When Storms Assail
BRD REFLECTIONS
Jeremiah 27, 28 and Psalm 31 (NIV)
(Woo Li Chun, DISCIPLE Facilitator, Discipleship & Nurture)
READ:
Jeremiah 27, 28 and Psalm 31 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
Jeremiah was instructed by God to prophesy to “…the king of Edom, the king of Moab, the king of the Ammonites, the king of Tyre, and the king of Sidon,” (Jeremiah 27:3) and “to Zedekiah king of Judah” (Jeremiah 27:12) that they would come under the “yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people” (Jeremiah 27:12).
However the people didn’t listen to the hard words of Jeremiah but listened to the words of the prophets who said they would not serve the king of Babylon (Jeremiah 27:14). These were the false prophets who later perished along with the people (Jeremiah 27:15), Hananiah being an example of one such prophet (Jeremiah 28:17) who met his quick demise.
APPLY:
It is important to be discerning to distinguish what the truth is especially in these days when fake news abound. The Israelites were warned many times over the years through numerous godly prophets of impending punishment should they persist in their idolatrous ways but they chose to listen otherwise.
This is a reminder to me that my heart must never be so hardened or insensitised by worldly values that I ignore God’s prompting. On the other hand, even if I had placed my faith in the wrong news through ignorance or carelessness, does it mean the end? By God’s grace, certainly not!
Yes, many perished in the conflict leading to the exile. However God had preserved a remnant after the exile! They had learnt their lesson the hard way!
God’s heart is always one for redemption. He wishes no one to perish but all to be saved and all to be perfected in His image. Even when storms assail, whether resulting from the consequences of my own hand or it’s part of God’s plan, I can be assured that God is with me through it all!
DO:
What I need to ensure is to keep undivided focus on God and follow Him closely!
“Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.” (Psalm 31:23-24).
God will see us through the storms in life. So great is His redeeming love for us.
PRAY:
Dear Lord, like Peter I often take my eyes off You and am affected by the waves and storms around me. Give me wisdom to discern which are the storms I should skirt around and which are those I will have to sail through. In both cases, give me the faith and undivided focus on You, the captain of the boat of life that I’m on. For You will lead me through those storms. In Jesus’ Name, You who are my sure Pilot and Captain of my life! Amen.
