Daily Devotional for November 9, 2015
Jeremiah 28
Scripture:
15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “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.’ “
17 In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.
Observation:
As Spirit-Empowered Men we depend on the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us. There may be times when God speaks to us about doing something. There may also be times when God speaks to us about saying something. This past weekend the Lord spoke to me about talking to two different individuals during a service. I approached both gentlemen and the Lord used those conversations in a powerful way.
Being used by the Lord in this way is incredibly humbling and not a task that should be taken lightly. This passage illustrates the responsibility taken when we declare, “the Lord says.” When we proclaim, “the Lord says,” we must be certain that it is the Lord. If we are not certain, we must pause, pray, and talk to a pastor or leader before proceeding. A lot of damage can be done if we proceed recklessly and say something that the Lord did not ask us to say. Based on this passage, personally, I don’t want the consequences of being wrong. This weekend, I discussed what I felt the Lord was saying to me with the pastor before I approached those two guys. Even though I was confident in what the Lord had asked me to do, as a guest I wanted the blessing of the leader before I moved forward. I believe in authority, order, and making sure the Lord gets all the glory.
Appropriately discerning God’s voice is a task of a Spirit-Empowered man. As you feel the Lord using you to either do something or say something, take a moment to confirm in your heart that it’s the Lord speaking. God wants to speak through us. Our responsibility is to get out of the way so He can.
Application:
- Personal Application: God may use you in supernatural ways. When you feel the Lord moving in this way, move forward slowly and humbly with the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
- Family Devotional: Read this chapter to your family. Share with them how the Lord may speak to us through other people. Remind them that whenever someone speaks a word from the Lord, the hearer has the choice to accept it or forget it. Any message given must agree with scripture and be confirming in your heart. God will not speak anything to someone else that He hasn’t already spoken to you. Pray with them for the ability to discern God’s voice spoken directly to them or through others.
Prayer:
- Personal Prayer Focus: Ask God for the ability to discern God’s voice spoken directly to you or through others. Ask God to lead you and guide you through this discipleship journey.
- Family Prayer Focus: Pray that they will be able to discern God’s voice spoken directly to them or through others.
Three Year Reading Plan for Sunday, November 8 – Sunday, November 15:
- Sunday, November 8: Jeremiah 27
- Monday, November 9: Jeremiah 28
- Tuesday, November 10: Jeremiah 29
- Wednesday, November 11: Jeremiah 30
- Thursday, November 12: Jeremiah 31
- Friday, November 13: Jeremiah 32
- Saturday, November 14: Jeremiah 33
- Sunday, November 15: Jeremiah 34
—TOM GROOT is National Director of Men’s Ministry and Christian Education. Connect with Tom on Facebook or Twitter @TomGrootJr.
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