Jeremiah 29 Devotions by Stephen Taylor

Jeremiah 29:13

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.” 

 

Spiritual hide and seek!! This verse rings so true to me because for so long, I would seek God for selfish, personal reasons. I would go to Him when I was in trouble or to appease other people. I would wonder, “Why isn’t God answering my prayers? Why do I feel so distant? Why can’t I seem to get ahead?” I treated God like a magical genie and just wanted Him to poof all my problems away, and that’s not how it works. I wanted my will, my way, and my results.

 

But I believe that to truly seek God with all your heart, you have to say a prayer like Jesus did: “Not My will but Your will be done.” We have to empty ourselves out to make room for God! I can’t seek God with all my heart if there are little Stephen desires in there getting in the way! God’s process is perfect; I am the one who gets in the way!

 

This verse is a great and powerful promise to us that God isn’t out there hiding from us! It took me so long to find Him because I couldn’t get out of my own way!! Now that I found Him, I’m never letting go, and I pray you can do the same!!! It was amazing that once I stopped hiding and started seeking, I found everything that I was looking for!!!

 

I love you all, God bless, and Glory to our Father in Heaven!!!!

 

 

Jeremiah 29:18,19

“I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse and an object of horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. For they have not listened to my words,” declares the LORD, “words that I sent to them again and again by my servants the prophets. And you exiles have not listened either,” declares the LORD.

The LORD decreed destruction because they refused to listen and obey. Will the same happen to us? The LORD had finally had enough of the idolatry, adultery, murder, and other sin that was permeating through His people. Sin was running rampant, ruling their lives and ruining their lives at the same time. So He gave them a choice: be exiled and live or refuse to surrender and die. His choice may seem harsh, but in all reality, it was yet another mercy in a long line of mercies shown to His people.

The above verses are part of the letter Jeremiah wrote them (through the leading of the LORD), and he reminds them that it is their stubborn hearts and their refusal to listen to the LORD that has brought about their current situations and coming destruction. As I read this morning, I wondered if the same would be said about us? I wonder If years from now, people will look back at America and say something like this: “Wow, she was so richly blessed and highly favored at one time, but now she is just a shadow of that, a heap of ruins because she forsook the LORD.”

Our God is so merciful and puts up with us beyond belief; yet I’m sure He is sick of us choosing sin over the Spirit, the devil over the Son, our ways over His ways. I’m sure He is fed up with the state of the world, yet think about this: He hates sin, He hates our sin, yet He accepts our repentance just as quick and certain as He hates our sin! It amazes me how we can go from His enemy to His family in an instant and only through Jesus Christ! So yes, destruction will be decreed one day, but make no mistake, mercy is offered first! Will you take His offer of mercy or take your chances with His wrath?

John 3:36- Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

God bless! I love you all, but His love is the only way to avoid the wrath of God and enter into His eternal dwelling place! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!