SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/17/2014
10:11 AM
My Worship Time Focus: A Message about the Drought PT-IV
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Jeremiah
14:17-22
Message of the
verses: We will look at the last
sub-point from Warren’s Wiersbe outline on the 14th chapter of
Jeremiah.
The Pain and Prayer of the Prophet (Jeremiah 14:17-22): “17 "You will say this word to them, ’Let my
eyes flow down with tears night and day, And let them not cease; For the virgin
daughter of my people has been crushed with a mighty blow, With a sorely
infected wound. 18 ’If I go out to the country, Behold, those slain with the
sword! Or if I enter the city, Behold, diseases of famine! For both prophet and
priest Have gone roving about in the land that they do not know.’" 19 Have
You completely rejected Judah? Or have You loathed Zion? Why have You stricken
us so that we are beyond healing? We waited for peace, but nothing good came;
And for a time of healing, but behold, terror! 20 We know our wickedness, O
LORD, The iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against You. 21 Do not
despise us, for Your own name’s sake; Do not disgrace the throne of Your glory;
Remember and do not annul Your covenant with us. 22 Are there any among the
idols of the nations who give rain? Or can the heavens grant showers? Is it not
You, O LORD our God? Therefore we hope in You, For You are the one who has done
all these things.”
As I read through this prayer I think of other prayers
found in the Scripture. I think of the
prayer that Moses prayed to the Lord after Israel had sinned, for Moses had a
great love for the children of Israel, and then I think of the prayer of Daniel
and Nehemiah prayed for the people of Israel.
Nehemiah’s prayer was for those whom God sent back, and Daniel’s prayer
was for those whom God would send back to Israel. In the cases of Nehemiah, Daniel, and
Jeremiah they included themselves in the prayers, and included themselves as a
sinner in the prayer. God had told
Jeremiah that he was not to pray for these people, but he included himself in
the prayer and so he prayed for himself and for the people.
Jeremiah loved these people like God loved them, however
God had seen that they had broken the covenant that He had given to them, and
therefore would not answer Jeremiah’s prayer for them. In verse seventeen we see how much that God
and Jeremiah loved these people as they are compared to a virgin daughter who
had been violated, beaten, and left to die.
In a prophetic vision Jeremiah saw what was going to happen to these
people and this caused him to weep and to pray for them.
Dr. Wiersbe writes:
“Sometimes God permits disasters to occur to bring nations, churches,
and individuals to their knees in repentance.
The plagues of Egypt should have made Pharaoh a contrite man, but he
only hardened his heart, even more against the Lord (Ex. 7-12). Israel’s treatment of the nations in Canaan
was God’s judgment because these nations refused to turn from their sins (Gen.
15:16; see Dan. 8:23; Matt. 23:32-35).
While we shouldn’t interpret every calamity as an expression of divine
wrath, we must be sensitive to God and be willing to search our hearts and
confess our sins.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Be willing
to search my heart, and to have the Holy Spirit search my heart for unconfused
sin so that I can have a clean heart before the Lord.
3/17/2014 10:37 AM
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