Daily Bible Study

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Day 13 Jeremiah 13 13:1 Thus says the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water. 2 So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins. 3 And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, 4 Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock. 5 So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me. 6 And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there. 7 Then I went to Euphrates, and dug, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the girdle was marred, it was profitable for nothing. 8 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 9 Thus says the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. 11 For as the girdle cleaves to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, says the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear. 12 Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? 13 Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David’s throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness. 14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, says the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them. 15 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken. 16 Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. 17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD’S flock is carried away captive. 18 Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory. 19 The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive. 20 Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock? 21 What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? For thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail? 22 And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare. 23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. 24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passes away by the wind of the wilderness. 25 This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, says the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood. 26 Therefore will I discover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear. 27 I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! Wilt thou not be made clean? When shall it once be? Stubbornness, rebellion, and pride rule the hearts and minds of people everywhere. As parents you want to stamp out the stubbornness and rebellion. However, children will do what they want regardless of what you want or how you want it done. God chose Israel to be his people. In the beginning they were unspoiled, lovely children, and then sin entered and changed everything. Then they knew more than God. Stubbornness ruled, rebellion took root, and pride thumbed its nose at God who made them in his image. God told Jeremiah to take a linen girdle and put it on his loins. It was a thing of beauty, perfect in every way. Then God told Jeremiah to take and put it in a hole in the ground, and take it up again several days later. It was no longer a thing of beauty, but marred and good for nothing. God told Jeremiah that was a picture of what his people had become when they turned away from him and would not listen to him or obey him in anything. God determined to send them into exile. As Christians, you have been in exile. You were stubborn, rebellious, and full of pride, and then you met God’s Son, Jesus, and broke the chains of your stubbornness, rebellion, and pride. You determined to walk in obedience to God and his Son. However, there is a very real devil who didn’t like his plans for you shattered, and has done everything he can to destroy you with the chains of stubbornness, rebellion, and pride. You must not allow Satan to turn your heart away from God. Satan cares nothing for your soul. His sole purpose is to destroy you and keep you out of heaven. You must not allow Satan to mar your life with disobedience. Cast off your sin and seek God first at the beginning of each day. Seek him at every part of your day in the work you do, in your times of relaxation, in the errands you run. Do not allow Satan a foothold in your life, and God will see you not as a marred vessel, but as an unblemished vessel, full of grace and truth because of the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son. Let’s pray: Father, help me to be a vessel worthy of honor. Let me seek you in everything I do. Help me discern those times when Satan wants to destroy me, and turn to you to keep me from falling prey to his desires and destruction. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 1 November 2017 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay