Matthew 5:10-11

April 7, 2026 by Leave a Comment

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬-‭11‬)

This is another Bible passage that doesn’t feel right. Who wants to be persecuted? Who wants to be reviled and have all kinds of evil uttered against them? Who would sign up for those things?

Yet, Jesus said those who experience those things because of their faithfulness to him are blessed. Interestingly, the Chicago Bulls recently released a recently acquired first-round draft pick because he was critical of the NBA’s promotion of Pride Month. Jaden Ivey’s complaint? He says the league is promoting unrighteousness. And he is correct!

Since his release, he has remained firm that all the fame and money are nothing compared to Christ. As one might imagine, the pressure against him has grown. Yet, he remains steadfast in his position. He is a contemporary example of what Jesus is talking about.

Father, please help me to be so satisfied with you that the affirmation of this world is meaningless in comparison. Amen.

Filed Under: courage, devotional thoughts, discipleship, Faith, fear, Gospels, Jesus Said, Life in Christ, Matthew, New Testament Tagged With:

Jeremiah 43:7

October 5, 2025 by Leave a Comment

“And they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they arrived at Tahpanhes.” (Jeremiah 43:7)

This place of disobedience is a rough place to be. Jeremiah had specifically told them, “The Lord has said to you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Know for a certainty that I have warned you this day” ‭(42:19)

The rebellious heart will deny that water is wet to do what it wants to do. Clearly, Jeremiah had warned them not to go to Egypt, in contrast to Azariah’s and Johanan’s claim to the contrary. While they are, without a doubt, rebelling against God’s word, the underlying issue is a fear of man over trust in God. They are afraid that they are being set up to be taken to Babylon. (43:3)

I do not doubt that their fear of exile or worse is real. But God told them not to go to Egypt. In those circumstances, we – not just them – must obey God. The fear of man is a powerful force in our heads and hearts that convinces us that we can take care of ourselves better than God can. Then, off we go in rebellion to God to “care” for us.

Interestingly, once they arrived into the “safety” of Egypt, God sent another word through Jeremiah: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will set his throne above these stones that I have hidden, and he will spread his royal canopy over them.” ‭(43‬:‭10‬) In the end, what appeared to them to be a safe zone wasn’t. Rebelling against God put them exactly in the situation they intended to avoid in Jerusalem. And, rebelling against God does the same for me!

Father, please grow my faith in you. Help me to eradicate the fear of man in my heart that I may be more faithful to you. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, fear, Jeremiah, Old Testament Tagged With:

Jeremiah 42:11

October 4, 2025 by Leave a Comment

“Do not fear the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Do not fear him, declares the Lord, for I am with you, to save you and to deliver you from his hand.” (Jeremiah 42:11)

Babylon was the biggest and baddest dude in the neighborhood. But God told Israel, “Do not fear him.” How is that possible? The nation is under siege by Babylon! The next clause provides the answer: “for I am with you.” But, not just to “be with you” but “to save you and to deliver you.” The Lord has a purpose in His presence.

In a similar scenario, but a century earlier, when Assyria was the big boy, King Hezekiah said a similar thing to the great-grandparents of the people Jeremiah was talking to: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” (2 Chronicles‬ ‭32‬:‭7‬-‭8‬) Once again, the Lord’s presence is purposeful: “to help us and to fight our battles.”

About 115 years apart, King Hezekiah had seen Assyria destroy the northern kingdom, and Jeremiah had witnessed the Babylonians destroy the southern kingdom. And both said, “The Lord is with you.”

Having witnessed what Hezekiah witnessed, Isaiah said the same thing: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭10‬) (And, once again, the Lord’s presence has purpose: to strengthen and to help.

If we look at the impossible circumstances of Hezekiah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, we can see that these were words of faith. To be clear, both Jeremiah and Isaiah were speaking the word of the Lord to their audiences. I wonder if Hezekiah hadn’t heard the same from Isaiah. Perhaps, he just knew the Lord so well that he rightly concluded that the Lord was with them.

To put a finer point on this thought, the reason that Judah should not be afraid was that the Lord was with them. Their courage should have come from the fact that the Lord was with them. And who is with me?

Father, please help me to remember that your Spirit dwells within me. Help me find courage in that truth and not fear what others may say or think if I’m completely obedient to you. Amen.

Filed Under: Assyria, Babylon, devotional thoughts, fear, Hezekiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Old Testament Tagged With:

Jeremiah 34:2-3

September 26, 2025 by Leave a Comment

“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. You shall not escape from his hand but shall surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You shall see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face. And you shall go to Babylon.’” (Jeremiah 34:2-3)

Letting the king know he will be exiled must have been a challenging thing to do. But Jeremiah did it.

What are the challenging things God asks me to do? I don’t believe any of them is as unnerving as telling the king bad news. Why can’t I be as bold as Jeremiah? Why is the fear of man so strong in my heart?

Father, please help me to see and be empowered by your greatness. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, fear, Jeremiah, Old Testament Tagged With:

Jeremiah 27:1-2

September 19, 2025 by Leave a Comment

“In the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord. Thus the Lord said to me: ‘Make yourself straps and yoke-bars, and put them on your neck.’” (Jeremiah 27:1-2)

How can I be embarrassed to witness to people in a normal conversation? Here, Jeremiah had to walk around in a cattle yoke as a visual aid to his words. God only asks me to talk with people, and I can become fearful with “what ifs.”

The fear of man is a mighty spiritual and emotional force.

Father, please help me to love you more than I fear man. Please grow me out of my fear of man. Amen.

Filed Under: devotional thoughts, Evangelism, fear, Jeremiah, Old Testament Tagged With:
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