"She defiled herself with immorality and gave no thought to her future."
Lamentations 1:9
Lamentations 1:9
My Take Aways
Something Old:
Why don't we listen to God's many warnings? We don't yield to His warnings because we fear freedom. We sabotage our freedom with fear and not heeding God's warnings to us. We know captivity, how to act, what to say, and not to say. The thought of freedom, the unknown is fearful to us so we refuse the warnings that would lead us to freedom.
Something New:
Jeremiah 40:4
Jeremiah's rescue
Reminding us of God's perfect timing
Jeremiah 54:12-27
The destruction of the Temple
Reminding us that what God says will happen will happen
2 Chronicles 36:21
Finally the Sabbath got the rest it was meant to have
Reminding us that God will get His way
Something to Do:
Don't run from freedom-run toward it, regardless of my fears. Refuse to sabotage my future's freedom and yield to God's warnings and discipline.
10 Comments:
For Jacque,
And for Michael; I don't know anything about John Paul Jackson. I did look him up and looked at some of his books. I can't tell much about him, other than he appears to be a modern day prophet. I was intrigued by his book "I AM: 365 Names of God". Some of the others looked good too, but I have not read them.
I hear your heart that you wonder if this is too much too fast. I can't say. Everyone's walk is their own walk. Covering Michael with prayer and trusting in Him who loves Michael more than even you do is a sure recipe that Michael will be safe and will walk firmly on the path that is set before him by God.
Other resources are also available to help. The Crosswalk site is rich in such resources. The devotions page has daily and weekly postings by some of my favorite male authors/pastors; Charles Stanley, Max Lucado, John Piper, Chuck Swindoll, and Bayless Connor can all be found there. Bayless had a past that was marked by addiction and he often uses the lessons he learned from that time in his devotions. If you don't have it, here is the link to the devotions page: http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/
There are also many good Spiritual Life books available on the site. John Ortberg is another favorite author of mine and he has a very good Bible Study called "If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat". But there are many others as well. Here is a link to titles focused for men: http://www.christianbook.com/men?active_tab=Christian%20Living
Jacque, you are such a great mom, and you are such a strong woman of faith. Give Michael up to God and ask Him to protect him. I will join you.
Father God, you know our hearts. You see all and you desire us to know you. You have such compassion for us and a love that we cannot fathom. Please fill Michael and Jacque with Your Spirit of Truth. Shower them with Your love. Give them wisdom and discernment as they both encounter new challenges and ideas. Build your hedge of protection around them. Let your Word be a lamp unto their feet and a light unto their path, so that they "may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please [You] in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to [Your] glorious might so that [they] may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified [them]to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For [You have] rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son [You] love, 14in whom we have redemption,the forgiveness of sins. (Colosians 1:10b-14) In Your precious name we pray, Amen.
(thanks Michelle)
Okay, quickly on today: 2 Chronicles 36:15, 16b
"The LORD, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them for he had compassion on his people and his Temple...until the LORD's anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done."
Wow. Repeatedly...Such compassion... My heart breaks. I need to search my heart and confess the times I have also completely ignored repeated messages from God. No scoffing allowed. No judgement when I don't know the full story (which is never since I cannot see into the hearts and minds of man). Instead I must always turn to God and ask Him to reveal the truth to me (as Jacque is doing). To ask Him for a heart of flesh and not of stone. To ask Him for an obedient spirit. And to never be afraid.
Deep things to ponder today as we mourn the loss of the Temple and Jerusalem.
Be blessed today.
Karen
Jeremiah 52:17-22 stuck out to me today. The Temmple treasures were worked so hard on by the God-inspired craftsmen in King Solomon's day - enough reason to treasure them right there - and then they were neglected, looted, abused, broken, and stolen like any other common object. There had to be someone besides Jeremiah who mourned the loss of the Temple and the treasures, wouldn't you think? How sad it must've been! It made me think - what treasures are in front of me today that I'm neglecting or abusing? Am I treasuring my husband and children and giving them the love and attention that God calls me to give? Am I honoring God in the way that I interact with others who cross my path? Am I showing others just how much I 'treasure' my Jesus today? I think I need to work on that ....
Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts and prayers yesterday. Andi had a great day at school and was upset to be coming home - she wanted to stay! It is hard to be sending her out but I know that God will take care of her. I'm going to print out the prayers you shared and put them in the journal I keep for her. Thanks so much!
Teeny, it's so good to see you online and improving! You're awesome!
Jacque, I've heard of that guy but don't know any of his work. TV-type people make me nervous, so I don't watch church-type shows. I hope you can find out more!
Michelle, I moved 8 hours away from my family just out of college to teach - didn't know anybody in this state. I feel as if I can identify with your daughter a bit! It was actually easier then than when I got married because then everything seemed so permanent. It does get better!
Someone's awake and nervous about the first full day - gotta go! Have a great day, everyone!
Jacque: I too SAP for Michael. I am glad to hear that the direction he seems to be going is toward God. I have a coworker, that once she was called to God she jumped in with both feet and had the most amazing transformation! It is so hard to give trust back to those who have broken it. Place your trust in God first; He will take care of this situation.Blessings!
Something old: Lament 1:9: "She defiled herself with immorality"..referring to Judah, but it made me think of the USA. What is our fate? I shudder to think.
Something New: Lament 1:5: "Her oppressors have become her masters"..true with ever stronghold I've ever struggled with. Like Wendy said, we fear freedom because we know how to act in captivity. Change is scary.
Nugget: Don't let my sins hold me captive. (Lament 1:14) I don't want the consequences of that. Lord, please help each one of us to identify where we are being held captive to sin in our life. May we lay it at Your Holy Feet and let go! I grab Your hem today. Amen.
Praise Be!
Morgen
My Old:
The people sinned; the LORD brought disaster, just as He said He would do. (Jeremiah 40: 2 & 3).
The LORD, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them for he had compassion on his people and his Temple” (2 Chron. 36:15). Good point Amy: Today, am I showing compassion to those around me in my influence, my circle of friends. How about the Temple within my own body?
My New:
Heart-broken, Jeremiah, is believed (to possibly) be the author of the Book of Lamentations. This author’s true-heart-felt feelings come out as Jerusalem is talked about, in the first person. This man of God who witnessed the awful events taking place around him, certainly could have been lead to write Lamentations and Obadiah. Jerusalem is falling – Jeremiah is full of sorrow as he pours his heart out in this short book of 5 chapters.
*Now here is the interesting tid-bit that I fell upon! (You will love this twin!) I found this out in, “Read Through the Bible in a Year,” Kohlenberger III, and my NIV Bible Intro. to the book: “The first four of its five chapters are acrostics: each verse begins with the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. That may indicate the book was intended to be memorized (can you imagine!!!) so as never to forget the reasons for and the pain of God’s judgment. “This is the only book that consists solely of laments” (NIV notes).
[22 verses, reflecting the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet.]
I, of course peeked ahead, and luckily we get to read it in order, without interruption, - and Obadiah follows!
My To Do:
Stay in God’s Word, so that I, too do not become Spiritually empty – which leads to sin – which separates me from God.
Thank you, Wendy – more for me to think on today – I tend to feel comfortable in my “spot.” I think I need to be more open and ready to say, Yes, to faith! I don’t want to miss out on His warnings, that may be leading me somewhere different, even if it is the unknown!
Dieing to self today,
Lori
Wendy, your message was soooo chock full of food for thought today that I plan to listen again later. Thank you!
Reading today, I had some of the same thoughts as you, Amy. There must have been faithful, blameless people living in Jerusalem that unfortunately got caught up in God's punishment and the destruction.
My nugget is also my to do: (Jeremiah 39:18) "Because you trusted me, I will give you your life as a reward. I will rescue you and keep you safe. I, the LORD, have spoken."
My to do: Die to myself daily and TRUST the LORD with everything - my family, my future, all of it. In the past I was one of those people who had to "have it all figured out". The older I get and the older my children get, and the more I am in His word, I can see that trusting Him is the only way to go. It is the only road to peace. There is just too much I cannot figure out, especially why there is suffering of all kinds. Every day I must trust His word, His ways, His promises, especially Romans 8:28 "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose."
The rain has finally ended and I am headed out for a much-needed walk. I'll check back in later, friends.
Have a blessed, 4:8 day, all.
Peace and Gratitude,
Michelle in New England
Wendy...Thank you for your words...You often find things that I did not see but need to hear...
Jacque...Praying for Michael
I have not been posting regularly--but have been keeping up with my reading...Life has been so crazy lately--but I am so blessed to feel God's leading in all I am involved with. He is so good. My Dad was finally ready to move up here from So Cal (Mom passed in 06, and his health has been failing since) I saw God sell his home (for just enough money to cover his expenses) in a market where homes are not selling, was able to buy him one here with money God had blessed us with, and we are leaving Sunday to go down to pack him up...move him up here. All this in about 6 weeks time! Please pray for a smooth transition for him...leaving the home that he and my mom shared, I ma worried about his heart...Thank you
My heart was breaking seeing the temple destroyed and ransacked...In Lam 1:1-22, I know it was written for Jerusalem, but I could see people..who have thrown their lives away, giving themselves to Sin...breaking my heart, again. Verse14--he wove my sins into ropes to hitch me to a yoke of captivity...I am a visual person and that will stay in my head for a while...I don't want ropes of sin to hitch me to anything...
Praying you all have a wonderful day...
Sue
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The destruction of the temple broke my heart too. As I'm sure it broke God's heart as well because He knows why it had to be done.
The timing of the destruction reminded me to look up Tish B'Av because I remember reading that most of the bad things that happened to the Jews fell on on that date.
The destruction of the two Temples took place on the same day – the ninth of Av - about 656 years apart. These two events were so tragic that the ancient rabbis declared the anniversary of the Temples’ destruction a day of mourning. This is the origin of Tisha B'Av.
It also happens to be the day that many other calamities have befallen the Jewish people, some of which are listed below:
* 587 BC (3338)- The First Temple is destroyed by the Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews are sent into what later became known as the Babylonian Exile.
* 70 AD (3830)- The Second Temple is destroyed by the Romans, led by Titus.
* 135 AD (3895) - The Romans defeat Bar Kochba's last fortress, Betar, and destroy his army. Bar Kochba himself is killed along with more than 100,000 other Jews. The Roman Emperor Hadrian turns Jerusalem into a Roman city.
* 1290 AD(5050) - King Edward I of England signs an edict expelling all Jews from England.
* 1492 AD (5252) - The Alhambra Decree takes effect, expelling the Jews from Spain and from all Spanish territories.
* 1914 AD (5674) - World War I begins when Germany declares war on Russia, setting the stage for World War II and the Holocaust.
* 1940 AD (5700) - Himmler presents his plan for the "Final Solution" to the Jewish problem to the Nazi Party.
* 1942 AD (5702) - Nazis begin deporting Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto.
Thank you Wendy! I needed this message a year ago, but I'm so glad I'm in a place where I can hear it now. Your words really hit home and I'm so grateful that God gives us 2nd and 3rd and 4th, etc., chances!
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