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Day 19 Jeremiah 19 19:1 Thus says the LORD, Go and get a potter’s earthen bottle, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests; 2 And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee, 3 And say, Hear ye the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever hears, his ears shall tingle. 4 Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents; 5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spoke it, neither came it into my mind: 6 Therefore, behold, the days come, says the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter. 7 And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place; and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hands of them that seek their lives: and their carcasses will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. 8 And I will make this city desolate, and a hissing; every one that passes thereby shall be astonished and hiss because of all the plagues thereof. 9 And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straightness, wherewith their enemies, and they that seek their lives, shall straighten them. 10 Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee, 11 And shalt say unto them, Thus says the LORD of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter’s vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury. 12 Thus will I do unto this place, says the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet: 13 And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods. 14 Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the LORD’S house; and said to all the people, 15 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words. Have you ever had to do a hard thing, going to a family member or friend to tell them that the lifestyle they are running after will lead to destruction – they will either end up in prison or dead for their actions? God sent Jeremiah to his people to tell them he would bring destruction to their lives because they had forsaken him and worshiped Baal, sacrificing their children as burnt sacrifices, and doing many abominable practices that he, God, had not told them to do. God does not condone any practice that harms his people. God loves his people, and only wants their good, but if they will not hear or obey his voice, he has no choice but to bring trouble to their lives, hoping it will bring them to their knees realizing their need for him and him alone, who is able to save them from their sins. As Christians, you see the destructive forces at work in the world. Recent acts of violence is a clear picture of the hold Satan has on the lives of many people. God sent Jeremiah to his people to wake them up. God is sending you to wake up the people and show them his love for them. You know God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance. Before the next act of violence rains down on us, from whatever corner of the world, pray. Pray for the fire of God’s love to fall on his people and be a light to those who sit in darkness. Pray and bind Satan from those who right now are planning the next act of destruction. Pray for God to surround his people, pray that he would go with your friends and neighbors, surrounding them with his love, wrapping his arms of love around them, and protecting them from Satan’s destruction. Prayer is the only means that will break Satan’s destructive hold on the world and the lives he manipulates to do his will. God sent Jeremiah to tell the kings, priests, and the people that God would destroy them because they didn’t obey him. Do you want to see the same thing happen to your friends and neighbors because they don’t know him, trust him, or obey him? It’s time to break your silence. It’s time to let your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, everyone know God’s love for them, and the consequences they face when they walk hand in hand with Satan. Let’s pray: Father, let your fire fall on your people, on me. Open my mouth, open the mouths of your people. Do not let us stand by and watch Satan’s destructive hold on the people, but help me and your people to set them free with your love and mercy. Surround us with your love, so we can surround everyone in our lives with your love. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 7 November 2017 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay