Agape Devotions

READ : Jeremiah 47-48   Verses chosen for meditation: Jeremiah 48:35-36 35  And I will bring to an end in Moab, declares the Lord, him who offers sacrifice in the high place and makes offerings to his god.  36  Therefore my heart moans for Moab like a flute, and my heart moans like a flute for the men of Kir-hareseth. Therefore the riches they gained have perished. REFLECT The chapters this week feature the judgement of the nations bordering Judah and beyond. It starts with Egypt in Chap 46 and ends with Babylon in Chap 50. Today, we look at the judgement concerning Moab. For such a small country, it has quite the lengthy prophecy. Only Babylon’s prophecy is longer. This may be due to the close relationship between Israel-Judah and Moab over the centuries. Moab was Judah’s closest neighbours, so they knew each other inside out. Ruth, David’s ancestor, came from Moab. Hence, Moab is quite a significant country in Israel-Judah’s histor...

Read Jeremiah 46 Verses chosen for devotion - Jeremiah 46:7-8, 25 and 28 7 “Who is this, rising like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge? 8 Egypt rises like the Nile,like rivers whose waters surge. He said, ‘I will rise, I will cover the earth, I will destroy cities and their inhabitants.’ 25 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.  28 Fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the Lord, for I am with you. I will make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.” Reflect Egypt was a mighty nation with strong armies. They were very well prepared to battle Babylonians, with chariots and horses, shields and bows. They were described as rising Nile that covers the earth and destroy cities. They even h...

Read Jeremiah 44 and 45 Verse chosen for meditation: Jeremiah 45: 5 ESV:  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.” Reflect We are now in the second month of the new year, just a few days before the Lunar New Year, what thoughts of greatness could we possibly be entertaining for the year? Are we seeking those great things for ourselves? If so, what is the one great thing that we're after? Could there be something better than those desires perhaps? If the Lord could offer us some advice, how and what do you think he will say to us? Relate Baruch was the scribe of prophet Jeremiah, who wrote down most of the prophecies dictated to him by the latter. He was likewise often overwhelmed with despondency by what’s happening and the things that were going to happen.  Unlike Jeremiah, however, he was not one to be easi...

  TEXT FOR REFLECTION Be sure of this: I warn you today that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.'  I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you. JEREMIAH 42:19-21 REFLECT The leaders of the Jewish remnants had approached Jeremiah to request him to inquire of the Lord what their future was to be and what they should do. They had just assassinated the puppet king that Babylon had installed and knew that they would have to face Babylon's wrath, and now they wanted to know from Jeremiah whether they should flee to Egypt or remain where they were and allow themselves to be taken into exile in Babylon. They told Jeremiah earnestly that they really wanted to know and would obey whatever the Lord told them, whether favourable or not. Ten days later, Jeremiah heard from the Lord and returned to them. He told th...

Read: Jeremiah 39 No devotionals (Sunday)

Read: Jeremiah 37-38 Verses chosen for reflection: Jeremiah 38:4-6 4 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.” 5 King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your hands, for the king can do nothing against you.” 6 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. Reflect: The princes of Judah were adamant that Jeremiah was spewing nonsense about the plight of the city. Despite their wicked ways, they could not foresee the doom of the city, as prophesied by faithful Jeremiah. They said that Jeremiah was here to discouraged the people and the soldiers; as such, tried to do harm....

READ : Jeremiah 36   REFLECT : Is the arrogant defiance of God in our cultural environment eroding our reverent fear of our holy God? Do we need to examine our hearts for signs of self righteous pride? Judgment came against Jehoiakim not simply because he acted foolishly in burning the Scriptures but because of the condition of heart which that action revealed. This is given to us in one flaming sentence in Verse 24: Yet neither the king, nor any of his servants who heard all these words, was afraid, nor did they rend their garments. These men had lost the fear of God. And when a nation or a people or an individual loses the fear of God, they are on their way to destruction. For the fear of God is based upon the sovereign power which he exercises in life. These men were shown to be stupid and senseless men who had lost their sense of reality entirely, because they had lost the fear of God. There is one great fact everywhere revealed — in Scripture, in history, and even in...