“As for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I do not hear you.” Jeremiah 7:16 NASB Do not pray– As the West approaches collapse, religious leaders are often heard exhorting parishioners to pray for their nation. They wring their…
“and the dread of Me is not in you,” declares the Lord God of hosts. Jeremiah 2:19c NASB Dread– Of course God is the God of love. Certainly He desires to forgive. Without a doubt, He is gracious and merciful. Yes, He sent His son on our behalf. Definitely He cares. It is undeniably true that He is the…
For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes. Jeremiah 31:25 NASB Weary– In Hebrew, ʿāyēpa. Figuratively, wandering in the desert wasteland in desperate need of water. Thirst so harsh your tongue sticks to the roof of your mouth and breathing is like sucking in a blast furnace. This is nepeš negev– soul desert. Like…
For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes. Jeremiah 31:25 NASB Languishes– Today let’s start at the end. Why? Because that’s where we might be—at the end. At the end of ourselves. At the end of trying to please Him. At the end of the daily discipline. At the end of hoping for…
The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8 NASB Forsake you– You are probably more familiar with this verse from its citation in Hebrew 13:5: “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content…
Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, Romans 1:1-2 NASB The gospel of God– “It cannot be stressed too much that the biblical expression of the gospel is an historical event as God acts on behalf of his people to save. The gospel…
“A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 59:20 NASB Turn from– David A. Lambert’s book, How Repentance Became Biblical: Judaism, Christianity, & the Interpretation of Scripture, opens the door for a reconsideration of the role of repentance in the socio-religious communities that arose from ancient Israel. We…
Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5 NASB Forsake – Yesterday I went to see a movie called Leave No Trace. I just picked this movie because I had nothing else to do. …
Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24 NASB Take courage– In the end, faith seems to be about perseverance. It seems to be “going on” when “going on” seems impossible. In the end, the kind of faith found in biblical characters is not the proclamation of doctrines or creeds. …
O love the Lord, all you His godly ones! The Lord preserves the faithful and fully recompenses the proud doer. Psalm 31:23 NASB Proud doer– There’s a problem here. The Hebrew ‘ose(h) gaʾăwâ can be translated as “proud doer” (NASB) or as “the one who acts in pride” (ESV). The NIV reorders the words as “the proud he pays back in full.” …
