Daily Bible Study

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Day 8 Jeremiah 8 8:1 At that time, says the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves: 2 And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth. 3 And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, says the LORD of hosts. 4 Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus says the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? Shall he turn away, and not return? 5 Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return. 6 I hearkened and heard, but they spoke not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? Every one turned to his course, as the horse rushes into the battle. 7 Yea, the stork in the heaven knows her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD. 8 How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. 9 The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them? 10 Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them: for everyone from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one deals falsely. 11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. 12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, says the LORD. 13 I will surely consume them, says the LORD: there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them. 14 Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the defensed cities, and let us be silent there: for the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD. 15 We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble! 16 The snorting of his horses was heard from Dan: the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones; for they are come, and have devoured the land, and all that is in it; the city, and those that dwell therein. 17 For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, says the LORD. 18 When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me. 19 Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people because of them that dwell in a far country: Is not the LORD in Zion? Is not her king in her? Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with strange vanities? 20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. 21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me. 22 Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered? Television, radio, Internet, everywhere you look for news, all you see is turmoil and people doing what they want without regard for their fellow man. Finding good in the world is getting harder every day. God through Jeremiah continues his message from the previous chapter. God looks down at his people and sees their heart is far from him. They worship false gods, and would rather die than follow the Lord or his law and commandments. Isn’t that where we are at today? Aren’t we following in the footsteps of those gone before us, straight into wickedness, allowing evil to have the upper hand? God told his people he would turn them over to their wickedness, giving his people to strangers to have their way with them, since they would not listen to him. As Christians, you too can be consumed by complacency and the world because people would rather have fun than to take God seriously. However, you need to stand firm in your faith, shun the world and look for the good in mankind, help each other as Jesus said you are to do, treating each other the way you want to be treated. When you follow that simple command, you will be able to defeat Satan when he comes at you with the notion that ‘everyone is doing it, so should you’. When you determine in your heart to follow hard after God, letting him lead you in the path you should go, you will not end up as Judah and Israel, far from God, but God will be right there helping you, and you will know the balm of Gilead who comforts and heals you. Let’s pray: Father, keep Satan and his evil ways far from me. Don’t let me become complacent with the ways of the world, but help me seek you and let you lead me where I need to go. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 27 October 2017 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay