Friday, September 26, 2014

Jeremiah 38 ~ Praying God's Word


Please read Jeremiah 38.
Meditate on and memorize this phrase from verse 20.

Please obey the LORD in what I am saying to you,
that it may go well with you, and you may live.

Jeremiah again became the living sermon illustration for the Word he preached.  He was thrown into a cistern and sank into its muddy bottom as punishment for preaching the truth from God to the people (Jeremiah 38:1-6).  Upon his release, Jeremiah was summoned to King Zedekiah, who wanted to hear a Word from the LORD.  One of things Jeremiah told the king was that his close friends had misled and overpowered him, and his feet were sunk in the mire (Jeremiah 38:22).

Like Jeremiah’s feet sank into the mud of the cistern, Zedekiah and the people of Judah had sunk into the mire of their sin-filled lives.  They were stuck.  Like Jeremiah, they needed help getting out.  God wanted to help them; they simply needed to obey Him.

This sermon is for you.  Are you stuck in the mire of sin?  A slave named Ebed-melech rescued Jeremiah from the muddy cistern.  Jesus Christ took the form of a bond-servant and died on a cross to save you from life mired in sin (Philippians 2:5-11).  Jeremiah had to put the ropes offered by Ebed under his armpits to be pulled out of the well.  You must choose to accept the salvation offered by Jesus Christ to be pulled out of your sin.  Hear and heed the Word of the LORD (Jeremiah 13:15)!

Pray Jeremiah 38:20 and 22 over those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).  You may need to insert your own name into the blank.

“LORD, __________’s close friends have misled and overpowered them. 
Their feet have sunk into the mire.
 Please cause them to obey You in what You say,
 that it may go well with them, and they may live.
In Your name, Jesus~”

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