Paul has further instructions for worship, some of them specific to the norms of the day, yet timeless in their simplicity of exhorting both men and women to conduct themselves with grace and good manner in a public setting.

We now turn to our Psalm for the day, and find the Psalmist praising Zion, the old name for the city of Jerusalem.  It is as if Jeremiah’s many prophecies on the restoration of Jerusalem are being echoed in these lines:

¹ He has founded his city on the holy mountain.
² The LORD loves the gates of Zion
more than all the other dwellings of Jacob.  ³ Glorious things are said of you,
city of God.

Finally, two verses from the book of Proverbs that offer plenty of food for thought.  Authored by Solomon, wise king of Israel, these are words that force one to think about the nature of the human condition in all its many facets of both glory and depravity.  Solomon says:

¹⁸ Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
is one who gives false testimony against a neighbor.

¹⁹ Like a broken tooth or a lame foot
is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

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JEREMIAH 28:1-29:32 | 1 TIMOTHY 1:1-20 | PSALM 86:1-17 | PROVERBS 25:17

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Today’s reading in the book of Jeremiah starts out with an account of the false prophet Hannaniah who attempts to discredit Jeremiah.  But woe is to him, because the Lord is on Jeremiah’s side, and sure enough, although Jeremiah is quiet for a while, he makes this pronouncement that comes true that very year.

He tells Hannaniah: “Listen, Hananiah! The LORD has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. ¹⁶ Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the LORD.’”

Next, Jeremiah writes a letter to the exiles in Babylon who were taken away as captives by Nebuchadnezzar. 

He writes about the promise that the Lord is making to his people.  He says:  “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” 

That is indeed a grand promise!

Turning now to our reading of the New Testament, we enter a new book authored by Paul to his colleague, Timothy, who has labored with him in his missionary travels.  Paul considers Timothy a son, and speaks of him affectionately in some of his other letters to the many churches. 

Paul, not unlike Jeremiah, starts out his letter urging Timothy not to be led astray by false teachers who teach and preach false doctrines. 

He says:  ⁵ The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. ⁶ Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. ⁷ They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

Paul goes on to speak of the great gift of grace that he has received himself, and is open and honest about his own personal background. 

Paul says:  ¹² I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. ¹³ Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. ¹⁴ The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  ¹⁵ Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶ But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.

Paul speaks of a shipwreck with regards to one’s faith as is exhibited by some others, and exhorts Timothy not to fall prey to the same.  He says:  ¹⁸ Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, ¹⁹ holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. ²⁰ Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

We now turn to the Psalms, and find one in which David, in his most inimitable style, is beseeching the Lord.  Would that we might also never fear to do the same.  David says:

⁵ You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
⁶ Hear my prayer, LORD;
listen to my cry for mercy.
⁷ When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.

David’s call to the Lord is one that is unfettered by any notions of pride or restraint.  He is truly a man after my own heart, and I wish to emulate his style in my own meditations at all times.  David says:

¹¹ Teach me your way, LORD,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
¹² I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
¹³ For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.

David’s love for the Lord and his confidence in God’s ability to save him never wavers.  David says:

¹⁵ But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
¹⁶ Turn to me and have mercy on me;
show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
just as my mother did.
¹⁷ Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.

Finally, one verse from the book of Proverbs in which Solomon, wise king of Israel, speaks to the concept of familiarity that breeds contempt:

¹⁷ Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—
too much of you, and they will hate you.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.

Click Here For Today’s Reading

JEREMIAH 26:1-27:22 | 2 THESSALONIANS 3:1-18 | PSALM 85:1-13 | PROVERBS 25:16

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Jeremiah is not the most popular guy in town.  If anything, he is most despised thanks to the prophecies he has been making.  This most recent proclamation he makes leads to the people taking hold of him physically and threatening his life.

The people say to him: “You must die! ⁹ Why do you prophesy in the LORD’s name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted?”

But Jeremiah is not shaken, and continues to tell it to them like it is. 

He says:  “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the things you have heard. ¹³ Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the LORD your God. Then the LORD will relent and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you. ¹⁴ As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right. ¹⁵ Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.”

Well, that seems to have made an impression on the people because next thing you know they decide it isn’t such a good idea to kill him!  And so, Jeremiah carries on with the delivery of the same message that he has preached all along.  As difficult as it might be to hear it and to accept it, this is what the Lord has deemed. 

Jeremiah tells them:  ²¹ Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says about the things that are left in the house of the LORD and in the palace of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem: ²² ‘They will be taken to Babylon and there they will remain until the day I come for them,’ declares the LORD. ‘Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.’”

Turning now to our reading of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, we find Paul giving some very specific advice about the value of keeping busy and earning one’s living by honest means. 

Paul says:  ¹¹ We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. ¹² Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. ¹³ And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.   ¹⁶ Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

Next, we look at our Psalm for the day, and find the Psalmist offering the most sublime of praises to the Lord God Almighty in these verses.  May it be that we might also echo these words in praise.  He says:

⁷ Show us your unfailing love, LORD,
and grant us your salvation.

 ⁸ I will listen to what God the LORD says;
he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—
but let them not turn to folly.
⁹ Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
that his glory may dwell in our land.

He continues with these beautiful lines:

¹⁰ Love and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
¹¹ Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
and righteousness looks down from heaven.
¹² The LORD will indeed give what is good,
and our land will yield its harvest.
¹³ Righteousness goes before him
and prepares the way for his steps.

Finally, one verse from the book of Proverbs in which Solomon, wise king of Israel, offers advice on the value of exercising restraint:

¹⁶ If you find honey, eat just enough—
too much of it, and you will vomit.

May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word.  Amen.