Jeremiah 27
Jeremiah 27 reminds me of two kinds of burdens. One is the kind someone forces onto you and the other is the kind you willing take from someone else. It is amazing how much more two can carry together than one individual alone. We have the ability to choose who we will partner with to […]
Jeremiah 26
Jeremiah 26 reminds me of the expression, “Don’t shoot the messenger”. We often use that when we share bad news with someone to explain that we did not make the decision, we are just letting them know the answer. No one likes to be the bearer of unpleasant information, but it is much sadder to […]
Jeremiah 25
Jeremiah 25 reminds me that with rare exceptions, we are very replaceable. Others can do our job or take over our responsibilities. Even irreplaceable roles transition; a father’s loving protection over his daughter is designed to transition to the husband and mothers become grandmas. Today’s chapter makes it very clear that if we are not […]
Jeremiah 24
Jeremiah 24 reminds me of Report Cards in school. I recall that we got letter grades, but also teachers made comments. I was an extremely shy kid, which left lots of room for my teachers to fill in the blanks with their own assumptions. I remember thinking that my teacher didn’t evaluate me accurately. None […]
Jeremiah 23
Jeremiah 23 reminds me of the expression, “Divide and Conquer”. This strategy is successfully used in war to separate the enemy into smaller groups that are more easily defeated. In real life we know many that constantly cause division, but very few unifiers that bring people together. Today’s chapter begins with a scathing rebuke of […]
Jeremiah 22
Jeremiah 22 reminds me of the expression, “The seed doesn’t fall far from the tree”. We often use this to describe how a child is much like their parent. This can be a good thing, if your father is successful and respected, but what if your dad is a scoundrel? Are we condemned by the […]
Jeremiah 21
Jeremiah 21 reminds me that we often live in the past. We remember our triumphs, or we relive our mistakes. We fail to notice the changes in our situation, or ourselves. Helpless children refuse to take on adult responsibilities. Older folks just retell stories from the old days. This can also happen in our relationship […]
Jeremiah 20
Jeremiah 20 reminds me of the term “Whistleblower”. We use it to describe someone that publicly reports corruption or lawlessness at their own risk. It refers to the whistle of a policeman or referee stopping an action. Often the person blowing the whistle will suffer retaliation from the corrupt people in charge. What happened when […]
Jeremiah 19
Jeremiah 19 reminds me of the nursery rhyme about Humpty Dumpty. There are some things that are precious and delicate and once broken cannot be repaired as before. The wealth of kings and the strength of horses cannot mend a broken heart. Today’s chapter pictures a perspective we don’t often consider. I believe God Himself […]
Jeremiah 18
Jeremiah 18 reminds me of the Prodigal Son’s older brother. He stayed home and managed his responsibilities, doing everything right. We read about his anger when dad gave younger brother a party for just coming home. But I also suspect the older brother expressed disgust for his irresponsible sibling while he was away squandering his […]