Jeremiah 11-14

A Linen Belt - Jeremiah 11-14

Listen to Jeremiah 11-14

Good Morning! I hope that you enjoyed yesterday's devotional. I was gone all day, and we thought that it would be neat if Kim could share what she was feeling when I was being unfaithful to her. We know that GOD is GOD, but HE refers over and over to how our unfaithfulness is that of an affair. So, HE must feel that pain and hurt as we would when we are unfaithful to HIM.
Some wrote us and asked how we are today. Because of Christ, Kim and I have a wonderful relationship. I am a much better person due to the work that Jesus did in my heart. Jesus is the difference and He does change lives, we are living proof.OK, starting in chapter 11 through the middle of chapter 13 we read of GOD's chosen people broke their covenant with HIM. You will also read of how Jeremiah's own people make a plot against him to kill him (Yes, sometimes GOD's work is not easy).Then starting in chapter 14 through the weekend you will read of YAHWEH's rejection of HIS people.

Jeremiah 13:1-11
A Linen Belt 1 This is what the LORD said to me: "Go and
buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water." 2 So I bought
a belt, as the LORD directed, and put it
around my waist.
3 Then the word of the LORD came to me a
second time: 4 "Take the belt you bought
and are wearing around your waist, and go
now to Perath and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks." 5 So I went and hid it at
Perath, as the LORD told me.
6 Many days later the LORD said to me, "Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you
to hide there." 7 So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place
where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless.
8 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 9 "This is what the LORD says: 'In the
same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.
10 These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the
stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them,
will be like this belt-completely useless! 11 For as a belt is bound around a man's waist,
so I bound the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to me,' declares the LORD, 'to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.'

Thought for the Day
After you read this, put yourself in Jeremiah's shoes. Can you imagine how he must have felt when GOD told him to buy a linen belt, but do not let it touch water. At first Jeremiah might have thought, "OK LORD, this is a little strange, but I trust you, so I will do it."

Then GOD came to him a second time, and told him to take the belt he was not suppose to get wet, and hide it in the rocks. Jeremiah might have been thinking, "Ya, OK LORD...... sure, but where are we going with this, this seems pretty trivial with all the large problems we are facing, what about those?" But, Jeremiah did it.

Then the Bible says that many days past, so it must have been a long time because when GOD told Jeremiah to dig up the belt it was ruined and useless. By now I can imagine Jeremiah might have been thinking, "Ya, this was worth my time." But, then GOD in all HIS wisdom revealed to Jeremiah HIS plan and all these little tasks made sense.

How many times in your relationship with Christ have you been in a hurry? How many times have you thought, where are we going or this is a waste of time, there are bigger and better things that I should be doing? Then later GOD reveals to you why you did all those little things, and you say to yourself, "OK, now I understand why, now it makes sense."
In your relationship with Jesus, there will be things that HE allows you to go through or asks you to do, and I am sure that some of these things will not make sense. Our job is to be faithful to Jesus and trust that HE knows what He is doing. Jesus is taking each one of us down a different path, and a lot of times He needs us to grow before we can take the next step. Remember Jesus says that if we are faithful in the little tasks, He will trust us with the larger ones. - Jim
Note from Kim; Thank you God for such a great transformation in our lives separately and together, without You we would not be one! Have a great day everyone, I love you honey.
In His Grip

Bible Trivia
Connect the Thots:
Using spit to heal a blind man
Raising Lazarus to life
Walking on water
Hint: Mark 8:22-25, John 11:38-44, Mark 6:45-50

Gods411 Interactive
Archived Devotionals - Look up past devotionals
Video Devotionals! Get a Overview of Our Lessons
Find Your Answers - Gods411 Topical Bible
Find Your Prayer - Praying the Bible
Wisdom of Proverbs - Search by Topic

Reading Schedule
Saturday, August 18th Reading - Jeremiah 15-18
Sunday, August 19th Reading - Jeremiah 19-22
View August's Reading Schedule
Have a BLESSED Weekend!