Mercy, Grace, And The Rules Of God

KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Friday, August 12, 2016
Chapters: Jeremiah 14-17
Message: Mercy, Grace, And The Rules Of God

Hello My Friend,

When I was a little girl I was playing in the front seat of the car my dad was working on and decided to turn the key and start the car. What I did next was what was the cause of my punishment, I grabbed the column, and shifted the car in reverse. My dad quickly got from under the car, pulled me out, scolded me, and I was not allowed to get in a car again while he was working on it. You see, rules are made to not only keep us from getting hurt they are for the safety of others as well. I know we are in a generation that cares less about what happens to the next guy, but there are still a few out there who care about the safety of others. If there has never been a more critical time to teach the world that they need Jesus it is now, judgment is coming, and our only hope is Jesus.

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” - Jeremiah 17:7-10.

If you were to look up the statutes and mandates required to run a business that sells prepared food for people there are hundreds of rules to follow, each one made to not only keep the consumer safe, but the people preparing the food as well. When God gave the over six hundred and thirty to the Jews He did it for their safety. Did He expect them to know and keep them all? No. He expected their faithfulness. Now, Judah has backslidden so far away from God that there was a severe famine in the land, they fast and pray to God for relief, and even admitted their sin, only this time God was not sending any. They plead with God to no avail.

“O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee. O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not. Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins. Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them: but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence.” - Jeremiah 14:7-12.

“he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.” People like to question God on how He dealt with man before Christ came, He dealt with them the same exact way, the only difference we have permanent redemption through Christ now, when we break the rules of God we are still redeemed, but if we want to get right with God we still need to admit our sin and confess it. Again, God never expected them to know and keep so many rules, He just wanted them and all of us to be faithful to Him. All sin comes with consequence whether we realize we have sinned or not, if we are not saved every one of them will be revealed when we stand before Christ, but if we are saved the only thing that will be revealed are missed opportunities we had. “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” - Romans 14:11,12.

Sometimes we do not have to break any rules, we just get afflicted because someone else has sinned. As Jeremiah sees all these things happening and still has problems with people trying to kill him, he goes before God with a complaint, but God answers him with an assurance.

“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation. Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail? Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brasen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD.” - Jeremiah 15:16-20.

“but return not thou unto them.” God has one reason for keeping His faithful in the midst of the judgments of the world, to tell them about Jesus. We are in the world to preach the Gospel to them, we are among them, but not to be of them. Jesus is right there with us, He even prays for us and will keep us safe. “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.

You know, God is not done with the world just yet, if He was, Jesus would be here and we who are saved would be safe in the clouds while the earth and the devil gets destroyed. God's mercy is endless for His people, but there will come a time when it runs out for those who are not His. God talks to Jeremiah about bringing His people back to Jerusalem from all over the world.

“Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers. O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods? Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The LORD.” - Jeremiah 16:14,15,19-21.

“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,” Every person much come to a point in their lives that they see the world, the lies and deception of it, and their false perception of God is all of no profit. We must never forget that God is always with us, even if we have walked away from Him, He never looses sight of us. Yeah, we can get into a mess of trouble, but God will find us and bring us back home, even if death is the only way to do it. Now, that is God's grace. While His mercy pardons us from the punishment we deserve, His grace keeps us saved from the punishment no matter how many times we mess up. The key to enduing all the affliction we will face here is trusting God, not the world, not a false god, and certainly not a man who is just as much of a sinner as we are.

“Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now. As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee. Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil. Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.” - Jeremiah 17:14-18.

No matter what we have done in the past, or even what we are doing now, there is always hope for those who know Christ as their Saviour. He will let us live the way we want, He will let us fall, but He will also be there to pick us up. When we truly seek God's help He will give it to us, but we must be willing to let Him show us the right way to do things. “Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.” - Proverbs 8:34-36.


Jesus Christ Magnified: “O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?” - Jeremiah 14:8. Jesus is the Saviour, the hope of all in their time of trouble.

Today's Prayer: God, Thank You for Your mercy, You could have made me suffer the well needed punishment I deserved for my sins, but through Your Son I got pardoned from them all. Thank You for Your grace, as much as I mess up, Your are always there to help me and clean me up. You promised to never leave nor forsake me, and for that I am truly grateful, I know many times I have come to the edge, only to have You bring me back to solid ground. Lord, I am Your mouth, let me speak boldly about Your Son, and give me the strength to endure all the affliction I face for remaining faithful to You. Give me Your power to stay faithful, keep my eyes straight on You, and keep my feet from following the world. I ask these things in the name of Jesus, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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