jeremiah Archives – Sonshine's Journal

January 2, 2025January 2, 2025

1.2.25.The Heart of Man

Genesis 4-7 Despair amidst Blessings

God saw that all of men’s hearts were evil “continually.” He regretted he had made them but two me stood out above them all: Enoch and Noah. Why did Enoch and Noah stand out? They walked with God and communed with God. God graciously took Enoch to heaven, but Noah had to live among men who were evil as a testament to them to see how to gain favor in the eyes of the Lord. There is a lesson here for us: God may keep you here to do His work OR He may take you home to heaven.

There is one lesson that stands out: if a man/woman walks with God they will be blessed and protected from the ways of the evil one who roams about seeking whom he can devour. Another lesson is this: the hearts of men are known by God and as Jeremiah reminded us, the heart of men is deceitful continually. Only one thing can change the heart of men and it is if one has chosen to walk with God and let HIM change that deceitful heart. Which heart is yours?

May 5, 2022May 2, 2022

Are you Prepared to go?

Ezra 1-4 God’s Servant

What does a servant look like and act like? Ezra was a Jewish scribe living in Babylon during the 70 yr. captivity that God ordered to discipline his errant children. Jeremiah prophesied about it, Daniel read about it, and Isaiah prophesied about a king named Cyrus who would release them. Ezra was that person prepared to go when Cyrus released them!

Cyrus knew these facts: The Lord, God of heaven, had blessed him with the rulership over all the kingdoms of the earth.[Ezra 1:2] Secondly, he knew that this God of the Hebrews had enlisted him to build a house for Him in Jerusalem. So thirdly, he set about to carry out those orders by opening the storehouses in Babylon, where Nebuchadnezzar had placed the wealth of the Jewish Temple for over 70 yrs. ago! [Is. 44:28] Just think, God’s prophets had set the wheels in motion for all of this to happen, and King Nebuchadnezzar had willingly placed all the riches for 70 yrs. in safekeeping in the Babylonian temples.

Application for us: Long ago, in eternity past, God preserved us as His treasure and, at His appointed time, revealed us to the world for one purpose: “so that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light;” [1Pet 2:9]

Cyrus willingly served the God of heaven, do we?

August 17, 2021August 17, 2021

“Faithfulness vs Unfaithfulness”

Jeremiah 35 to 37 Joshua challenged the men of Israel many years ago before these chapters: “Choose ye this day whom you will serve, but for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” [Josh 24:15]. It would have been wise for the men of Judah to have remembered these words because God had placed a similar challenge before them again. Jeremiah puts three stories before us to show us the rewards of faithfulness vs. the consequences of unfaithfulness.

The Rechabites, a nomadic tribe, were faithful to their ancestors never to drink wine and remain nomads. Even as Jeremiah tested them, they remained steadfast, and God gave them a blessing. “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me always.” [Jer 35:19]

In sharp contrast to the Rechabites is King Jehoiakim, who “did not rend his garments” nor humble himself but burned the scroll of God’s words. To him came this pronouncement: “He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David…I will also punish him and his descendants and his servants for their iniquity,” [Jer 36:30-31]

The third story Jeremiah is about King Zedekiah, who was a vacillating king. Although fearful, he would not trust the words of Jeremiah about the impending overthrow of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar. However, he would later see that what God had said would come true. [Jer 39]

What is the lesson God wants us to learn?

God rewards faithfulness and removes blessing from the unfaithful. Where are you?

August 12, 2021August 12, 2021

Jeremiah’s Alexander Day

Jeremiah 20: Have you ever had one of “those” days when nothing goes right? There is a story about a boy named Alexander whose life seems like that. His day begins with gum getting stuck in his hair, and the rest of his day is all downhill. It really is one of those “Terrible, Horrible, No Good Days.” Jeremiah is having just such a day, to put it bluntly. God has called him to preach to a people who just will not listen. Like the men in the depression who wore storyboards to announce something and people walked by ignoring them or making remarks better left unsaid, Jeremiah takes his storyboard of God’s message to the passers-by and has the same reaction. Yes, it is one of Jeremiah’s “Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Days.”

His day ended with sitting in the stocks in the city square, thanks to the Priest Pashur which he used to make Jeremiah a laughing stock. Jeremiah has come to the end and shouts to God: ‘I QUIT!” Can you relate? God listens but does not comment. Yes, God is silent just when we need to vent. But then, in the quiet, Jeremiah stops and begins to tell God:

Your message is like a fire burning within me. I am tired, God. I want to quit God. But, then a still quiet voice says; keep on keeping on. I hear, and I note, and I have a blessing for you—so “hangest thou in there.”

So when you are having an Alexander Day, stop and talk to God, and like then just like Ezekiel, listen for His quiet voice.

August 29, 2020

Hypocrisy!

Jeremiah 40 to 42 After the siege ended, Nebuchadnezzar had left a small contingent in the land to care for it. They came to Jeremiah, the prophet, seeking God’s counsel about what they should do. Standing before him, they said: “Please pray to the Lord “your” God that He will tell us where we should go and what we should do. We promise that whatever He says, we will do.” After ten days, Jeremiah emerges from his prayer closet with God’s counsel, which is resoundingly rejected. Jeremiah’s words and their promise to do whatever he said don’t match what they wanted to hear. How often do we make promises, but become impatient and decide to do what “we want” not what God says?

Instead of believing Jeremiah, they said: “God did not send you to tell us to stay here.” Out of the mouth, the heart speaketh. Their false piety is nothing more than hypocrisy. They said, we will not stay here because “our” God said for us to go. How like Saul when Samuel confronted him and like him, this contingent quickly forgot their promise because it didn’t fit with their plans. Now it is not “your” God but, “our” God and, “our” God said; go to Egypt.

Jeremiah reminded them and he is reminding us:

God would not send confusing messages because He not a God of confusion

Are we wanting God’s permission to do what we have already decided OR do we wait and listen for His voice to say: “You will hear a word spoken behind you, saying, “This is the correct way, walk in it,” [Is 30:21]

August 20, 2020

Don’t Stop Praying!

Jeremiah 11/12 Is there ever a time when you stop praying for a person? We answer, no, but then we read Jeremiah and hear God say: “Do not pray for these people. Do not cry out to me or petition me on their behalf. Do not plead with me to save them. I will not listen to them…” [Jer 7:16]

How do you react to these words? We must remember that context is king, and Jeremiah had a particular message for specific people. Like Jeremiah, we ask “why” but behind the “why,” there is always a “because.” For Judah, the “why” is Judah’s national sin. The “because” is that God’s ways are not our ways. His ways are higher and have purposes we may not always understand. God could see the hearts, and these had no intention of turning back. How about us? Are we to stop praying? Remember, we don’t have the heart or the wisdom to know; therefore, we are to pray without ceasing. Who knows, but our prayers may be the very link to restoration.

God wanted Jeremiah to present this truth to his people: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us.” [Deut 29:29]

We are to be like Jeremiah and Habakkuk:

stand firm, present the gospel, pray and leave the results to God.

August 30, 2019

Hypocrite! Hypocrite!

Jeremiah 40 to 43 In the NT, Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites meaning one who has the form of godliness without the power. But these religious leaders were not the first; Jeremiah meets them in our reading today. They came to Jeremiah feigning piety seeking God’s counsel about the next step.

Standing before him, they said: please pray to the Lord “your” God that He will tell us where we should go. We promise that whatever he says we will do. Ten days later Jeremiah emerges from his prayer closet with God’s counsel and it is resoundingly rejected. Those who were so pious showed their true heart when they said the Lord “our” God did not send you to tell us to stay here. How quickly they changed from ‘your’ God to ‘our’ God.

Setting piety aside they said, we are going to Egypt and guess what, you are going with us. How often are we like these people? We ask others to pray but when the answer comes we say no way did God say that. That is the height of hypocrisy! Jeremiah 40 43 hypocrisy2

God demands that we listen and obey. Proverbs 3 says ‘trust in the Lord’ with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. We say the first phrase but omit the second. God is not pleased.

August 26, 2019

Letter From Home

Jeremiah 29 112a

Jeremiah 29 Mail call has to be the very best time in a college student or a service man’s life. It is sweet to get that snail mail that has been lovingly sent with thoughts of news of home and family. Parents and friends want us to remember that whether life is good or bad, these two important principles must be on your mind always: “don’t forget who you are and don’t forget whose you are.” Don’t bring shame upon the family name and on the name of Jehovah. Remain faithful to both.

Jeremiah was trying to instill those principles in the lives of the Judahites in Jerusalem but his words fell on deaf ears. Even hundreds of miles away the exiles were hearing—don’t worry, it will end soon. Our wealth will be returned to the Temple and our kings will rise again. Instead, life dragged on day after day after day. Lovingly, God sent them Ezekiel to explain it all and then out of the blue, the exiles received this love letter from Jeremiah.

Dear Exiles,

The news here is the same; King Zedekiah is stubborn. But you can know this; you are loved. So, don’t listen to the false reports of this ending! They are not from me! I want you to remain faithful. and live as if you were in Jerusalem. The Lord told me that He has “plans to prosper you, not to harm you. [He has] plans to give you a future filled with hope.” God will take care of you each day.

Loving you, Jeremiah.

PS don’t forget to pray for the Babylonians.

PPS: Don’t forget who you are; you are an Isaac, or a Joshua or a Rahab.

Don’t forget whose you are, you are a child of the Most High God.

What would you do with that letter; save it or toss it?

August 22, 2019

A Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Jeremiah 15 “Jeremiah’s Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”

Jeremiah 15 bad days

Alexander is a storybook character where nothing goes right in his world. Mother assures him that no matter where you are there will always be such days. That is where we find Jeremiah. He is having an Alexander Day and it is terrible, no good and very bad.

“I wish I never was born; Lord you know how I suffer; everyone treats me with contempt. I am all alone and have not one friend. Oh, woe is me!” Can you hear his whining? It was just at that moment God came and said: ‘You must repent of such words and thoughts!’ We might say it like this: “stuff it, or get over it!”

Jeremiah 15 god speakas

Jeremiah then took time from his pouting and went to God’s Word. His “words came to me, I drank them in and they filled my heart with joy and happiness.” God provides experiences to make us strong as a wall to whatever comes our way. The enemy will not be able to overcome us; He will be with us to rescue and deliver us.

God was his encourager and he lifted him from the miry clay of despair.

We all at times have an Alexander/Jeremiah day. If you can relate, God has heard your plea and He is saying return to Me. Repent of such words! Get over it! Remember, I am your joy and I will be your deliverer.