Discover His heart: He will not easily let go of us and rewards our commitment to stay
Because I went to a small college and knew my fellow students reasonably well, the first day of each school term was somewhat revealing as to how challenging our classes would be. After we filed into each of our classes, we would look around the room for the curve wreckers – those students that we knew would ace the tests and raise the grading curve for all the other students. In our reading, Jeremiah, too, was looking in his day for those who would set the standard high and follow after God.
@ Jeremiah 33
While Babylon was laying siege to the city of Jerusalem, Jeremiah received these words of promise from the Lord, “Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come…You expect to fight the Babylonians, but the men of this city are already as good as dead…Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s wounds and give it prosperity and true peace…I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will do what is just and right throughout the land…I will never abandon the descendants of Jacob or David, my servant…Instead, I will restore them to their land and have mercy on them.” (3-26)
This message to Jeremiah reveals the heart of our Lord. He desires that we ask Him when we need direction for our lives. In our asking, we are humbly saying that we cannot figure this out on our own and that we are dependent on Him for His help, and He responds to our submission to Him. “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.” (Matthew 7:7)
The “righteous descendant from King David’s line” is yet another Old Testament prophetic promise about Jesus. Although Israel would face dark times, God had not given up on His special treasure, and He had a plan to redeem them. Even still, the Israelites rejected the first coming of Jesus, but these scriptures foretell of His second coming where His throne will be forever established in Jerusalem.
Israel’s existence today is proof that He has not given up on His chosen ones. As adoptees into this family, it is our assurance as well that He will not give up on us. He will send Jeremiahs into our lives to call us back to Him if we stray, and as with Israel, He will not let us slip away without great effort to keep us. Oh, how He loves us!
@ Jeremiah 35
Oh, those Recabites! They were the curve wreckers of their day. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17, NIV) For over 200 years, this Nomadic group had followed their ancestor’s special vow of dedication to God to not drink wine, to not buy land and to not plant crops. Because Israel had trouble keeping a commitment to God for two minutes, much less 200 years, God brought the Recabites before the Israelites as an example of steadfast devotion to Him. “Come and learn a lesson about how to obey me…Jehonadab son of Recab will always have descendants who serve me.” (13,19) As with the Recabites, I pray that my commitment to the Lord will be so evident that it is imprinted on the hearts of my children and my children’s children.
Today I have learned a lesson about how to obey Him. I am challenged to listen to the Jeremiahs of my generation even though their messages don’t always bring warm fuzzies to my heart. Their messages from God are given to save me, protect me and keep me so that one day I will worship before God’s very throne in Heaven. I’m challenged to be a curve wrecker in my generation, setting the bar high and keeping strong my commitment to follow the Lord in obedience. If I do this, I believe He has promised that I will always have descendants who serve the Lord!
Moving Forward: I move forward today so very thankful that He has not given up on me. I pray that I will always have descendants who follow the Lord, and may they be the curve wreckers of their generation!
Tomorrow @ Luke 1-2
Phyllis Benigas 