SOAP FOR TODAY

Scripture for today:  Jeremiah 42; Jeremiah 43; Jeremiah 44; Psalm 48; Revelation 13 

Scripture-My special verse today:   Jeremiah 42:5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the LORD your God sends you to tell us. 6 Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the LORD our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the LORD our God.” 

Observation:  The people are humbled and truly want to serve the Lord.  They are now interested in following the Lord with all their heart.  They are willing to trust in the Lord no matter what the outcome, be it good or bad.  They are willing to follow him no matter what at this point.

However, this doesn’t last very long and the people once again fall away from the Lord.  They are unable to stay devoted to the Lord in the long term.

 Application:  How often am I willing to follow God no matter what?  Does it happen daily?  For my devotion to be true, I need to be willing to trust God no matter what the outcome if I know he is looking out for me.  I am willing to trust him in the good and the bad when I am mature in my relationship with him but willing to trust him with faith.  Children are much more willing to trust God in the everyday than adults.  As I mature in my faith, I am much less willing to trust God in everything because I begin to doubt from past experiences.  I am unwilling to step out on faith because the mature me doubts.

It is easy for me to declare my allegiance to God when things are going well, but harder to trust him in the troubled times.

 Prayer:  Lord, let me love you with a childlike faith.

SOAP FOR TODAY

Scripture for today:  Jeremiah 50; Jeremiah 51; 3 John 1 

Scripture-My special verse today:  Jeremiah 51:53 Even if Babylon reaches the sky 

       and fortifies her lofty stronghold, 
       I will send destroyers against her,” 
       declares the LORD.

 54 ”The sound of a cry comes from Babylon, 
       the sound of great destruction 
       from the land of the Babylonians. ^[h]

 55 The LORD will destroy Babylon; 
       he will silence her noisy din. 
       Waves of enemies will rage like great waters; 

       the roar of their voices will resound. 

Observation:  No matter how much Babylon tries to make an impenetrable fortress, it will be no match for God.  Rather, he will bring it to ruin when the time is right.  He promises that Babylon will indeed be destroyed and that the people will eventually be released.  However, he doesn’t agree to do it on man’s time but on his own time.

Application:  No matter how much I build up the walls around the things I don’t want God to take away they are no match for him.  In my life, some things I want God to see completely.  I’m proud of how good they are going and how holy they are looking.  However, other areas of my life require lots of wall building because I don’t want others to see those areas.  Nope, I want to keep those areas secret, thank you very much.  However, I know from this passage that no amount of wall building or hiding will keep God from breaking through.  I guess I need to clean them up ahead of time.

Prayer:  Lord, illuminate the areas of my life that need rebuilding and the ones that need to be destroyed.  Help me celebrate the fact that you see all and know all.

SOAP FOR TODAY

Scripture for today:  Jeremiah 37; Jeremiah 38; Jeremiah 39; Psalm 79; 2 John 1  

Scripture-My special verse today:  Jeremiah 38:15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I give you an answer, will you not kill me? Even if I did give you counsel, you would not listen to me.”

 16 But King Zedekiah swore this oath secretly to Jeremiah: “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us breath, I will neither kill you nor hand you over to those who are seeking your life.” 

Observation:  Jeremiah is taken captive and set to be killed.  However, King Zedekiah wants Jeremiah to tell him the future, what he sees God doing.  Jeremiah makes him promise that he will not kill him, no matter what the answer to which the King agrees.

Jeremiah is smart enough to know that although the King wants to know what will happen, he really does not want to know.  Thus, Jeremiah agrees that he will tell him although he already knows the king will not take his advice.

Application:  How do you outsmart the ungodly?  Make them promise and declare what God laid on your heart according to Jeremiah.  Zedekiah eventually is taken captive, his sons killed in front of him and the leaders killed in his presence.  He is then blinded and eventually killed.  Sounds pretty gross to me.  However, Jeremiah had warned him but he refused to listen.  He did not want to hear what he was saying.  But, how many times do I want to hear that I am going to lose?  Not exactly my top ten things to talk about.

I am not sure how to wrap my mind around these verses but I am trying to understand them.  Gruesome details are not really my thing, but Jeremiah gives me an idea of how to handle the ungodly – tell them God’s will.

Prayer:  Lord, help me stay true to you!!  Let me learn from the past.

SOAP FOR TODAY

Scripture for today:  Jeremiah 33; Jeremiah 34; Psalm 74; 1 John 5  

Scripture-My special verse today:   Jeremiah 34:17 ”Therefore, this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom for your fellow countrymen. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you, declares the LORD -’freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague and famine. I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth.  

Observation:  God has told the people to free their slaves.  Supposedly they are turning toward God after years of not following him.  The time has come in God’s eyes for a show of their convictions, not just lip service.  He calls them to free their slaves which they willfully do.  However, soon afterwards they enslave them again.  They are willing to be obedient – but only for a short time and when it doesn’t cost them anything.  When they refuse to truly obey, he gives them their “freedom”, but not the kind of freedom they thought they were getting.

Application:  Freedom always comes at a cost.  It is not enough for me to say I want to follow Jesus.  No, I must truly follow him in all ways and for however long it takes.  When God calls me to do something, he wants me to do it all the way and not back out when the cost is high.  No, to truly obey for me means I have to stick to it.  Stick-to-it is not something that comes very easily for me.  I tend to get really excited about it at first but soon fall away.  I need to practice long-term obedience to God so that my freedom is truly freedom.

Prayer:  Lord, let me turn to you and love you with an obedience that does not declare a time or cost stamp to decide if it is for me or not.  Let me be true to you and serve you no matter what.

SOAP FOR TODAY

Scripture for today:  Jeremiah 31; Jeremiah 32; 1 John 4  

Scripture-My special verse today:  Jeremiah 32:34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, 

       or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ 
       because they will all know me, 
       from the least of them to the greatest,” 
       declares the LORD. 
       “For I will forgive their wickedness 

       and will remember their sins no more.” 

Observation:  According to this verse, a time will come when people will all know the Lord.  There will be no reason to teach them about the Lord because they will already know him.  This new covenant is God’s new plan of salvation because the people did not follow him before.  The turned away and he is forced to set a new covenant for his people.

Application:  When the people stop listening, God has to do something different to get their attention.  What new thing is he currently doing in my life to get my attention?  I am so used to doing the old things that God does not like that I quit recognizing them as sin anymore.  Raising my voice, doubt, thinking of only my own wants – these are only a few of the comfortable sins I struggle with.  God brings me a new way to recognize an old sin.  I hope I can recognize sin as sin before God has to change it around.

Prayer:  Let me stay alert to sin so I never falter in serving you.  Let me recognize sin as sin.

SOAP FOR TODAY

Scripture for today:  Jeremiah 28; Jeremiah 29; Jeremiah 30; 1 John 3 

Scripture-My special verse today:  Jeremiah 30:11 I am with you and will save you,’ 

       declares the LORD. 
       ‘Though I completely destroy all the nations 
       among which I scatter you, 
       I will not completely destroy you. 
       I will discipline you but only with justice; 

       I will not let you go entirely unpunished.’ 

Observation:  Although it may seem God is far away, he is always among his people.  He does not leave them but stays close by.  He makes promises that the nations where he sends his people will be destroyed, he will remember the people, his people.  However, he also promises to discipline his people but in a just manner.  Thus, the people cannot miss punishment for their wrongs only because they are God’s chosen people.  Rather he promises to punish them but in a just way.

Application:  Although everything around me seems to be falling apart, I can know that if I am following God he will protect me.  He will remember me.  However, when I fall away from him he will always punish me in a matter befitting the sin.  Whenever I stray, he loves me enough to hold me accountable for my sins.  He is not going to let it go and excuse the sin.  No, he will make sure I am punished for that sin in a way that is just.

I need to recognize God’s punishment in times when I need to be held accountable.  I need to stay connected.

Prayer:  Lord, help me stay connected and recognize your punishment as a means to keep me close to you.

SOAP FOR TODAY

Scripture for today:  Jeremiah 26; Jeremiah 35; Jeremiah 36; John 20 

Scripture-My special verse today:  Jeremiah 35:8 We have obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab son of Recab commanded us. Neither we nor our wives nor our sons and daughters have ever drunk wine 9 or built houses to live in or had vineyards, fields or crops. 10 We have lived in tents and have fully obeyed everything our forefather Jonadab commanded us. 

Observation:  A small group that are living in Jerusalem are found obedient.  They were displaced when Nebbie took over the land and they flee.  However, they do not fall into the ways of those around them but remain strong in their convictions.  They follow the ways of their fathers before them, just as they were instructed.  They do not go with the popular vote but stick to the old ways commanded including not drinking wine and living in tents because their forefathers told them to.

Application:  How rare to see someone following the ways instructed instead of the new ways.  There was a reason they stuck with the teachings and they are in the bible because of it.  Obviously, this was rare or they wouldn’t have been singled out.  It is important to follow the ways of God, even when they are in violation of the things of the world.  New teachings are not always from God.  Efficiency at the cost of godliness causes us great strife-I must choose carefully.

Prayer:  Let me choose the things of God.  The new ways may or may not be better.  Teach me the write ways!!

SOAP FOR TODAY

Scripture for today:  Jeremiah 13; Jeremiah 14; Jeremiah 15; John 15 

Scripture-My special verse today:  Jeremiah 15:20 I will make you a wall to this people, 

       a fortified wall of bronze; 
       they will fight against you 
       but will not overcome you, 
       for I am with you 
       to rescue and save you,” 
       declares the LORD.

 21 ”I will save you from the hands of the wicked 

       and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel.” 

Observation:  The verse before declares that those who repent and turn back to God will not be forgotten.  He is making a promise to those who truly repent that their fighting will not be in vain.  God is truly with them and will save them.  There is no wishy-washy promising, rather it is a declaration of God’s promises for the people.  His promises are exact and true.  Those who repent will reap the reward of their fruitfulness, they will not be destroyed by the wicked or cruel.

Application:  It is hard to turn on the TV and not see wicked or cruel.  They usually comprise the first 10 minutes of any news show.  They kill and rob, taking away from others without remorse.  As in Jeremiah’s day, it is comforting to be assured of God’s promises to his people.  He promises me a victory and, most importantly, that I do not have to fight the battle alone.  He is there, going before me as I battle through each day.

Why am I so easily discouraged then?  Can I not rest assured in God’s victory and promises?  Will I act differently today knowing that each battle I face, as long as I am with the Lord, is never fought alone?

Prayer:  Take me into battle with you but do not leave me alone.  Let me truly serve and be with you so I can overcome any struggles that come my way.

SOAP FOR TODAY

Scripture for today:  Jeremiah 10; Jeremiah 11; Jeremiah 12; John 14 

Scripture-My special verse today:  Jeremiah 12:2 You have planted them, and they have taken root; 

       they grow and bear fruit. 
       You are always on their lips 

       but far from their hearts. 

Observation:  The people of God have been planted in a way very similar to a plant or flower.  They have been placed in the soil and given the necessary things to grow.  Enough sunlight, water and other nutrients and they can blossom as they are meant to blossom.  However, the people have turned their eyes from God and, according to this verse, they are calling to him with their voices but refuse to love him in their hearts.  They are unable to truly love God, they only give him lip service.

Application:  How committed is enough?  Does God really need my whole heart or can I get by with a little less than that?  I often feel as long as I am calling upon God then I must be doing OK.  I think that letting him control some of my life is a really good thing.  However, God want all.  He wants my heart, completely and fully.  No matter what my mouth proclaims, he is really looking at the condition of my heart.

Am I in need of heart surgery?  What is the condition of my heart today and what am I doing to allow the Lord complete access into every part?

Prayer:  Take away my obstacles and let me truly serve you.  Let me be 100% authentic, not just partially.  Remove the things that trip me up and help me love you sincerely every day.

SOAP FOR TODAY

Scripture for today:  Jeremiah 7; Jeremiah 8; Jeremiah 9; John 13 

Scripture-My special verse today:  Jeremiah 9:23 This is what the LORD says: 

       “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom 
       or the strong man boast of his strength 
       or the rich man boast of his riches,

 24 but let him who boasts boast about this: 
       that he understands and knows me, 
       that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, 
       justice and righteousness on earth, 
       for in these I delight,” 

       declares the LORD. 

Observation:  The people have completely walked away from the Lord.  They have chosen to worship other gods besides the one true God.  Now, they are being judged for being so arrogant in thinking that they do not need God.  He declares that the only bragging that needs to go on is in regards to the Lord.  Physical attributes are given by God as, it seems in the verse, is wisdom.  

Rather, the only thing to truly brag about is a knowledge and understanding of God.  To know him is to practice Godly acts to others- namely justice and righteousness.  God warns that we should brag about the right things, not our human attributes but God’s attributes manifesting themselves through us.

Application:  It is only through the manifestation of God’s attributes in my life that I should boast.  The things that come from my own  physical and mental abilities are nothing special.  Rather, it is when God truly grabs a hold of my life and I live with him working within me that I have something to brag about.  

God’s only plan of helping mankind is by one person at a time.  I am part of the plan or the problem.  On which side will I line up?

Prayer:  Help me to boast of the things you are manifesting in my life.  Let me not boast of the things I can do on my own.