Daily Devotional for October 23, 2015
Jeremiah 11
Scripture:
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
2 “Listen to the terms of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem.
3 Tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Cursed is the man who does not obey the terms of this covenant–
4 the terms I commanded your forefathers when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.’ I said, ‘Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God.
5 Then I will fulfill the oath I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey’–the land you possess today.” I answered, “Amen, LORD.”
6 The LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them.
7 From the time I brought your forefathers up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, “Obey me.”
8 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.’ “
Observation:
It is not uncommon for the noise level in my house to be above normal. The kids running around and the fact that Mandy does everything with music playing can easily be described as commotion. In this setting it can be very difficult for me to get a message across to my family. In this passage God has been trying to get a message across to His people and they are not getting it. I don’t know if they are not listening or if they are ignoring what they hearing. Either way, they are not responding to the Lord, which will cause them to miss out on a blessing.
The busyness of our lives can make it difficult to hear God. When we are always on the run with our phones buzzing, the levels of distraction can reach an all-time high. The task for the Spirit-Empowered man is to pull away from the distractions and to spend quality time listening to the Lord. When was the last time you sat down with your Bible and a note pad and spent time in God’s presence without any distractions? I encourage you, at least once a week, to remove all distractions and spend some quality time with the Lord.
Application:
- Personal Application: As a Spirit-Empowered man, I want to take time to remove the commotion around me in order to listen to God more effectively.
- Family Devotional: Read this passage to your family. Discuss with them the importance of quality time and listening. This applies to their relationship with God and with each other. Talk about different ways to remove commotion and settle their heart before the Lord. Pray with them.
Prayer:
- Personal Prayer Focus: Ask God to help you find time in your schedule to settle your mind, read your Bible, pray, and listen to the Lord.
- Family Prayer Focus: Pray that your family will listen to God’s voice as they travel this discipleship journey.
Three-Year Reading Plan for Sunday, October 18 – Sunday, October 25:
- Sunday, October 18: Jeremiah 6
- Monday, October 19: Jeremiah 7
- Tuesday, October 20: Jeremiah 8
- Wednesday, October 21: Jeremiah 9
- Thursday, October 22: Jeremiah 10
- Friday, October 23: Jeremiah 11
- Saturday, October 24: Jeremiah 12
- Sunday, October 25: Jeremiah 13
—TOM GROOT is National Director of Men’s Ministry and Christian Education. Connect with Tom on Facebook or Twitter @TomGrootJr.
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