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To seek and listen…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 7:12 “‘Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for my Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel.”
When reading verse 13, Isaiah 65:24 came to mind in sharp contrast: “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.” God wants relationship with His people. He wants us to talk with Him. He wants to bless us. But we must seek and establish relationship, we must trust and obey if we want to hear His voice, if we want to see His blessings.
Jeremiah 7:13 “While you were doing all these things, declares the Lord, I spoke to you again and again, but you did not listen; I called you, but you did not answer.”
As I was typing this, the parable of the Prodigal Son came to mind. The Prodigal, when he returned home, finally understood all the bounty and blessing he had been surrounded with the whole time. He had been blind to it before, but now that he actively sought relationship and forgiveness, he saw it clearly. The brother, vision clouded by anger and bitterness, was still blind to the abundance around him.
Jeremiah 7:14 “Therefore, what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears my Name, the temple you trust in, the place I gave to you and your ancestors.”
Lord, I am guilty of being blind to Your presence, Your blessings. I am guilty of being deaf to Your voice. I am better now about seeking and listening, seeing and hearing, but I am still not where I want to be. Help me to sit quietly at Your feet, to seek and listen, to draw closer to You with every breath. Amen.
Jeremiah 7:15 “I will thrust you from my presence, just as I did all your fellow Israelites, the people of Ephraim.’”
Have a blessed day.
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Peace, peace…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 6:14 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace. (NIV)
The “they” referred to in this verse is the prophets and the priests. The corruption went so high that even the men of God were corrupted. That’s an insidious level of corruption, when even those you should be able to trust for right counsel steer you wrong.
Jeremiah 6:14 They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace. (NLT)
Interestingly, the thing that really stuck out to me about this verse is how different it seems now. Then they were claiming peace when there was no peace. Now, I’m awfully bad to think the whole world is falling apart, when my precious Savior whispers, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
Jeremiah 6:14 They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all. (BSB)
Lord, You are sovereign. You are already on the other side of every battle, every heartache, every problem I will ever face. When life feels overwhelming, help me to cling to Romans 8:37: “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” When I try to say there is no peace in the chaos of life, remind me that You are my peace. Thank You. Amen.
Jeremiah 6:14 “They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace. (NASB)
Have a blessed day.
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Being mindful…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 5:21 Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear:
This motif of unseeing eyes and unhearing ears is prevalent throughout the Bible. Sadly, it’s prevalent throughout life, too. How often do we go through life not really looking or listening, not really seeing or hearing? All. The. Time.
Jeremiah 5:23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away.
For some time now, my sister and I have ended each day with texts to each other about blessings and things we are thankful for within each day. I’m sad to admit that in the beginning, I was a little concerned I might run out of things. Clearly, I wasn’t looking, wasn’t seeing. Now I’m more mindful through my days, sometimes even thinking, “This will go on tonight’s list” about something that happens. This practice is changing me, and I am grateful.
Jeremiah 5:24 They do not say to themselves, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’
Lord, I am foolish and senseless. I am guilty of not looking, not seeing, of not listening or hearing, and the truth is, Your presence is EVERYWHERE if we will only take the time to seek You. Help me continue to be more mindful of Your presence in my life, in this world. Help me to shine Your light for all. Draw me closer. Amen.
Jeremiah 5:25 Your wrongdoings have kept these away; your sins have deprived you of good.
Have a blessed day.
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Repent and return…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 4:1a “If you, Israel, will return, then return to me,” declares the Lord….
What I hear in these two verses of Jeremiah is yet one more invitation from the Lord for Judah to turn from her wicked ways, repent, and come home. The rest of the chapter outlines what will happen if they do not repent and return. It’s easy to stand on the outside and judge them for being fools for ignoring God’s invitation to return, but I’ve seen that play out in my own life too many times to judge.
Jeremiah 4:1b …“If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray….”
So why do we, when our precious Savior calls us once again to repent and return, why do we stay entrenched in our destructive behaviors? Do we enjoy them? Do we think that the invitation is not genuine? Are we too proud to admit our errors? Do we not feel we deserve the second chance? (We don’t, but who are we to argue with God?) There are as many reasons as there are sinners, yet God continues to issue the invitation to repent and return to Him.
Jeremiah 4:2a “…and if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’….”
Lord, Thank You for Your compassion and love. Thank You that You continue to invite me to repent and return to You. Help me, no matter what my pigheaded reasons, to swallow my pride and admit my deep need for You. Help me back Home. Amen.
Jeremiah 4:2b “…then the nations will invoke blessings by him and in him they will boast.”
Have a blessed day.
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Return to Me…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 3:1 “If a man divorces a woman and she goes and marries someone else, he will not take her back again, for that would surely corrupt the land. But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, so why are you trying to come back to me?” says the LORD. (NLT)
Commentary brought my attention to the wording at the end of this verse. Some scholars translate the end of this verse to mean, essentially: how dare you consider returning to me after what you’ve done. Others translate it as an invitation: you have sinned, yet return to Me and I will heal you.
Jeremiah 3:1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD. (KJV)
I find it fascinating (and frustrating, if I’m honest) that even scholars are divided on this issue, but I’m going to go with my gut. The God I believe in, the God I worship, He is the God of love and second chances. He would leave the 99 to find the one lost sheep and bring him home. My God would definitely issue an invitation: “Yep. You screwed up, you are actively turned away from Me. But I love you. Come home to Me and I will heal you.”
Jeremiah 3:1 “If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers— would you now return to me?” declares the LORD. (NIV)
Lord, You ARE the God of love, compassion, and second chances. You see us at our worst, our most stubborn and pigheaded, in the middle of our rebellion, and You love us anyway. Thank You for the invitation to return to You. Help us to be wise enough to accept it and come home. Amen.
Jeremiah 3:1 If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Wouldn’t such a land become totally defiled? But you! You have prostituted yourself with many partners — can you return to me? This is the LORD’s declaration. (CSB)
Have a blessed day.
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Where and with whom we spend our time…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 2:5 This is what the LORD says: “What fault did your fathers find in Me that they strayed so far from Me, and followed worthless idols, and became worthless themselves?” (BSB)
An aphorism by Ben Franklin came to mind as I read the various translations of this verse: “He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.” You become like those you spend time with. That was God’s point in this section that He spoke through Jeremiah. The Israelites were becoming like their captors, worshiping their gods, turning their backs on the One True God.
Jeremiah 2:5 Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? (KJV)
And the danger is not just in who you spend your time with but also in what you spend your time doing. Worthlessness, vanity, idolatry, and emptiness are not just dangers faced by the Israelites from long ago. They are still real and present dangers if we don’t keep ourselves focused on God.
Jeremiah 2:5 Thus says the LORD: “What injustice have your fathers found in Me, That they have gone far from Me, Have followed idols, And have become idolaters?” (NKJV)
Lord, Help me to be ever mindful of the fact that I become like those I spend time with and I become like what I spend time doing. Help me to spend my time with You, focused on You, trying to build Your kingdom on earth, shining Your light, glorifying Your name. Draw me closer. Remake me in Your image so that when others look at me, they see You, my Father. Amen.
Jeremiah 2:5 This is what the LORD says: “What injustice did your fathers find in Me, That they went far from Me, And walked after emptiness and became empty?” (NASB)
Have a blessed day.
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And so it is with you…. (devo reflection)

Jeremiah 1:4-5 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew a you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
I believe that this sentiment, spoken by God to Jeremiah, is true for all of us. As He is knitting us together in our mothers’ wombs, He infuses in us traits that will help us to fulfill His plan for us. I am an encourager. My oldest sister is a problem solver. She has a gift for zeroing in on how to begin daunting tasks, how to identify and solve problems, how to get things done. She also has a fierce love for others. My middle sister’s gift lies in her ability to normalize the overwhelming. She walks boldly into situations that others can’t even wrap their heads around and says, “These are people. They need love and care. So I’m going to love and care for them. Period.”
Jeremiah 1:6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
Three different people. Three different gifts. But just like Jeremiah, we’ve all struggled at times, feeling overwhelmed and out of our depth. Just like with Jeremiah, God has shown us His love and guidance in the middle of our overwhelm, has reminded us that He is with us, that He’s got us, has helped us to push through. And so it is with you.
Jeremiah 1:7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.”
Lord, Thank You for the way that You uniquely knit each of us, all of Your beloved children, together in our mothers’ wombs, for infusing us even before birth, with traits that allow us to fulfill Your will for our lives. Thank You for being with us and encouraging us, even when Your kingdom work feels a bit overwhelming. Help us to shine Your light for all. Draw us closer. Amen.
Jeremiah 1:8 “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
Have a blessed day.
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Trusting His big picture…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 66:1 This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?”
In the classroom, I am charged with understanding both the big picture—where we’ve been, where we’re going, and how those two intersect—and where we are currently, along with how that fits in with the bigger picture. I used to try to share all of that with students, but they were often so focused on the now that they missed how it fit in as part of the whole. If I can get students to trust that I have a master plan and to do the little, daily steps, usually, eventually, they realize that we’ve been working diligently on the big picture all along.
Isaiah 66:2 “Has not my hand made all these things and so they came into being?” declares the Lord “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”
Ironically, when I am the student and God is the teacher, I find that I am often just as short-sighted and impatient as my own students when it comes to trusting His big picture and daily plan. It takes a humble and contrite spirit to trust and continue even when the big picture isn’t clear, even when the work of now doesn’t seem relevant. Jesus, Help me.
Isaiah 66:3 …They have chosen their own ways, and they delight in their abominations;
Lord, Thank You for showing me that my lack of trust in Your daily plan is my pride and that my lack of trust implies that I think You don’t know what You are doing. Help me to be humble and contrite in spirit, help me to seek You daily, help me to trust You—the master teacher—and to trust Your master plan, even when I don’t understand. Draw me closer. Amen.
Isaiah 66:4 …so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring on them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.”
Have a blessed day.
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Before they call…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 65:1 “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’”
The words long suffering and steadfast come to mind as descriptions for God in this chapter. His compassion, even for “those who did not ask, those who did not seek,” is clearly visible. He is a God of love. He has a heart for all.
Isaiah 65:2 “All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations—“
The beginning of this passage sets up the question: If God is so loving, so steadfast, to the obstinate, to those who pursue their own imaginations, what’s He like for those who actively seek Him? Verse 24 provides the answer: “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”
Isaiah 65:3 “…a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick….”
Lord, Often in my fleshly, human failings, I am the obstinate one, the one who is not seeking, who is pursuing my own imagination instead of pursuing You. Forgive me. Thank You that even in my obstinance, You reveal Yourself to me whenever I seek You. Thank You that even in my failings, I can cling to the promise in verse 24. Help me to be more like You as I try to glorify Your name and comfort Your people. Amen.
Isaiah 65:24 “Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”
Have a blessed day.
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A human BEING…. (devo reflection)

Isaiah 64:4 Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
I have struggled, more this semester than most, with my worth as a human BEING instead of a human DOING. As someone who has been a productive citizen for as long as I can remember, I struggle with my value and worth when I am too worn out to DO. And yet God encourages our being, He tells us to “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
Our culture puts a premium on doing. The first question that we often ask strangers is: What do you DO for a living? It just occurred to me to wonder if that has any connection to our pride: What do you do and how can you help me move higher? But God is concerned primarily with our BEING, He acts on behalf of those who WAIT for Him (verse 4), those who aren’t so busy doing that they miss His still, small voice.
Isaiah 64:8 Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
Lord, BEING instead of DOING is something I still struggle with. Thank You for the continued reminder that I need to lay it all at Your feet. Thank You that You love me for who I am and who I am to You and not for anything I do. Help all my doings be aimed to bring You glory and to comfort Your people. Help me to get better at being still in Your presence. Draw me closer. Amen.
Isaiah 64:9 Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord; do not remember our sins forever; Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people.
Have a blessed day.