Hey everyone,

How’s it going? This Sunday is the last day to sign up for the next EM membership class. This is one of the best ways to know what New Life is all about and what we believe in. Hope you guys are able to join us this time around. Here’s today’s devotion:

Tues, August 24th – Jeremiah 42-45

What determines our level of devotion to the Lord? Is it simply a matter of priorities? Does it hinge upon the stage of life that we’re currently in? All of the answers to these respective questions do play a role in the way that we approach our relationship with the Lord but sometimes we can determine this by the benefits and costs of making sacrifices for the Lord.

We see the extent of the sinfulness and rebellion of God’s people in our chapter today. As Jeremiah was calling them to repent of their idolatry, not only did they say that they wouldn’t repent but that their lives were better off as they followed false gods. Their justification for their sinfulness was that when they would followed the Lord that nothing but trouble ensued but when they would follow the gods of other nations, they began to prosper. Why was this? There are those times when God would allow these things to sovereignly happen in order to test our faith in Him.

Imagine that every time that we prayed, or went to church, or shared the gospel with someone, that we would receive an immediate tangible benefit like a car, money, or a significant other. It would be easy then to be a faithful believer b/c we would be getting the things that we wanted just by practicing spiritual disciplines. It becomes much more difficult to take steps of godliness when trouble comes.

There are many people who have fallen into the same trap that the Jews did in the OT. They believe that life gets more difficult when you seek Christ and so why do it. The Lord never promises a bed of roses but He does promises us “streets of gold”. He doesn’t give us a vast domain but a kingdom that will last eternally and it is vital that we seek that kingdom today no matter the cost.

Have a great week in the Lord and God bless!

SDG,
P. Ben