Do you know much about sowing and reaping? Remember: plant good seeds, and you will have a good harvest, and don’t forget there is a delay between planting season and harvesting season—don’t let the delay discourage you. As Jeremiah nears the end of his lengthy message, he pronounces God’s judgment not only on Israel, butContinue reading “SOWING AND REAPING. Jeremiah 50:29; 51:63-64; Galatians 6:9.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
MERCY. Jeremiah 46:28.
God is the ideal Father, so in-love with His children. He delights in them, enjoys them. Nothing makes Him happier. He is patient, forgiving, long-suffering even. But at some point, God has suffered our arrogance and effrontery long enough. Is there a limit, a line you can cross after which God must take action? Yes.Continue reading “MERCY. Jeremiah 46:28.”
THE SWORD WILL DRINK. Jeremiah 46:10;48:42-44; 1 Peter 5:5.
Jeremiah was an announcer of God’s judgment. He carried the burden of difficult messages. Why did God need an announcer? Why not just destroy the bad guys? Because God is merciful; He warns us so we can change. Most don’t—but some do, and God forgives. One of those messages of judgment was for Egypt: “TheContinue reading “THE SWORD WILL DRINK. Jeremiah 46:10;48:42-44; 1 Peter 5:5.”
Are You a Slacker?
Once several of us in a singing group were loading speakers and other equipment into a trailer. I teased one of the guys for being a slacker. “Slacker? Don’t call me that—that’s my nickname at work!” He was serious. I was embarrassed for him, to be honest. What an awful reputation to have on theContinue reading “Are You a Slacker?”
DEVASTATION CAN LEAD PEOPLE TO JESUS. Psalm 83:13-18.
Good times can cause people to reflect on God and His goodness. But those with hearts encased in stone will not be persuaded by good times, no matter how amazing. Yet God can reach anyone. He can even reach the skeptic and the hard-hearted. How? Through suffering. There is no resistance God cannot break, ifContinue reading “DEVASTATION CAN LEAD PEOPLE TO JESUS. Psalm 83:13-18.”
“Let’s kill all the lawyers.”
Who are our heroes? Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, and Nolan Ryan? Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk? Celebrity actors or “influencers”? Political and military leaders? Let’s ask the question another way. Who is most critical to the survival of our society? We do not depend on entertainers for survival. Rich businessmen are only slightlyContinue reading ““Let’s kill all the lawyers.””
You Can Only Harvest What You Plant. Jeremiah 44:22; Galatians 6:7.
You can’t plant seeds of nights and weekends surfing social media and harvest a crop of good grades. You can’t plant seeds of promiscuity and harvest a long and happy marriage. You can’t plant lazy seeds and harvest riches. You can’t plant smoking seeds and harvest healthy lungs. You can’t plant seeds of gluttony andContinue reading “You Can Only Harvest What You Plant. Jeremiah 44:22; Galatians 6:7.”
HOW DO YOU KNOW GOD’S VOICE? Jeremiah 42:3,6.
Dancers and athletes work from their “core,” actors from their “center,” singers from the “diaphragm,” and golfers talk about swinging from the “thoracic spine,” or the “chest.” Hearing from God is like that: He speaks to a place deep down and it boils up from there, filling your whole body. God speaks in your bones,Continue reading “HOW DO YOU KNOW GOD’S VOICE? Jeremiah 42:3,6.”
BE READY FOR ANYTHING.
The worst thing that happened to the Israelites was the Babylonian captivity. Long after they were rescued from the Pharaoh and brought to the Promised Land, after David killed Goliath and God established David’s kingdom and Solomon’s temple—generations passed and the people got worse and worse. Remember how they left Egypt and built a goldenContinue reading “BE READY FOR ANYTHING.”
NO HARD HEARTS. NO STIFF NECKS. 2 Chronicles 36:16.
Hebrews 3:15 says, “Today, if you hear God’s voice, do not harden your hearts….” Do you know what a hard heart is? Similarly, Isaiah says the people have necks of iron and foreheads of brass. Isaiah 43:3-5. Imagine a mule with a neck of iron. His owner will have to beat him all day. TheContinue reading “NO HARD HEARTS. NO STIFF NECKS. 2 Chronicles 36:16.”