Sunday, August 23, 1998 This Week’s Lesson:
In this week’s lesson, which came from Jeremiah 29:1-2, 4-14, we studied about the importance of basing our hope for the future in God and in His purposes for our life. After giving Jeremiah a lifetime ministry of preaching about coming judgment to Judah, the time had finally come for God to start bringing about that judgment. Jeremiah had offended many of those who were about to feel God’s wrath, but for many years, he had still been the Lord’s faithful mouthpiece and messenger. These were people who had lived in open immorality for a very long time. They had taken for themselves false prophets who would tell them words which would tickle their ears, they had submitted themselves to priests who proclaimed their own message in their own power, and they had set themselves up idols to be worshipped. Their time to be judged had come, yet according to Scriptures, they were getting exactly what they deserved. Their deportation to Babylon had begun, but even as it was happening, Jeremiah remained in Judah where he was about to give the people yet another message from the Lord. Though he had preached about coming judgment for so long, he was about to tell the people that they could and should put their hope in God for their future and that He would see them through their upcoming, very difficult ordeal.
The people of Judah were bad, but they were not so different than any of us. According to Romans 3:23, all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. According to Romans 6:23, the wages of that sin is death. Many of the people of Judah would die physically as a result of their captivity in Babylon, but the Bible clearly teaches that spiritual death is far worse. Jeremiah tried to tell the people to trust the Lord. Today, God’s messengers still try to tell people to put their hope and trust in the Lord. Five or six hundred years after the events of this lesson, Jesus inhabited the body of a man and lived among earth’s inhabitants. When His time had come, He freely gave Himself on the cross at Calvary so that He could pay the sin debt which is upon every person. Everyone dies physically, but because of the finished work of our Lord on the cross, none of us have to die spiritually. God kept His promise to the people of Judah. Seventy years after their captivity, they were released and allowed to return to their beloved land. Many of us are still in bondage to our sins, but God will keep His promise to deliver all those who trust in Him. If you have not surrendered your heart to the Lord Who loves you and gave Himself for you, then please do so today.
Everyone wants to experience true love, and everyone wants to feel hope. Sometimes, the best way to accomplish these objectives is to look up. As you go through the coming week, ask the Holy Spirit to point out to you someone in need, and then, as He would lead you, try to help that person meet their needs. God receives sinners, but many, many people do not know that. Therefore, may each of us do all we can to get the word out.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CjasYsgodTavopOunLviIghajDasgZwmalhTigQazNwpyidHgoEavopZhosgUmoRanOjivKshodFamiBgmejtVupmi
QwpyidKwjipFasgBvoYXWupjeawPjasLafipGoEwmeAZagenUpyihPunMhoJashFEwmaojvXghazSunPhoMashIH
GehimedZigWwagexowawMhoJatelEhosg
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Send email to: tlee6040@aol.com