October 23: “Good Intentions Must Be Followed by Passionate Resolve”

5 Minute Read + Scripture readings

TODAY’S BIBLE READING:

Jeremiah 42:1–44:23
2 Timothy 2:1-21
Psalms 92:1–93:5
Proverbs 26:3-5

TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Jeremiah 42:5–6 (CSB): “And they said to Jeremiah, ‘May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we don’t act according to every word the Lord your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will obey the Lord our God to whom we are sending you so that it may go well with us. We will certainly obey the Lord our God!’”

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The words in our Verses for Today are incredible! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you and I and every other follower of the Lord said and lived out such words!

Yet, there is a bigger story in which these words were declared.

If you read the verses that start Jeremiah 42, you will realize that the persons saying these words to Jeremiah are the leaders of the small remnant of Jews left behind. They had seen an invading army arrive, kill many of their family members and friends, and take thousands of them into captivity. This small group was left behind.

So, they approached Jeremiah to hear what they were to do. They committed to the prophet of God that whatever the Lord told them, they would obey.

Yet, if you read Jeremiah 42:7 and following, you will realize that Jeremiah did get a word from the Lord. But, when he spoke it to the people, he noticed by their responses that they were going to reject God’s message. It became apparent that their initial promise to obey God’s words were contingent upon whether or not God’s words would be pleasing to them. When they heard Jeremiah speak on behalf of God and they found his words utterly displeasing, they rejected God’s words and refused to obey … to their own harm.

Friend, how do you respond to God’s Word? Do you believe that our Verses for Today represent the intent of your heart?

If so, good! But, intentions aren’t enough. The Jews in today’s reading had good intentions. What they lacked was loyalty to their God and His words regardless of what He required of them.

So, friend, do you have that sort of loyalty to your God and His Word? Do you regularly read His Word looking for adjustments to make in your thinking and behavior? Or, do you skip over the unpleasant parts and only respond to the sections of Scripture that are pleasing to you?

If so, you are dangerously close to acting like the Jews in our story.

Why not resolve to make the Verses for Today the intention AND resolve of your heart. Re-surrender your life to Jesus, committing to obey completely and promptly anything He reveals to you that you are not presently in conformity to.

If you do, God will be free to bless you in whatever way He determines. But, if your life is characterized by an indifference to God’s Word or outright disobedience to what He says, God will not be able to bless you. Instead, He will be forced by His own holiness to discipline you.

So read the Verses for Today again and resolve to make them the intentions and commitment of your heart.

Jeremiah 42:5–6 (CSB): “And they said to Jeremiah, ‘May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we don’t act according to every word the Lord your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will obey the Lord our God to whom we are sending you so that it may go well with us. We will certainly obey the Lord our God!’”