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Work to do…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 17:7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”
If my confidence is in myself, then when things feel chaotic or out of my control, my life is going to be a mess. Even as I type this, I feel God whispering to my heart, “Does that feel familiar, precious child? Trust Me and find My rest.” Clearly I’ve still got work to do in this area.
Jeremiah 17:8a “They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.”
Ironically, this is the first time I’ve looked at these verses in terms of pride, my pride, getting in the way of my faith. John 15:5 illustrates this point even more clearly: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” Working outside of His will, working in my strength alone, severely limits my productivity and cuts me off from His blessings.
Jeremiah 17:8b “It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Lord, Thank You for continuing to work on my heart in the area of pride. Thank You for the reminder that if I am acting on my own—instead of in Your will—my efforts will never produce Your abundant fruit. Thank You for knowing my heart and for loving me fiercely. Draw me closer. Humble me before You. Amen.
Jeremiah 17:10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”
Have a blessed day.
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Even now, there is hope…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 16:1-2 Then the word of the Lord came to me: “You must not marry and have sons or daughters in this place.”
Again in this chapter we have God discussing the destruction He will bring on Judah because of generations of sin and disobedience. Again we have this idea that we should not let ourselves be negatively influenced by others because even if their sin influences us, once we take steps into sin, it becomes our sin.
Jeremiah 16:9 For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Before your eyes and in your days I will bring an end to the sounds of joy and gladness and to the voices of bride and bridegroom in this place.
Again we have God drawing a hard line of tough love, warning Jeremiah not to get married or have children so that he will not have to watch them face the same fate as everyone else. And again, in verses 14 and 15, we have God extending a hopeful word. This punishment is not forever. If they return and repent, He *will* restore them.
Jeremiah 16:14 “However, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt…’
Lord, Thank You for Your compassion and mercy. Thank You that even in Your judgment, You remind us of the way back to You. Help us not to lose our way, not to be negatively influenced by others. And when we do stray, help us to humble ourselves before You so that we can be restored. Amen.
Jeremiah 16:15 but it will be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ For I will restore them to the land I gave their ancestors.
Have a blessed day.
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The invitation to repent and be restored…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 15:4 Because of the wicked things Manasseh son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, did in Jerusalem, I will make my people an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. (NLT)
This chapter is all about destruction—the destruction of Judah because of their sins, which started with the reign of King Manasseh, who turned the nation back to polytheism. God even names Manasseh specifically in verse 4 as the source, the root cause of their slide.
Jeremiah 15:19 Therefore this is what the LORD says: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them. (NIV)
Verse 19 is spoken to Jeremiah, but the invitation to repent and be restored is open to us all. The caution not to let ourselves be negatively influenced by the sin of others is a caution for all. Manasseh eventually made his way back to God, he repented and was restored, but the damage had already been done for the people of Judah. His sin had become theirs. They were now making the bad choices.
2 Chronicles 33:12-13 But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the LORD his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed, the LORD listened to him and was moved by his request. So the LORD brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh finally realized that the LORD alone is God!
Lord, Thank You for the message of hope, forgiveness, and restoration that can be found in this chapter. Thank You that if we return to You and humble ourselves, You will restore us. Help us not to be negatively influenced by others. Help us to never forget that the only thing that keeps us from You is our own stubborn pride. Help us to humble ourselves and return. Always. Amen.
Jeremiah 15:19 This is how the LORD responds: “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you! (NLT)
Have a blessed day.
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Humility, not self-flagellation…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 14:20 We acknowledge our wickedness, Lord, and the guilt of our ancestors; we have indeed sinned against you.
I spent way more time than I should have this morning looking for a stinging text sent to me years ago by a friend. She commented after one devo reflection that it was “the realest thing I’d written in a year and a half” and that I “realized a problem in my life and acknowledged it without self-flagellation.” Four and a half years later, her comment still stings. So why do I include it here?
Jeremiah 14:21 For the sake of your name do not despise us; do not dishonor your glorious throne. Remember your covenant with us and do not break it.
What God wants from His people is genuine repentance, and I know I have a problem with pride. What my friend saw as self-flagellation, God recognizes as my humbling myself before Him. I am human, and it is shockingly easy for me to let my pride take the wheel. I want to always humble myself before Him. It doesn’t matter what what my friend thought she saw or understood from my reflections. God knows my heart.
Jeremiah 14:22a Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers?
Lord, I want to be real, honest, and humble before You always. Help me to care more about where I stand with You and how I stand before You than I do about how others perceive me. Help me to have a humble and contrite heart in Your pressure and to glorify Your name for all. Amen.
Jeremiah 14:22b No, it is you, Lord our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.
Have a blessed day.
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The difference between humility and humiliation…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 13:7 So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless.
The difference between humility and humiliation is vast. God is saying: Humble yourselves before Me or I will humble you, and it won’t be pleasant for you. God doesn’t want to humiliate His people, He loves them, but they have wandered so far from Him and can’t even see the error of their ways because of their arrogant pride.
Jeremiah 13:8-9 Then the word of the Lord came to me: “This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.”
The rational side of me is baffled: how do they not see the error of their ways? But isn’t that the nature of pride? To think, “Poor fools. Look at them ignoring God’s plea for them to return to Him” when in my own stubborn, arrogant, human way, I’m doing the exact same thing?
Jeremiah 13:10 These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless! 
Lord, I want to be humble and not humiliated. I want to be dutiful and not obsequious. I want to be an attractive adornment that brings attention to You and not a fleshly weight trying to block the world’s view of Your glory. I want to shine Your light and not my own. Help me. Draw me closer. Amen.
Jeremiah 13:11 For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.’
Have a blessed day.
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Attitude adjustment…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 12:14 This is what the Lord says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the people of Judah from among them.”
Jeremiah says in verse 1: “Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?” Bold words, but I, too, am curious to know the answer.
Jeremiah 12:15 “But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country.”
And based on the way I understand the verses here, the answer is, essentially, “Because they are My children, too, and I want to give them one more chance to turn back to Me so I can show them compassion.” I’m so thankful for His compassion in my own life. How can I fault God for offering it even to the wicked in the hopes of bringing them home?
Jeremiah 12:16 “And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people.”
Lord, I am not worthy to be called Your child, and yet Your refer to me as Your beloved. Thank You. As You can see, my attitude still needs some adjusting. Thank You for Your amazing compassion on all Your children. Help us to be as compassionate toward each other. Draw us all closer to You. Amen.
Jeremiah 12:17 “But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.
Have a blessed day.
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Thank You…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 11:11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them. 
I cannot imagine anything more terrifying than God writing me off. As long as I have a tiny penlight of hope, I can persevere. For God to say I’ve messed up so grievously that He will not listen to me would be an ending blow.
Jeremiah 11:12 The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they will not help them at all when disaster strikes. 
I am thankful for Jesus and His compassion because I mess up again and again and again. Because Jesus took our place, God will never say to us these things He said to Judah and Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 11:13 You, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.’
Lord, I do not deserve Your mercy and compassion, but You lavish me with both. Thank You. I can never earn Your love nor demand Your attention, but You love me fiercely and listen to me intently. Thank You. I can never be worthy to be called Your beloved child, but You called me Yours because I am. Nothing I do can change that. ‘Thank You’ is so inadequate, but it’s all I’ve got. Help me to glorify Your name. Always. Amen.
Jeremiah 11:14 “Do not pray for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.
Have a blessed day.
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Season of anticipation…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 10:3 “For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.”
This weekend, for the first time in my memory, we went to a tree farm to select our Christmas tree. Yesterday, we brought it in, set it up, put lights on, placed the angel on the top, and began placing ornaments. It was an activity of both nostalgia—reminiscing about all the ornaments and their origins—and anticipation—preparing our home and our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Jeremiah 10:4 “They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter.”
As I read this chapter of Jeremiah, Romans 8:28 came to mind: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” The presence of the Christmas tree in so many homes as we prepare our hearts to celebrate Christ’s birth seems a perfect example of this verse in action.
Jeremiah 10:5a “Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk.”
Lord, Thank You that You can and will and do use all things for our good and Your glory. Thank You for this season of Advent and the ability to prepare our hearts and our homes for Jesus. Be with us in this season of anticipation. Draw us closer. Amen.
Jeremiah 10:5b “…Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.”
Have a blessed day.
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Life is not about us…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 9:23 This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches….”
We live in a culture that loves to boast, a culture built on who is the best, the brightest, the strongest, the smartest, the most attractive, the richest, etc, etc. Ultimately, those accolades mean absolutely nothing. You can’t take any of that with you, and if you’re the one holding the title of “the best,” then you are also the one holding the target that others are aiming for. That’s what happens when life is all about us.
Jeremiah 9:24a “…but let the one who boasts boast about this.…”
Thankfully, life shouldn’t be, isn’t supposed to be, all about us. If we can just keep our minds and hearts focused on the goals of Jeremiah 9:24–to know God, to exercise kindness, justice, and righteousness—we will be doing ok.
Jeremiah 9:24b “…that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight….”
Lord, It is so easy to get caught up in the ways of this world. We often join the quest for “best of” without even fully realizing we’ve done it. I do not want that for my life or my legacy. Help me to use Jeremiah 9:24 as my guide. Help me to focus on knowing You and on exercising kindness, justice, and righteousness in my interactions with others. Draw me closer. Amen.
Jeremiah 9:24c …declares the Lord.
Have a blessed day.
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A working relationship…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 8:11 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. “Peace, peace,” they say, when there is no peace. (NIV)
This exact verse is in Jeremiah 6:14. Commentary says that this point was so important that God had Jeremiah repeat it. I think He has another lesson for me in the repetition. I am at my heart a Pollyanna. I try to look at the bright side, to see the good, the positive in every situation. There is a lot of good that comes from that. The world tries to tell me there is no peace, but God gently reminds me that He is in control, He is my peace.
Jeremiah 8:11 They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace. (NLT)
With today’s repetition, I also feel Him reminding me that even though He is in control, that even though He brings peace where there is no peace, I should not be sitting on my hands waiting. He’s still got work for me to do. He doesn’t need me overwhelmed by the world’s chaos nor does He need me placated to the point of inaction. He needs me to understand that He is my peace in this world and I am His hands and feet. It’s a working relationship, and I have work to do.
Jeremiah 8:11 They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. (ESV)
Lord, Thank You for being my peace in this world, for speaking to my heart through Your scripture, for reminding me that my peace is found in You and that You have work for me to do. Draw me closer. Amen.
Jeremiah 8:11 They have healed the brokenness of the daughter of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace. (NASB)
Have a blessed day.