Tuesday 26 Nov 2013

Tuesday Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6

Key Verse: Jeremiah 23:2
Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the Lord.

Devotion:
The bible is God’s Word. That means that from the very beginning to the very end, it is all God’s Word. You cannot skip chapters because they talk about things you do not want to hear about or things that you think only apply to other people; this is the Word of God. So when we get stark warnings like this that should put the fear of God in us, we need to stand up and take notice!

It is no good saying that this was a warning written to the leaders of Israel who were not doing their jobs so it does not count for me. It is no good saying that we are not Jews therefore it does not apply to us. This is what God said should be written down by Jeremiah so that all people would take notice of what was going on. This warning was given to the church leaders at that time but it is still valid and absolutely true for leaders of the churches today as well. Just because we live on the other side of the world and go to a different denomination to the people of Israel does not mean that we can be lax in our leadership!

When God gives us a position where we get to teach others or lead them through discovering the bible for themselves, He is entrusting us with an awesome responsibility that must not be taken lightly! God has given you the privilege of showing someone else the truth that He has entrusted you with. That same truth that allowed you to become a child of God is now your tool to show to someone else! If you misuse that word, keep it from people or change it for your own good then you are going up against God!

He is the one who knows what each one of us get up to every second of the day. He is the one who knows what goes through our minds. He is the one who knows when we back down or when we refuse to share the gospel. These verses should be taken as if they were a final demand from God and not just a polite notice to wake you up! God is very serious about getting people to know the truth because He knows the consequences!

Points to Ponder:
Do you skip parts of your bible?

Would you like God to skip over you?