Daily Bible Study

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Day 10 Jeremiah 10 10:1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaks unto you, O house of Israel: 2 Thus says the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. 6 Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. 7 Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee. 8 But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities. 9 Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men. 10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. 11 Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. 12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. 13 When he utters his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; he makes lightnings with rain, and brings forth the wind out of his treasures. 14 Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. 15 They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. 16 The portion of Jacob is not like them: for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts is his name. 17 Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress. 18 For thus says the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so. 19 Woe is me for my hurt! My wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it. 20 My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains. 21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered. 22 Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons. 23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his steps. 24 O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. 25 Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate. Many people read their horoscope to see what their life is going to be like that day or in the days to come. People want to know their future, and they want something to believe in. God said you are not to pay attention to the signs in the heavens, or worship something that has no effect on your lives. There is only one True and Living God. He is the Everlasting God. At his voice the nations tremble. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. God is the creator of all you see, not some god of your imagination. As Christians, you have seen the ineffectiveness of pastors who water down the Word of God until it has no effect in your lives. Your heart longs to hear a word from God, to know his direction for your life. Jeremiah poured out his heart to God when he said, O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walks to direct his steps. O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate. When you see what is happening in the world, you need to be like Jeremiah, and fall on your knees in prayer, confessing your complacency and indifference to him, and asking him to correct you, but not in his anger, but with loving kindness and tender mercy. Ask for a heart of compassion for the people you see daily, and those who will not listen to you or treat you with disrespect, give it over to God to take care of them. Don’t take care of the matter yourself. James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Jeremiah confessed Israel’s sin before God, and asked for him to direct his steps. We need to do the same. We need to see our faults and go before God, humbling ourselves, and turning our lives around. We can’t do that on our own, we need help, the help of the Holy Spirit in our lives to heal the hurts, get rid of complacency, and give us a tender heart. Let’s pray: Father, forgive my complacency, my running after other things that will not help me in any way. Forgive me for being self-absorbed, looking out only for myself and not seeing the needs of others. Help me turn to you instead of the world when my life takes a downward turn and spirals out of control. Let me hear your voice in the midst of the storm, and feel your comforting arms around me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 29 October 2017 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay