Truly God's Blessed

King James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Saturday, August 22, 2015
Chapters: Jeremiah 39-42
Message Title: Truly God's Blessed

Hello My Friend,

Blessed, to make happy in a future life, to set apart or consecrate for holy purposes. The second a person trusts Jesus Christ as their Saviour, they are blessed, not only for are they saved from hell, they are also set apart for God to be used for His holy purposes. God blesses His people greatly, yes we do face constant criticism, false accusations, and even persecution from the world, but we are truly blessed, especially when we endure the trials we face. We just need to keep pressing toward the mark, enduring the trials, trusting Christ, knowing we are truly His blessed. “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.” - Philippians 3:13-15.

Oh, when we are facing trials it can be hard to see the blessings, in fact, believe it or not the trials are blessings, everything led by the hand of God is a blessing. When Jeremiah was stuck in a dungeon sinking in muck, I am sure he wondered if he was going to die there, but by the hand of God he was rescued by Ebedmelech and thirty other men risking their lives to do the right thing. Now, after all their attempts to stop Jeremiah from telling the truth, the judgment of the princes and the king we taking place. The princes were captured, king Zedekiah had to witness his sons being executed before his eyes were gouged out and then taken to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar tells the captain of the guard not to harm Jeremiah, God told Jeremiah to speak to Ebedmelech.
“Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying, Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee. Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.” - Jeremiah 39:11,12,15-18.

God promised Ebedmelech that he would be safe and no harm would come to him for helping Jeremiah, but warned him that because he put his trust in Him he was going to be constant prey by those who don't. It seems like it is much easier for the wicked to pick on those who trust Jesus Christ, even He warns us that we are prey as well, but just as God promised Ebedmelech that he would be protected we will be also. “Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” - Mark 13:12,13.

When God called Jeremiah to speak to the people of Judah about the judgment that they were about to face I imagine that he had no idea how much he would have to deal with just by relaying the message. Perhaps things were going to get better now that only a remnant remained in Jerusalem. The captain of the guard unchained Jeremiah, and encourages him to come to Babylon with him. “And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place. Now the LORD hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you. And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.” - Jeremiah 40:2-4.

Jeremiah gets a choice, stay in Jerusalem and suffer or go to Babylon where he would be taken care of. Once we get saved, we have a choice, live in the world and suffer or live with Jesus and be taken care of. I have to tell you, I was saved for quite some time before I chose to live with Christ, and it was a disaster. When God brought me to my senses I was in the muck, sinking deep, but Jesus pulled me out, cleaned me up, and took me where I would be safe. Is it always easy walking with Christ? No. You see, we who are of Christ are not of the world, and we will never fit in with them. And let me tell you, persecution with Christ is better than being accepted in the world any day. “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” - John 17:14-17.

Things were getting out of hand, people were conspiring against each other and being killed left and right. It was then that some of the remnant find Jeremiah and ask him for help from God. The people are telling Jeremiah that they want God to give them direction and they would do whatever He tells them, but these are the same people who did not listen to him when he warned them the first time. God answers them with a judgment warning.

“For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more. The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day. For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it. And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you.” - Jeremiah 42:18-21.

Yes, we have a choice, and God will accept any choice we make, but that still does not stop His judgment upon us for sin. From the beginning of creation until Jesus returns, the punishment for sin is death, not the death of the flesh, that is something that we cannot escape, the death of the soul. Yes, the soul is real, and until Christ applies His blood on it, it is dead. Once the flesh dies, the soul goes to one of two places, heaven or hell, it is by our choice that we end up in heaven or hell, no one else's. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” - Hebrews 9:27,28.

Today's Prayer: God, You promise that You will always be with us, through our trials it can seem like You are so far, but You are always with us. There is not one trial that we cannot win with You leading the way. When things get tough, remind us that we have a tougher, stronger God on our side to help us. God, give us Your power, strength, and courage to face the trials before us knowing that You will always give us the victory. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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