God's Word For Every Day

"He who observes the wind will not sow, and  he who regards the clouds will not reap" (Ecclesiastes 11:4). "I have loved you with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3). Like everything else in our world, the weather can be so changeable.  The love of God is unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable. What's so different about God's love? His love is eternal love. It's not something that comes and goes. He doesn't blow hot and cold. He loves us in life's rainy days as well as its sunny days. How do we know that God loves us? - The answer to our question is Jesus - especially the fact that Jesus died for us. --- As I was thinking about the love of God and the death of Jesus, our Saviour, I started thinking of a song which says, "The best thing I can tell you is God loves you." Here are two versions of it -  The Best by Dion - YouTube  and Dion DiMucci "The Best" - YouTube . The first video concentrates on the ...

Jeremiah 40:1-16 ‘The Lord your God pronounced this evil against this place; the Lord has brought it about, and has done as He said. Because you sinned against the Lord, and did not obey His voice, this thing has come upon you’ (Jeremiah 40:3). Lord, we hear a great deal today about ‘the feel good factor.’People need to get a good feeling: ‘Give them a pat on the back. Make them feel good about themselves.’There’s not much of a ‘feel good factor’ in Jeremiah’s preaching! The people must have been wondering, ‘Where did they dig him up from? He has nothing good to say about anyone or anything.’ Help us, Lord, to rise above the sarcasm of those who have no time for Your Word. May we ask, ‘Where did Jeremiah’s message really come from?’ - and may we hear Your answer: ‘The Word came to Jeremiah from the Lord’ (Jeremiah 40:1).

"Jeremiah's horizon stretches to the heathen nations - here it is Egypt, and the outlook is dark, as it is for every God-forgetting nation. But in verses 27-28, there are promises full of comfort to God's people - 27 “Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, Israel. I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid. 28  Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant, for I am with you,” declares the Lord . “Though I completely destroy all the nations among which I scatter you, I will not completely destroy you. I will discipline you but only in due measure; I will not let you go entirely unpunished.” Are you under a cloud today? Then this is your word from God. Grasp it with both hands and rejoice!" (Rev James Philip, Notes on Jeremiah 46:1-27, Gardenstown Church, Friday 31st August 1956)

“‘ Alas, sword of the Lord , ho w long till you rest? Return to your sheath;   cease and be still.’  But how can it rest when the Lord has commanded it, when he has ordered it to attack Ashkelon and the coast?” (Jeremiah 47:6-7). It is all very well to complain about desolation and judgment in the land - but it is God who brings these things, and only He can turn our captivity around. Think how little men, even Christian men, heed God's dealings, then you will see how impossible it is for His sword to be quiet. It has more work to do yet, before blessing comes."  (Rev James Philip, Notes on Jeremiah 47:1-7, Gardenstown Church, Saturday 1st September 1956)

"This chapter reads like a whirlwind! And the Lord is in the whirlwind. What has angered God at Moab? See verse 26 - “Make her drunk, for she has defied the Lord . Let Moab wallow in her vomit;     let her be an object of ridicule." - this is the sin of sins. Judgment inevitably falls upon it, in man or nation. Yet God's mercy can cure it and remove it - “Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come,” declares the Lord ." (47). There is nothing too hard for the Lord." (Rev James Philip, Notes on Jeremiah 48:1-17, Gardenstown Church, Sunday 2nd September 1956)

Psalm 136:1-26   ‘His love endures for ever’. This is the great message contained in every single verse of this Psalm. It’s a message worth repeating – over and over again! God’s love is an everlasting love – ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love’ ( Jeremiah 31:3 ). God’s love is an unfailing love – ‘My unfailing love for you will not be shaken’ ( Isaiah 54:10 ). Let us ‘give thanks’ to God for His love ( Psalm 136:1-3 , 26 ). In His love, the Lord has provided for us ‘an everlasting salvation’. His ‘salvation will last for ever’ ( Isaiah 45:17 ; Isaiah 51:6 ). We must not be like those who refuse to love the Lord – ‘Pharaoh… great kings… mighty kings …’ ( Psalm 136:15 , 17-20 ). Those who reject God’s love will not receive ‘eternal life’. Their future will be very different – the ‘raging fire that will consume the enemies of God’ ( John 3:16-18 ; Hebrews 10:26-27 ).

So often, we have been like ‘the prodigal son’( Luke 15:11-24 ). We have walked away from our Father’s House. We have wandered off into ‘the far country’. We feel that we are far from God, yet still He draws near to us. The Lord is at work in our hearts. He is bringing us ‘to our senses’. He is reminding us of His love. He is drawing us back to Himself. In love, He is calling us home again. He is speaking to our hearts. He is saying to us, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love’. As His love reaches our hearts, ‘the prodigal son’ becomes ‘the returning son’: ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son’. ‘Bring me back, let me come back, for you are the Lord my God!’( Jeremiah 31:18 ). So often, we have been like ‘the prodigal son’( Luke 15:11-24 ). We have walked away from our Father’s House. We have wandered off into ‘the far country’. We feel that we are far from God, yet still He draws near to us. T...

"I have loved you with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3). God loves us. This isn’t for some perfect people who’ve never fallen into sin. There’s nobody who’s like that. All of us have made a mess of things – but God still says to us, “I love you.” He says, “My Son, Jesus, died for you.” This is what gives us the strength to choose His way rather than our own way. This is what keeps us from sin. This is what convinces us that there’s a better way than the way of sin. There’s a way of blessing. It comes to us when we’re learning how much God loves us. He doesn’t give up on us when we let Him down. He keeps on loving us. He keeps on lifting us up. He sets us on our feet. He changes the direction of our life. It becomes less about ourselves, and more about Him (Galatians 2:20). So often, we have been like ‘the prodigal son’( Luke 15:11-24 ). We have walked away from our Father’s House. We have wandered off into ‘the far country’. We feel that we are far from Go...

Jeremiah 46:1-28 ‘Egypt rises like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge. He said, “I will rise, I will cover the earth, I will destroy cities and their inhabitants”’ (Jeremiah 46:8). Lord, the spirit of rebellion against You is very powerful. Many lives have been destroyed by the attitude of proud unbelief: ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him...?’ (Exodus 5:2). Help us to take our stand against this attitude. Help us, Lord, to stand up for You. We see the world going from bad to worse. Help us to keep on believing Your Word. When, Lord, we are filled with fear, You come to us with Your Word, ‘Do not fear... Do not be dismayed...’When we feel the spirit of rebellion sweeping over us, You come to us with Your promise: ‘I will surely save you out of a distant place.’ You give us ‘peace and security’ - ‘Do not fear... I am with you’ (Jeremiah 46:27-28).

Jeremiah 49:23-39 ‘I will restore the fortunes... in days to come’ (Jeremiah 49:39). Lord, You’re calling us on to Your future, a glorious future, a future full of heavenly and eternal glory. We look ahead to ‘days to come.’We look ahead to the greatest Day of all - the Day of Christ’s Return. It will be a glorious Day - ‘the Day He comes to be glorified... in all who have believed.’What a glorious Day it will be - the Day of ‘the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’, the Day of ‘our being gathered to Him’: ‘The Lord Himself will come down from heaven... We will be with the Lord for ever.’ Help us, Lord, to get ready for Christ’s Return. May we not be like those who ‘perish.’They ‘do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.’They ‘refuse to love the truth and be saved.’May we have ‘faith’ in Christ and be ‘saved’ (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:1,10,13-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

Jeremiah 31:21-40 ‘Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take’ (Jeremiah 31:21). Lord, it’s so easy, for us, to take a wrong turning. We lose our sense of direction. We get confused. We're not sure which way to go. We get lost. We're getting more and more lost all the time. We can’t find our way back home again. We need someone who knows the way to come and be our guide. We wonder, "Is there someone who can get us on the right road again? Is there someone who can guide us safely home?" We thank You, Lord, that You have answered our question. Your answer is "Yes!" We thank You that Jesus is ‘the Way, the True Way, the Living Way’ (John 14:6). We thank You for Jesus - our Guide and our Saviour.

Jeremiah 27:1-22 ‘They will be taken to Babylon and there they will remain until the day I come for them. Then I will bring them and restore them to this place’ (Jeremiah 27:22). Lord, You had a great purpose for Your people - but they had to wait for Your time. You have a great purpose for us. Christ is preparing a great ‘place’ for us: ‘In My Father’s House are many mansions... I am going there to prepare a place for you’.  We thank You that Christ has promised that He will return to take us to that great ‘place’: ‘I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also’ (John 14:2-3). We rejoice in this: Christ is coming. Help us to wait patiently for Him. Teach us to wait for His time, the time of His Coming, the Day when He comes for us. We thank You, Lord, that You have not forgotten Your promise. He will come ‘to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him’ (Hebrews 9:28).

Jeremiah 15:1-21 Lord, some of our problems come from outside of ourselves. Other people cause problems for us – ‘This people will fight against you’ (Jeremiah 15:20). Some of our problems come from within our own hearts. Our own sins cause problems for us. There are ‘fightings and fears within’. We are ‘tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt.’ Help us to tell You all about it – how it really is. ‘Just as I am’ – This is how we must come to You, Lord. Our ‘fightings and fears’ do not simply disappear the moment we pray, ‘O Lamb of God, I come.’ We do, however, have Your promise: ‘They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you’ (Jeremiah 15:20). We thank You, Lord, that You will lead us in the way of victory (Colossians 2:8-10).

Jeremiah 13:1-27 ‘These wicked people, who refuse to listen to My words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them will be… completely useless’ (Jeremiah 13:10). Lord, Your Word challenges us to think seriously about ourselves: Am I on the way to becoming ‘completely useless’? Each of us must think about what’s been happening in our lives – ‘Where is the blessedness I knew when first I saw the Lord? Where is the soul-refreshing view of Jesus and His Word? What peaceful hours I once enjoyed! How sweet their memory still! But they have left an aching void the world can never fill.’ Teach us, Lord, to pray for real change – for ‘a closer walk’ with You: ‘Return, O Holy Dove!… The dearest idol I have known… Help me to tear it from Thy throne, and worship only Thee. So shall my walk be close with God…’

The proclamation of peace with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1) must be carefully dissociated from a proclamation which says, "'Peace, peace', when there is no peace" (Jeremiah 6:14; Jeremiah 8:11).

"Learn here that God's love (Jeremiah 31:3) is the source of true joy and gladness and rejoicing. If we are considered by others to be dull and over-seriously pious, it is not that we are too religious, but not religious enough. Can it be that we have missed the joy of God's love?" (Rev James Philip, Notes on Jeremiah 31:3-9, Gardenstown Church, Sunday 5th August 1956)

"What price now those who say that the Old Testament God is a grim, harsh God? Bathe in the sunshine of these promises. Look at Jeremiah 31:12. Parched soul, write your name above this one, and discouraged one, take Jeremiah 31:16  from the Lord, and smile again!" (Rev James Philip, Notes on Jeremiah 31:10-22, Gardenstown Church, Monday 6th August 1956)

Jeremiah 42:7-43:7 ‘Do not go to Egypt’ (Jeremiah 42:19). We may never set foot in the country known as ‘Egypt’ - but the spirit of  ‘Egypt’ may be in our hearts: ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him...?’ (Exodus 5:2). ‘Egypt’ is an attitude of the heart. It is an attitude of rebellion against You, Lord. Teach us to say ‘No’ to ‘Egypt.’Teach us to say ‘No’ to the spirit of rebellion against You. For Your people, ‘Egypt’ was a place of slavery, a place from which they needed to be set free by You, Lord (Exodus 2:23-25; 3:7-10). Each of us must choose how we will live. We can remain in the place of slavery - ‘slaves of sin’ - , or we can be ‘obedient from the heart’, stepping out from that place into the place of freedom, ‘the new life of the Spirit’ - ‘`the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death’ (Romans 6:17-18; 7:6; 8:2). Teach us, Lord, to choose Your way - not our own way.

Jeremiah 41:1-42:6 Terrible things were happening! Things were going from bad to worse. ‘What next?’ - The people were wondering where it would all end. Lord, what are we to do when everything seems to be getting totally out of control? There is one thing we must never forget. It is the most important thing of all. We must ‘pray to the Lord our God.’We must ask You, Lord, to ‘show us the way we should go.’You will ‘show us the thing that we should do’ (Jeremiah 42:2-3). May we learn that it’s time to stop complaining and start praying.

Jeremiah 21:1-14 ‘Perhaps the Lord will perform wonders for us as in times past...’ (Jeremiah 21:2). Lord, we read about "times past" - and we say, "That was then. What about now?" Help us never to assume that You will always bless us. May we never forget that yesterday’s blessing belong to the past. Teach us not to live in the past. Keep us from saying, ‘He has blessed us in the past. He will keep on blessing us.’ Help us to ask ourselves the searching question, "Do we really want to keep on enjoying Yours blessing?" Help us to keep on seeking Your blessing. If, Lord, we do not seek You, there will be no promise of blessing. We will hear a very different Word from You: ‘I have determined to do this city harm and not good... I will punish as your deeds deserve’ (Jeremiah 21:10,14). May we never take Your blessing for granted. May we never forget that we could be ‘in for a rude awakening’ - if we do not start seeking You, Lord. Help us to s...