October 19

Jeremiah 33:1-34:22, 1 Timothy 4:1-16, Psalm 89:1-13, Proverbs 25:23-24

Pray: Lord, I trust in Your unfailing love, in Your promises. I give this day and all that it holds to You. May I walk in Your goodness, knowing Your gentle hand will guide me, and keep me.

Read: Jeremiah gives us yet another example of God’s redemptive plan for His people. Even in the face of their despair, Jerusalem will be restored because it is part of God’s ultimate plan. What a beautiful example of how God’s justice is often tempered by His mercy. God’s chosen people were in the throes of their despair yet God reveals His majesty and His grace by assuring them that while Jerusalem will certainly be destroyed that He will rebuild the city after their 70 years in exile. Those kinds of promises are true for you and me today as well. While we may be in the midst of some form of despair now, God’s plan is one of ultimate victory and redemption. We only need to wait on God’s timing and be faithful in our own exile.

Edify: Have you ever been to a church or heard on television someone preaching a word that is contrary to your understanding of Scripture and God’s very nature? Unfortunately, there are lots of examples of this that happen every weekend around the world. These are whom Timothy warns us against today when he speaks of false teachers saying, “They pretend to be religious, but their consciences are dead.”. As followers of Christ, it is important to be well informed as to the types of things that are and are not found in Scripture. Just as we are faced with what has been termed “fake news”, we are also faced with some who are preaching and teaching a fake Gospel and we must therefore be diligent in our “spiritual exercise” as it “promises a reward in both this life and the next”.

Practice: Spend some extra time in spiritual exercise. That may be a little extra time in prayer… some more time in Scripture. Maybe today is the day to fast and focus on God and the spiritual sustenance that He fills us with each day.