In Jeremiah 17, the Lord is calling the children of Israel to rest and focus on Him on the Sabbath day. The children of Israel apparently have been distracted by the cares of the world and continue in their own efforts to chip away at the burdens in their heart. The Lord concludes by stating that when they honor His Sabbath, then kings and princes will sit on the throne of David and people will come from far to offer sacrifices to the house of the Lord.
Is this not a prophecy for today? We must hear and receive the word of the Lord. Christ the Lord is our Sabbath. He is our eternal rest. When you continue to carry burdens and try to solve problems in your own strength, you are like the children of Israel which Jeremiah was admonishing. If you do not have peace and joy today, you need to press into His rest, the assurances of His salvation. Christ has overcome!
31 Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?
32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:31-33 KJV)
Do you now believe? Whatever work it is for us to do, it should be done with melody in our hearts unto GOD who has given us ALL THINGS which pertain unto life and godliness. We will have tribulations, but it is a necessary purifying fire. Stay rooted in the river of GOD’s spirit and your leaves will stay green and your fruit will come in season.
7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8 KJV)
Every man’s work is tried by fire that he may see what is in his own heart for the Lord already knows. If we find we are in fear or doubt, we have and adversary at the throne of GOD, Christ the High Priest, who we can petition for the grace needed to be forgiven, cleansed, and restored. Don’t let your heart become bitter in the resentment of pride. Pressure reveals the leaks. When we waiver in our rest and hope in GOD it reveals that our heart is yet still broken and needs to be renewed by His love. The strength of our faith is the knowledge of His love. When we waiver it reveals an accusation against His love which needs to be cast down. It reveals hope in something other than His providence for our lives which is an idol that must be toppled.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. (Matthew 13:20-21 KJV)
The word “offended” in verse twenty-one comes from the Greek word “skandalizo” as in scandalize. The other associated words were to stumble, to entice, to sin and apostasy. We see here the weeds that grow in a heart which doesn’t trust GOD. It reminds me of what I am seeing today in many who have confessed to have faith in Christ.
The Lord understands we have lived our lives in the imaginations of our own heart, and we need to be delivered so we can abide in spirit and in truth. He lets reality speak to us, and he who hears and humbles himself to the truth and repents is transformed.
Return to the Lord and set your heart upon Him and enter His Sabbath, prepared for all those who trust Him.
“Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.” (Jeremiah 17:14 KJV)
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 KJV)
Don’t let yourself be moved by the affairs of this world. Stand firmly in the hope of GOD’s promises and allow your soul to be rooted in the truth of His word. When the Church stands as the tree of Jeremiah 17:8, in the Salvation of Christ, people will come to the cross and present their lives in sacrifice and the authority of GOD’s kingdom will be manifest in the earth.
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