Some of the descriptions of a deteriorating people and land that we've studied about in Isaiah and Jeremiah's time may have reminded us of where we live today. Moral pollution, crime, corrupt leadership, greed, and selfishness seem to be repeating stories around the world.

There seems little love and desire for God-- and even less that want to spend life doing HIS will rather than their own. How can those of us that want to live for God do it successfully in an environment that seems bent on pulling us into other directions? We'll look again to the life of Jeremiah this month for the answers.

JEREMIAH - PART 3: Living in Crazy Times

Day 1- To live for God in our world requires that we know God and His Word.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 / Jeremiah 15:16

Day 2- This does not mean a casual glance at your Bible from time to time. Notice that Jeremiah "ate" God's Word (Jeremiah 9:23-24) . He didn't want the Word just in his head but in his heart also.
Deuteronomy 6:6 / 11:18 / Psalm 119:11

Day 3- Test yourself as to your own love of God and His Word.
Psalm 119:72, 97, 140

Day 4- Throughout the book of Jeremiah we read that the word of the Lord came to him. Why? Jeremiah spent much time with God not only talking over his situations but in listening.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 / Jeremiah 33:3

Day 5- It's important that we talk with God about the situations in our life.
I Chronicles 16:11 / Matthew 7:7 / 26:41

Day 6- But, it's also important that we spend time before God listening and not talking.
Joshua 5:14 / I Kings 18:42 / Ecclesiastes 5:2

It is in the "eating" God's Word --- in talking with Him AND listening to Him that we come to know Him as Jeremiah did.

OBEDIENCE TO GOD'S WILL -- NOT OUR OWN

Day 7- Jeremiah was convinced that God's way was the only way to walk. Are you convinced of this?
Jeremiah 10:23

Day 8- His obedience was the proof of his love to God as juxtaposed with the lying prophets around him.
Jeremiah 14:14-15,20-21 / I John 5:3 / 2 John 6

Day 9- And when we love God we want to be obedient.
Psalm 119:14-16 , 24, 32, 34-35, 47-48, 129-131

Day 10- This may mean that we don't participate in the ways of the culture we live in.
Leviticus 18:3-5 / Jeremiah 10: 1-3a

Day 11- There might be things we cannot do even when everyone else is doing it. This is God' protection of us for He sees the end from the beginning.
Jeremiah 16: 1-4, 5, 8-9

Day 12- Sometimes God may ask that our life be an "object lesson" for others to see.
Jeremiah 7:29 / 27:1-11

The wooden yoke carried by Jeremiah was to perpetually remind the people that they must submit to the king of Babylon until the appointed time had come. The yokes or burdens in our own lives may be caused by our own sinfulness and yet if we bow our head in submission to God, He can use it for our good.

Day 13- At times God asked Jeremiah to do something that defied common sense. For example, while the Babylonian army was besieging Jerusalem and captivity seemed imminent, God wanted Jeremiah to buy the family property at Anathoth!
Jeremiah 32:1-2 , 6-14

Day 14- God has His reasons however for what may seem as nonsense to us or to others.
Jeremiah 32: 15

Jeremiah's obedience was like a promise to the people.

Day 15- Sometimes obeying God might be dangerous.
Jeremiah 18:18 / 20: 1-3 / 26:7-8 / 37:15 / 38:6

Day 16- And sometimes lonely.
Jeremiah 15: 17 / 16: 2,8

In short, for Jeremiah, obeying God meant "death to self" on every point.
--He died to the human ties of love : he couldn't take a wife and his friends and family betrayed him.
--He died to the goodwill of his fellows. There is no record of even one voice that thanked him.
--He died to the pride of national patriotism.
--He died to personal liberty (much of his ministry was from a prison or being "shut up" somewhere.

So......why would anyone want to obey God and experience this kind of death to oneself?!

Day 17- Remember that Jeremiah had a definite "call" from God -- a definite anointing -- a definite job to do--- and definite promises from God to help him to do it.
Jeremiah 1: 4-12 , 17-19

Day 18- When we KNOW our direction and love the one that we are living for, then there is greater tolerance for the trials that might occur along the way. You and I are also chosen by God for a definite purpose.
John 15: 16 / Ephesians 2:10

Day 19- God never asks us to do what He hasn't already experienced and undertaken. God did not ask Jeremiah to suffer anything that He wasn't already suffering -- nor will He ask us.
Jeremiah 8: 18-21 / John 15:20

Day 20- Although the nations of Judah had stopped fearing God, Jeremiah had not. His options were to either to obey God or join with a decadent people in going their own way-- a wrong and false way-- that would end in exile and death.
Jeremiah 15: 15-21

Day 21- Go back to "DAY 1" in this month and reread the verses. When we know and love God we know that He is a God of love, justice, and righteousness. Any trials that we endure for Him will be used to spread good among those with whom we live and work.
Jeremiah 9: 23-24

Day 22- Jeremiah had put his life under God. He knew the truth from God and therefore committed his cause back to Him.
Jeremiah 11: 5b , 18-20

Day 23- Yes, Jeremiah sometimes had questions for God and sometimes lamented his lot in life. But, in his heart He knew God and God knew him. Therefore he was able to endure what was needed for his time.
Jeremiah 15: 10-11, 15

Day 24- Yes, sometimes Jeremiah wanted to quit. He was a sensitive man and the pain and emotional trauma he experienced burned. But , God's words within him burned hotter and he could not keep silence.
Jeremiah 20: 7-9

Day 25- It was unnerving for Jeremiah to hear so many denouncing him -- especially familiar friends. But, he knew the Lord whom he worked for and thus was able to say "for to thee have I committed my cause."
Jeremiah 20:10-12

Day 26- Are you facing impossible circumstances? Jeremiah had a life full of them. Yet, while they were impossible to him he knew they were not impossible to God.
Jeremiah 32: 17, 27

Day 27- In the midst of hard times, Jeremiah was invited by God to call upon Him. He even qualified Himself as the God who made the earth! When we walk through hard situations one half of the sting is removed when we know that someone shares it with us.
Jeremiah 33:1-3

Will you call upon God in the day of your trouble?
Psalm 50:15 / Isaiah 55: 6-7

Day 28- Jeremiah could have faced death many times in his life, but he soon saw that he would not die before his work was finished and God was ready to take him. God is concerned with us physically as well as spiritually.
Jeremiah 38: 6-13

Day 29- Our choice today is actually the same one that every man has had to make since the beginning of the world.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13

Day 30- If we choose to live for God in our day rather than self, what does God promise us?
Deuteronomy 5:32-33 / Psalm 16:8 / 145:18 / Isaiah 43:2

Day 31- Jeremiah accepted the call to live his life for and with God. God was His goal throughout his life. Will He be yours?
Deuteronomy 30: 19-20