Daily Devotional for November 24, 2015
Jeremiah 43
Scripture:
4 So Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers and all the people disobeyed the LORD’s command to stay in the land of Judah. 5 Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers led away all the remnant of Judah who had come back to live in the land of Judah from all the nations where they had been scattered. 6 They also led away all the men, women and children and the king’s daughters whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch son of Neriah. 7 So they entered Egypt in disobedience to the LORD and went as far as Tahpanhes.
Observation:
Randy knocked on the door of his friend’s house. The day before, Randy had decided to leave his wife. He and Jan argued continually over everything. He just could not keep living this way. His friend, Jeff, might try to talk him out of it, but Randy needed a friend to talk to.
“I will pray for you, Randy,” Jeff said later. “But, will you promise to read Jeremiah 42 and 43 tonight? Let’s have coffee tomorrow.” Puzzled, Randy agreed.
At the coffee shop, Randy shook Jeff’s hand. “Thank you, my friend. At first, I couldn’t understand why you told me to read this weird story totally unrelated to marriage. Then it hit me hard—I was doing what those men in the story did. They asked Jeremiah to pray for them and promised to do God’s will regardless of their own feelings. But they had no intention of doing anything except what they had already made up their minds to do.”
“What are you going to do?” asked Jeff.
Randy smiled, “I’m going home to my wife.”
Have you ever asked for advice—looking for validation instead of real advice? Or, have you ever prayed and asked God to do exactly what you say instead of trying to understand His will? Obedience is submitting to God’s will, whether we like it or not—whether it’s easy or not.
Application:
- Personal Application: Obedience is better than sacrifice. I feel that we make it more complicated than it needs to be. I am not saying it’s easy; however, it is not complicated. As Spirit-Empowered Men, being led by the Spirit is foundational to our mission. When you feel that God is leading you to something that doesn’t make sense or seems very difficult, here are a few steps that can help. First, study your Bible. God will often use His Word to lead you. Secondly, seek godly advice. Go to a mentor or your pastor and discuss this situation with them. Third, if you are still struggling, pray for a confirmation. I think it is acceptable to ask God to confirm what you are hearing before you respond. I would rather you wait on a confirmation from the Lord than run into something that may not be what God is asking you to do.
- Family Devotional: Read this chapter to your family. Remind them that yesterday God told them, through Jeremiah, not to go to Egypt. Explain to them that at certain times in our life, doing what God says may not make sense to us. God knows infinitely more than we do; therefore, obeying God’s will is more beneficial than obeying our own desires. Ask them if there was a time when obeying God seemed difficult? Why? Pray for them to hear God’s voice and have the faith to obey His commands.
Prayer:
- Personal Prayer Focus: Ask God to help you know His will as you travel this discipleship journey.
- Family Prayer Focus: Pray that your family will stay humble and obedient as they continue to seek God’s will for their life.
Three Year Reading Plan for Sunday, November 22 – Sunday, November 29:
- Sunday, November 22: Jeremiah 41
- Monday, November 23: Jeremiah 42
- Tuesday, November 24: Jeremiah 43
- Wednesday, November 25: Jeremiah 44
- Thursday, November 26: Jeremiah 45-46
- Friday, November 27: Jeremiah 47
- Saturday, November 28: Jeremiah 48
- Sunday, November 29: Jeremiah 49
—TOM GROOT is National Director of Men’s Ministry and Christian Education. Connect with Tom on Facebook or Twitter @TomGrootJr.
Portions of this devotional are adapted from God’s Word for Today, August 25, 2013.
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