Jeremiah 30 Devotions by Stephen Taylor

Jeremiah 30:21

“Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me— for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?” declares the LORD.

This is part of the LORD’s declaration to Jeremiah about the Israelites who would be restored to the Promised Land after their exile. Of course, we know that this ultimately points to Christ, as He is the Great King and true Leader. But the question God poses at the end of this verse is one we must ask ourselves. Are we willing to devote ourselves to be close to our God, or are we just playing a part?

Are we truly willing to deny ourselves to be nearer to our God? For we can’t serve ourselves and our Savior. We can’t honor the flesh and the Spirit. We can’t possibly go up and down at the same time, so why do we think we can do that with our God? We must make a conscious and Spirit-filled effort to be near to Him. We must pick up our Bibles daily and lay down our lives at His feet. We must be purposeful in our prayer life, not as a last resort but as a first defense. We must be willing to serve before we are served and do it all for the glory of God. Those are just a few ways we can be proactive in our relationship with our God and draw near to Him.

Think about this: the God who said, “Let there be light,” the One who calls the stars out by name, the One who broke the grave and triumphed on the cross wants you and me to know Him and be His special possession! That is amazing and beyond comprehension, if I’m being honest. Why He would want me, I truly can’t wrap my mind around, but I know that He is faithful and His Word is true. He wants us because of Who He is, not because of what we are or what we can give Him. His heart is beautiful, powerful, and beyond our understanding! That He would want a sinner like me to sit at His table is more than I deserve, but that’s exactly where He wants me to be! Will you join Him?

James 4:8- Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

God bless! I love you all, but His love is calling us near; will we listen? Praise, glory, and honor both now and forever more to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!