Remember & Trust . . .

Jeremiah prays, "Your words were found, and I ate them; and Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts."
[good start]

He keeps praying, "I sat not in the assembly of those who make merry, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because Your powerful hand was upon me, for You had filled me with indignation."
[explaining his feelings; saying his saddess (not rejoice/indignation) came from God.]

And he seems to be frustrated with God, "Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you indeed be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail and are uncertain?"
[Problem: he feels like his pain is perpetual and wound incurable. He wonders if God will be deceive him, fail him, be uncertain.]

God responds and corrects Jeremiah. "Therefore thus says the Lord to Jeremiah: If you return and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair, then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister; and if you separate the precious from the vile, cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarrented suspicions concerning God's faithfulness, you shall be My mouthpiece. But do not yield to them. Let them return to you - not you to the people. And I will make you to this people a fortified, bronze wall; they will fight against you, but they will not prevail over you, for I am with you to save and deliver you, says the Lord."

God says to trust him; to 'extract the precious from the worthless' (New American Standard).
He says to remember his faithfulness and to trust . . . then we will live in quiet and safety, be his minister, and his mouthpiece.

We are not to be convinced or swayed by the people around us (or situations) that try to make us believe God is not faithful, trustworthy, or good. They are to be influenced by our trust in him.

God, please help me remember and hold on to your faithfulness Today.

Verses taken from Jeremiah 15:16-20, Amplified version

New Covenant

Jesus said "This is my blood, which ratifies the new covenant, the blood which is being poured out for (on accound of) many."
Mark 14:24 (Amplified)

In Exodus 24, Moses was given commands to write down for the people to obey. They listened and agreed to follow the words. Moses built an altar and had burnt and peace offerings sacrificed to the Lord. Then he took half the blood and splashed it on the altar. The other half he put in a basin. He took the Book of the Covenant (God's words/commands) and read it to the people. They said, "Everything the Lord says, we will do, and we will be obedient."

Moses took the remaining half of the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant wihch the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words."

The leaders and 70 elders went up on the mountain and saw the Lord with a brilliant sapphire foundation under his feet. They ate and drank.

Then the Lord called Moses to come higher up with him and receive the tablets of stone with the law and the commandments.
(summarized from Exodus 24:1-12, Amplified)

Was Jesus sprinkling the blood of the new covenant so that we could go up and see the Lord, eat and drink with him; a parallel action to when the old covenant was given and received by the people?
The old covenant: agreeing to and obeying the commandments.
The new covenant: ?? obedience?? to new commands? new things? Or the old commands, just enabled to follow because of his new life in us?

Father, teach me about your new covenant. What are your requirements? Help me to obey so that I may be covered by Jesus' blood and come up to the mountain so I may eat and drink with you and see you on foundations of sapphire.

Words of Knowledge

Jesus had insight; he could see events not in front of him, but actually going on.
He told his disciples to:
1. Go get a donkey for him to ride on (where to find it, what to say to the owner, and it worked)
2. Go follow the man with the jar, go to the house, ask where the room is for the Passover, and prepare it. Everything was like he said.
(Mark 11:1-7, Mark 14:12-16)

Father, I pray that I would learn to trust you. That I would learn how to listen to your voice, and I would trust you when you say to do something. You know perfectly how things are and how people will respond. Increase my ability to listen to you and follow.

Wisdom is . . .

pouring out everything, even your most costly investment, to anoint Jesus and his purposes.

"And while He was in Bethany, a guest in the house of Simon the leper, as He was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of ointment (perfume) of pure nard, very costly and precious; and she broke the jar and poured the perfume over His head."

Amplified, Mark 14:3

Even in the face of indignation and rebuke from onlookers, Jesus says this was a good and beautiful thing to him.

In Deuteronomy 15:7-15, the LORD instructs his people to not harden their hearts or close their fists to the poor, but to give freely and abundantly. He reminds them of God's excessive giving in their own poverty; they were captives in Egypt and God brought them out with abundance.

We are to be expressions of him today.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14

"If you will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, 

being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day,

the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you 

heed the voice of the Lord your God."

Many blessings are listed . . . all from listening diligently and doing what the voice of the 

Lord says . . . be it from Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, or the Word, or the Father.

Father, help me listen; diligently listen and obey. 

I want my students to diligently listen to me and obey...

Not because I'm power-hungry, but because I know it will bring them life and success  in the classroom.

How much more will listening to you bring us Life in the only classroom of eternal significance?

Wisdom is hidden and revealed to those who search for it...

In Mark 3-6, Jesus is in the midst of healing people, casting out demons, choosing his 12, calming storms, teaching people, and raising a girl from the dead.

Hidden in these words come the theme of 'wonderful secret things are to be searched for... so that they may be revealed.'

Jesus commands the demons to be silent and not publicize that he is the Son of God.

Jesus tells the father and mother of the girl he raised from the dead to not tell anyone.

Jesus speaks in parables and truths that are hidden from some but revealed and unveiled to his followers.

Jesus says, "Things are hidden temporarily only as a means to revelation. For there is nothing hidden except to be revealed, nor is anything temporarily kept secret except in order that it may be made known. If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening and let him perceive and comprehend.' And he said to them, 'Be careful what you are hearing. The measure of thought and study you give to the truth you hear will be the measure of virtue and knowledge that comes back to you - and more besides will be given to you who hear. For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has nothing [because he did not desire to hear?], even what he has will be taken away.'" Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation Biblegateway.com Mark 4:22-25


Great things are hidden and must be searched for. They are worth every effort.

Desiring wisdom,

Ericka

Insights from the wisest man...

"Turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding,

and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,

and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,

then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

For the LORD gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Then you will understand what is right and just and fair - every good path.

For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul."

Proverbs 2:4-10