The plans he has for us.

Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Observation:
This is often read as a "pick-me-up" or "feel-good" verse, but if you look at it in context, it is addressed to a nation that is headed into 70 years of exile.

God does have a plan for us, that is good, but it usually isn't the easy road.

Application:
When things get tough, trust God, that is molding me into a stronger and better disciple.

Prayer:
I pray that God will do what he needs to do to help me know and trust him more. I recognize that he has a purpose greater that what I can see. It will all be worth it in the end.

Scripture can make you blush.

Scripture Jeremiah 2:20:

For long ago I broke your yoke
and burst your bonds;
but you said, 'I will not serve.'
Yes, on every high hill
and under every green tree
you bowed down like a whore.

Observation:
Sin is profane to God. Jeremiah describes Israel as a wife who goes out and commits prostitution, in spite her husbands love and provision.

Application:
When the bible clearly teaches us to do something, or not to do something, and we choose to ignore that teaching and do what we want, it is betrayal of God in the worst way. Much like adultery within a marriage, it is grievous.

Because we all do it, it is easy to think it is no big deal. It is a big deal. In John 14:15 Jesus says "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

I don't want to be "bowed down like a whore" to the lies of the world. This rather profane verse makes it a little easier to understand how awful it is to ignore the love of God.

Prayer:
I pray that I fall more and more in Love with God every day. That I bask in the gifts that he is given me. That I trust him enough to obey his commandments. I know that I have failed in the past, and I thank him for cleansing me, redeeming me and taking me back in spite of how heinously I treated him in the past.

Who is my Baal?

Scripture: 2 Kings 23:1-27

Observation: Josiah took great effort to cleanse Judah of all of it's sinful idols, and to restore God to his proper place. It is easy to look a this list and say "I don't worship Baal." The name Baal however is translated "lord" or "owner" And can be applied to anything that is your number one priority in life.

Application: Some very good things can become idols. Family, work, children, financial security, education, happiness, and fitness are just some examples of where we should be good stewards. All of these things however should be subservient to God. When I work to leave my children "Better off than I am" their "better off-ness" should be measured strictly by their relationship with God. Nothing else counts in the long run.

It seems to me that most sin is justified because one of these good things is in place of God. While some sin is rooted in outright rebellion and disobedience, the vast majority is a simple failure to do what God is calling you to do. Judah forgot to observe the passover for hundreds of years. What more do we forget when we elevate the "good life" above the Godly life?

Prayer: I pray Hebrews 12:1-3. That I can fix my eyes on Jesus and cast off anything that is weighting me down from pursuing Him with all of my heart.