The Simple Life

How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave. She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies. Lamentations 1:1-2 (ESV)   Going from a full city to an empty one can be scary. Silver Birch Ranch often has several hundred people on our grounds. In the summer, the kitchen cooks three meals a day, often for 400 plus people. The sights and sounds of people are everywhere, and the campers' excitement is electrifying.   Then, one day late summer, most everyone goes home. The Nicolet Bible Institute students have finished their summer practicum, the campers need to start school, and the summer volunteers and Summer Staff are either returning to school or their careers.   As one then walks the grounds of Sil...

Why do you boast of your valleys, O faithless daughter, who trusted in her treasures, saying, 'Who will come against me?' Behold, I will bring terror upon you, declares the Lord God of hosts, from all who are around you, and you shall be driven out, every man straight before him, with none to gather the fugitives. "But afterward I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites," declares the Lord. Jeremiah 49:4-6 (ESV)   Trusting in treasure, whatever the treasure is, is foolish. Perhaps we treasure money, fame, fortune, homes, fortresses, or family. Where our treasure is, our heart is. It is easy to begin to focus on our money, fame, fortune, homes, fortresses, family, and more. When we do so, God becomes an afterthought. He becomes the "neglected one," rather than the cherished one.   The Scriptures are clear that the real treasures in life are treasures that will go with us to eternity. Those treasures are found in our relationships with God, family, and frie...

"Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness, and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed." Jeremiah 48:10 (ESV)   "That a curse should be hurled at the head of the traitor who does "the work of the Lord deceitfully" surprises no one. But to find a curse aimed at the merely negligent worker makes us pause, and think, and ask ourselves questions. The persons here referred to are amongst those who are doing "the work of the Lord."—They profess and call themselves Christians." (Biblical Illustrator)   Negligence is evil. When we neglect the gifts we were given, the opportunities we have, or the time with which we have been entrusted, we will have regrets. We are never promised more than one opportunity, and the wise understand this and remain diligent, knowing that both their time and opportunities are limited.   The farmer who tore down barns and built bigger ones so his future could be full of "himself" was cal...

The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, said: "Behold, I am bringing punishment upon Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh and Egypt and her gods and her kings, upon Pharaoh and those who trust in him. I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their life, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Afterward Egypt shall be inhabited as in the days of old," declares the Lord. Jeremiah 46:25-26 (ESV)   There is a theme in Jeremiah concerning those who place their trust in anything or anyone other than God. The theme is simple: our trust in anything or anyone other than God will be to our demise. It is not God who will destroy us; it is we who will destroy us, for our faith/trust has been misplaced.   All of us trust something. We trust our judgment, feelings, friends, family, or charismatic people. In time, we realize that our misplaced trust is costly, we eliminate the many false gods we have trusted, and begin to trust in the one and only true God. Unfortu...

The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations. About Egypt. Concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish and which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: "Prepare buckler and shield, and advance for battle! Harness the horses; mount, O horsemen! Take your stations with your helmets, polish your spears, put on your armor! Why have I seen it? They are dismayed and have turned backward. Their warriors are beaten down and have fled in haste; they look not back— terror on every side!" declares the Lord. "The swift cannot flee away, nor the warrior escape; in the north by the river Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen." Jeremiah 46:1-6 (ESV)   There is no recourse against God. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all life, and by the word of His mouth, His enemies fall. Man's strength is equal to God's weaknesses...

"And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go." Jeremiah 45:5 (ESV)   "Baruch, the companion of Jeremiah, to whom these words were addressed, was a young man of learning, who had probably formed large expectations of distinction, which were sadly disappointed by the calamities which befell his country. The prophet checks his aspirations in the strong language of our text: "Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not." It is the selfish seeking of the great things of this world and the eager pursuits of them, as if they were of supreme importance, which is censured by the prophet." (Biblical Illustrator)   It is a common error to think that our greatness is wrapped up in our position in life when, in reality, it is wrapped up in our position in Christ. When we seek greatness for ourselv...

Yet I persistently sent to you all my servants the prophets, saying, 'Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate!' But they did not listen or incline their ear, to turn from their evil and make no offerings to other gods. Therefore my wrath and my anger were poured out and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, and they became a waste and a desolation, as at this day. Jeremiah 44:4-6 (ESV)   God is merciful and gracious, and slow to anger. Yet this does not mean that those who reject His mercy and graciousness will not experience His anger. Mercy and grace are valuable to those who accept it and value it.   We are sinful, rebellious ingrates who deserve the wrath of God, and He has offered, numerous times, to pay the price for our sin Himself. How foolish it is to reject such a gift. How foolish it is to accept His gift, but never to unwrap it.   God has given us His Word, teachers of His Word, and many opportunities for those who want to know Him...

Then all the commanders of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, came near and said to Jeremiah the prophet, "Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us, for all this remnant—because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us— that the Lord your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do." 4 Jeremiah the prophet said to them, "I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to the Lord your God according to your request, and whatever the Lord answers you I will tell you. I will keep nothing back from you." Jeremiah 42:1-4 (ESV)   God is merciful and grants mercy to those who seek Him. At this time, people sought God through the prophet Jeremiah. They knew that Jeremiah was a prophet, a man of God, and one they could trust.   Where do I turn when I need help? Where do I find God today? If I cannot find Him, I am looking in t...

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the guard: "Go, and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and not for good, and they shall be accomplished before you on that day. But I will deliver you on that day, declares the Lord, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord.'" Jeremiah 39:15-18 (ESV)   Those who trust in God will be saved. Our best efforts, soldiers, schemes, and thoughts will not and cannot save us from evil. God alone saves those who put their trust in Him.   The only reason one would not trust God is that they do not know Him. The only reason we would not know Him is that we have not sought Him. https://www.podbean.com...

Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "If I tell you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me." Jeremiah 38:15 (ESV)   Sometimes our good choices lead us into trouble. Jeremiah realized that either way with Zedekiah, he would lose.   Truth always carries consequences, and they are not always pleasant. Yet, it is the truth that sets us free. It is the truth that allows us to carry on, no matter the consequences. Those who are controlled by the outcome of circumstances rather than by truth are slaves to circumstance.   Few, it seems, really want to know the truth, and, in fact, the truth scares them. Since it scares them, they avoid it, and since they are avoiding it, they are not prepared for what is really to come.   When we seek advisors, we can look to those who are positioned to gain from the advice, or we can seek those who value the truth over any gain or loss. We would be wise to choose those who have proven a proclivity f...

Thus says the Lord: "This city shall surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken." Then the officials said to the king, "Let this man be put to death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm." King Zedekiah said, "Behold, he is in your hands, for the king can do nothing against you." So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud. Jeremiah 38:3-6 (ESV)   False affirmation is no affirmation. Lying to create a positive environment for the hopeless breeds more hopelessness.   Jeremiah was the only one who knew God and could give them hope, yet they ignored him.   Those who a...

Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, "What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison? Where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, 'The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land'? Now hear, please, O my lord the king: let my humble plea come before you and do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the secretary, lest I die there." So King Zedekiah gave orders, and they committed Jeremiah to the court of the guard. And a loaf of bread was given him daily from the bakers' street, until all the bread of the city was gone. So Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. Jeremiah 37:18-21 (ESV)   Truth will always win. Embracing lies may sound like a good idea, because the truth can be stark, unyielding, and even cold. Life is not about winning friends and influencing people. It is about obedience to God and, through your obedience, demonstrating who God is to others.   Those who have rep...

King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "Please pray for us to the Lord our God." Now Jeremiah was still going in and out among the people, for he had not yet been put in prison. Jeremiah 37:3-4 (ESV)   People who ignore God seem to find those who love God and ask them for help connecting with God in times of trouble. Prayer seems more acceptable in any nation during a crisis.   We are told that Jeremiah had not yet been put in prison, meaning that prison awaited him. In fact, all who become spokesmen for our King await persecution. I wonder why. You would think that those who know God and listen to Him and proclaim the truth of His Word would be honored, not imprisoned. Yet, there are examples of those who loved God, walked with Him, and were imprisoned. Joseph, Daniel, and Paul are a few examples of this.   It would be best for a nation to align with God and His messengers, not impr...

It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before him. As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot. Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, nor did they tear their garments. Jeremiah 36:22-24 (ESV)   Those who stand against God in this life will not stand in the next. This king had power and authority that was given to him by God, the very one to whom He now claimed to be superior. This same action/attitude did not turn out well for Satan, and it will not turn out well for this king, or anyone else who thinks they are "king."   All legitimate power and authority come from God alone, and we would be best to live with that thought in mind. https://www.podbean.com/relate365

In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: "Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin." Jeremiah 36:1-3 (ESV)   What kind of fool hears a warning from a reliable source and ignores it? The Scriptures are clear as to what happens to those who ignore God, yet many continue to live as if He does not exist.   Those who ignore God, for any reason, will wish they had not. There is a time when all hope is lost, and those who lived self-centered lives will see the limitations of self and the reality that the universe revolves around God, and not them. We need to respond while we still have the oppo...

I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently, saying, 'Turn now every one of you from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and do not go after other gods to serve them, and then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to you and your fathers.' But you did not incline your ear or listen to me. Jeremiah 35:15 (ESV)   God is faithful to send spokespeople to warn people of impending dangers. Often, the spokesperson speaks of the need to amend our ways. In other words, we are told to live differently from the way we are living now, or we will pay a consequence that we will truly regret.   Today, those who sound the alarm are often considered "legalists," judgmental naysayers. I imagine Elijah was considered that by King Ahab, as was his successor Elisha by other kings.   Ezekiel was not listened to, Jeremiah was the weeping prophet, and Malachi gave a warning to a people who had no idea a warning was even necessary.   Ignoring the Word of God ...

You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming liberty, each to his neighbor, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name, but then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves, whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your slaves. “Therefore, thus says the Lord: You have not obeyed me by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; behold, I proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the Lord. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth." Jeremiah 34:15-17 (ESV)   Mountaintop experiences are exciting and are rarely duplicated in real life. Hence, the term "mountain top experience." Those who make commitments during an emotional time in life will struggle to keep them during dull moments. Without making real changes that align with our new commitments i...

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them, that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother. And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that everyone would set free his slave, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again. They obeyed and set them free. But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves. Jeremiah 34:8-11 (ESV)   Obedience talk is cheap and easy, and it is a great idea, until we experience the cost. When we decide to obey God, but for some reason turn back to our old ways, we have not obeyed God. Leaving the door open for a return to disobedience means we usually return to our disobedient ways.   We need to decide to make no provision for ou...

"Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it—the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known." Jeremiah 33:2-3 (ESV Strong's)   Some understand the un-understandable. Some are at peace during turbulent times. Some have faith when all hope seems lost. What is common among those who live rather than endure life? They call on the Lord, and the Lord, who will not hide, reveals to them great and otherwise hidden things.   It may be smart to consult a doctor, but it is wise to call on the Lord. No matter the outcome, those who call on the Lord will not be disappointed. God can heal, or He will personally greet those who are His children, who are not healed on this earth.   There is no real hope in this life apart from God, and those who seek hope apart from Him will be gravely disappointed.   https://www.podbean.com/relate365

They have turned to me their back and not their face. And though I have taught them persistently, they have not listened to receive instruction. Jeremiah 32:33 (ESV)   To learn, you need to position yourself to listen. The prideful will not listen. The angry do not listen. The arrogant do not listen.   Listening does not mean you agree or disagree. It means that you are paying attention to what someone else is saying. Paying attention to what someone else is saying means you are actually trying to understand what they are saying. After one listens, one can respond, and hopefully respond correctly.   The academic atmosphere today seems to be one continual debate, rather than the exchange and consideration of ideas. If we know that something is right, no matter how a person debates the issue, they remain right. Those who want to debate every idea someone has, and every word they say, are wearisome and, eventually, will have no one to debate, for they have worn out all those...