Jeremiah Stays in Judah
Open Your Bible
Jeremiah 39:1-18, Jeremiah 40:1-16, Jeremiah 41:1-18, 2 Chronicles 36:15-16, Romans 6:23
BY Erin Davis
Suffering has a way of shoving cotton in my ears. When the going gets tough, I have a bad habit of convincing myself that God has stopped speaking altogether. At times, I find myself squashed by my perception that the Spirit has simply gone silent on me.
But then I read the words of Jeremiah, the prophet who spent his days weeping (with good cause) over God’s people and their disobedience, and I am reminded that God is hardly indifferent to us, our sin, or our suffering. Within today’s reading alone, just three little chapters of Jeremiah’s story, we find that his city of Jerusalem besieged as pagan officials laid in wait to accost his neighbors. The king fled and was captured… and then had his eyes gouged out. The sons and nobles of Jeremiah’s homeland were then slaughtered, and his countrymen were carried away into exile. And the cisterns that were meant to hold water were instead filled with the bodies of those who were slain (Jeremiah 39–40). Keep in mind: that’s just three chapters.
Jeremiah himself was left to live as a prisoner among the most destitute of his brethren. This single snapshot of Jeremiah’s story contains more heartache than you and I will likely ever know. Yet it was at that moment that “the word of the LORD had come to Jeremiah when he was confined in the guard’s courtyard” (Jeremiah 39:15). The sound of God’s voice speaking in Jeremiah’s darkest moment unstops my ears and reminds me that the things of this world, even the political upheaval of leaders, cannot squelch the word of the Lord; His plans will succeed. Suffering, imprisonment, and sorrows—none of these are a match for God’s power and goodness. There is no prison that can lock out God’s voice, nor is there a ruler who can censor Him.
With every form of comfort stripped from Jeremiah, what a balm God’s presence and voice must have been! The Book of Jeremiah is proof that there is nothing God’s children cannot endure as long as the Lord is still speaking. On every peak and in every valley, in times of plenty and in times of want, whether everything is coming up roses, or all we see is darkness—if we listen for the voice of our Shepherd, we will find that He is still speaking. He is not indifferent but engaged. God Himself is still wooing, always calling His children back to Him.
59 thoughts on "Jeremiah Stays in Judah"
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I do not know if any of our sisters are from the great state of New York (although I suspect they might be) but they now have over 30,000 Coronavirus cases and over 300 deaths from the same. I would like to ask you, when you are praying for the general wellbeing of our country and world, to make a special petition for New York and other hard-hit states (like California, Washington, Florida, Michigan, Illinois, Massachusetts, Lousiana, Georgia, and New Jersey).
Thanks, Sisters!
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This was so good and just what I needed to hear.
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Sisters we are living in dark and desperate times but, praise God, there is a balm in Gilead to heal our sin-sick world! Let us not forget, however, the healing power existing in each of us as we love, pray and care for others. And let us not forget that we can be that flickering light in the darkness every time we share the Word of God, bringing hope to the hopeless and peace and comfort to the frightened.
So, today, let’s harness the power that our Lord and Savior has bestowed upon us as believers and be blessings to a world shrouded in darkness and pain.
Please remember to care for yourselves as you continue to care for others. I am praying for you! -
Woke up later then normal. Read the scriptures and devotion but need to go back to re-read. I do know one thing. It’s through the tough times and boy have there been many! I have felt my Jesus so close to me. Those days were very dark and I was very scared. I could hardly even breathe. I remember sitting in the courtroom and the advocate that had accompanied me had to tell me “take a deep breath“. We were never promised that everything was going to be roses but when Jesus is the Lord of our life we can conquer anything! He is our true advocate, our faithful friend, and he promised us never to leave us or for sake us. I am a witness that this is true!
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To clarify chapter 39:15-18
“The Word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah…GO TELL Ebed-Melech the Cushite” the Lord was sparing Ebed-Melech’s life (previous chapter-38:7-13)
Ebed-Melech was an Ethiopian or outsider that trusted in God and took a risk when he rescued Jeremiah from the cistern. I think the Lord was giving Ebed-Melech encouragement and telling him, I saw you take a risk for me and it didn’t go unnoticed. May we also be encouraged by this, taking risks for the Lord don’t go unnoticed AND we can still hear the Lord when we are confined:)-
Yes & yes!
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“Suffering, imprisonment, and sorrows-none of these are a match for God’s goodness”. My goodness this gave me so much encouragement. Jeremiah has been through all of that but God is still there talking and taking care of him. How hard must of been for him to see his city in ruins, his neighbors either dead or enslaved but there’s still hope. There’s still time for them to repent and turn to God for he is good and will restore them. I love this study! No matter what sorrows we face today, God is always with us. There is indeed nothing we cannot endure with God in our hearts! ❤️
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I don’t know about you but when I read “There is no prison that can lock out God’s voice, nor is there a ruler who can censor Him.”which Erin Davis wrote in today’s devotional I thought Amen and that’s my God. She went on to write, “On every peak and in every valley, in times of plenty and in times of want, whether everything is coming up roses, or all we see is darkness—if we listen for the voice of our Shepherd, we will find that He is still speaking. He is not indifferent but engaged. God Himself is still wooing, always calling His children back to Him.” which is what I know I really needed to hear right now. I needed to be reminded to just listen for Him. He is always there, He always cares, He loves unconditionally. God will never let me down, He will never leave my side. As I read His word, these devotionals, and your comments I feel myself drawing closer. I will be reading other past reading plans too. God is calling me closer in these hard times. He is telling me even if I can’t be face-to-face with people I can still spread the Good News. As Romans 6:23 says “For the Wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Let’s spread the Good News together. Play your Christian music and podcasts so your neighbors can hear it. Go outside and read your Bible and devotional and maybe even read it out loud to yourself.
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Such a great reminder that fills my cup. The Lords voice is present even at our darkest times. I think of all that is going on in the world and can’t help but Year for the Lord. Hear is voice but be still and watch to see how he is working.
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