Thought for February 6, 2024

  • 1564: John Calvin preaches his last sermon
  • 1812: Ordination of first foreign missionaries from the U.S.--Adoniram Judson, Gordon Hall, Luther Rice, Samuel Newell, and Samuel Nott
  • 1820: 86 Americans start the settlement of Liberia
  • 1869: "Harper's" publishes the first picture of Uncle Sam with whiskers
  • 1894: Bottle opener invented
  • 1911: First "old age" home opens in Prescott Arizona
  • 1935: "Monopoly" goes on sale
  • 1952: Queen Elizabeth II takes the throne
  • 1971: Alan Shepherd hits a golf ball on the moon
  • 2014: Jay Leno begins his run on the Tonight Show
  • Born: Aaron Burr, JEB Stuart, Babe Ruth, Ronald Reagan, Eva Braun, Mary Leakey [discovered earliest human footprints], Zsa Zsa Gabor, Mike Farrell, Tom Brokaw, Fabian, Bob Marley, Natalie Cole, Axl Rose
  • Died: Joseph Priestly [discovered oxygen and carbonated water], Barbara Tuchman, Danny Thomas, Arthur Ashe, Carl Wilson [Beach Boys], Lew Burdette, Jack Hyles [pastor, First Baptist Hammond Ind.]
Thought:
Yesterday, we looked at God's calling of Jeremiah in 1:1-8. Today, I am reading 1:9-10 as God tells Jeremiah more about the calling. In 1:7, God tells Jeremiah to speak whatever God commands him to speak. Think about that--what has God commanded me to speak--the gospel, the truth, things tht are good, pure, lovely. He has told me to tell the truth in love, to speak to edify, correct, admonish in love. I am asking myself how well I m doing speaking what the Lord has commanded.

Now, the Lord touches Jeremiah's mouth--to cleanse, empower, dedicate to His service. Recall Isaiah's experience with the coals place on his tongue [Isaiah 6:6-7].  Has the Lord touched your mouth, your lips, your tongue. Makes me think of Peter when Jesus was washing his feet--Jesus don't just wash my feet, wash all of me. 

The assignment: pluck, break down, destroy, overthrow, build and plant. What a picture of our walk with the Lord. Pluck out of my life all that is fleshly and evil; break down every barrier that separates me from the full and complete submission to the Lord; destroy everything in my life that rebels against God [maybe like 2 Corinthians 10:5, destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ]; overthrowing all the fiery darts of the evil one; then allowing God through the Holy Spirit to build a holy temple to the Lord in my life, planted with the seed that yields the fruit of the Spirit. Now Jeremiah was being given this assignment to prophesy about the need for Judah to be disciplined and destroyed so that the Lord could rebuild and plant anew. 

These verses cause me to examine myself--what needs to be plucked out of my life, what temptation needs to be overthrown, what attitude needs to be destroyed so that I can respond fully to His call. And what seeds should be planted, watered and grown into fruit that is worthy of the calling? Have I stopped building on Jesus--got a foundation, made a shack. what needs to change for Him to build a temple for His service in my life? 

Jeremiah is the weeping prophet--just reading this causes me to weep about the poor job I have done plucking and building. Time to allow Him to control the cleaning and building. 

Blessings
Larry


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