October 13

John 4:27-42

[27] Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?” [28] So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, [29] “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” [30] They went out of the town and were coming to him.

[31] Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” [32] But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” [33] So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” [34] Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. [35] Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. [36] Already  the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. [37] For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ [38] I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

[39] Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” [40] So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. [41] And many more believed because of his word. [42] They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

1 Peter 1:1-9

[1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, 

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,  [2] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: 

May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 

[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, [5] who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, [7] so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. [8] Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, [9] obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Ecclesiastes 10

    [1] Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench;

        so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. 

    [2] A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right,

        but a fool’s heart to the left. 

    [3] Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense,

        and he says to everyone that he is a fool. 

    [4] If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place,

        for calmness will lay great offenses to rest.

    [5] There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: [6] folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. [7] I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves.

    [8] He who digs a pit will fall into it,

        and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall. 

    [9] He who quarries stones is hurt by them,

        and he who splits logs is endangered by them. 

    [10] If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge,

        he must use more strength,

        but wisdom helps one to succeed. 

    [11] If the serpent bites before it is charmed,

        there is no advantage to the charmer.

    [12] The words of a wise man’s mouth win him favor,

        but the lips of a fool consume him. 

    [13] The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,

        and the end of his talk is evil madness. 

    [14] A fool multiplies words,

        though no man knows what is to be,

        and who can tell him what will be after him? 

    [15] The toil of a fool wearies him,

        for he does not know the way to the city.

    [16] Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,

        and your princes feast in the morning! 

    [17] Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility,

        and your princes feast at the proper time,

        for strength, and not for drunkenness! 

    [18] Through sloth the roof sinks in,

        and through indolence the house leaks. 

    [19] Bread is made for laughter,

        and wine gladdens life,

        and money answers everything. 

    [20] Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king,

        nor in your bedroom curse the rich,

    for a bird of the air will carry your voice,

        or some winged creature tell the matter.

Jeremiah 32

[1] The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. [2] At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah. [3] For Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying, “Why do you prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it; [4] Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye. [5] And he shall take Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall remain until I visit him, declares the LORD. Though you fight against the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed’?”

[6] Jeremiah said, “The word of the LORD came to me: [7] Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ [8] Then Hanamel my cousin came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the LORD, and said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.

[9] “And I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. [10] I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the money on scales. [11] Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions and the open copy. [12] And I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my cousin, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard. [13] I charged Baruch in their presence, saying, [14] ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may last for a long time. [15] For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.’

[16] “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying: [17] ‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. [18] You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the LORD of hosts, [19] great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. [20] You have shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day. [21] You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror. [22] And you gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. [23] And they entered and took possession of it. But they did not obey your voice or walk in your law. They did nothing of all you commanded them to do. Therefore you have made all this disaster come upon them. [24] Behold, the siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and because of sword and famine and pestilence the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you spoke has come to pass, and behold, you see it. [25] Yet you, O Lord GOD, have said to me, “Buy the field for money and get witnesses”—though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’”

[26] The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: [27] “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? [28] Therefore, thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture it. [29] The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city shall come and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs offerings have been made to Baal and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods, to provoke me to anger. [30] For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth. The children of Israel have done nothing but provoke me to anger by the work of their hands, declares the LORD. [31] This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built to this day, so that I will remove it from my sight [32] because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah that they did to provoke me to anger—their kings and their officials, their priests and their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. [33] 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. [34] They set up their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. [35] They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

[36] “Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: [37] Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. [38] And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. [39] I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. [40] I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. [41] I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.

[42] “For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them. [43] Fields shall be bought in this land of which you are saying, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’ [44] Fields shall be bought for money, and deeds shall be signed and sealed and witnessed, in the land of Benjamin, in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb; for I will restore their fortunes, declares the LORD.”

Jeremiah 33

[1] The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the guard: [2] “Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it—the LORD is his name: [3] Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. [4] For thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege mounds and against the sword: [5] They are coming in to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them with the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their evil. [6] Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. [7] I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. [8] I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. [9] And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.

[10] “Thus says the LORD: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again [11] the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the LORD: 

    “‘Give thanks to the LORD of hosts,

        for the LORD is good,

        for his steadfast love endures forever!’

    For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the LORD. 

[12] “Thus says the LORD of hosts: In this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be habitations of shepherds resting their flocks. [13] In the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the LORD.

[14] “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. [15] In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. [16] In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’

[17] “For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, [18] and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.”

[19] The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: [20] “Thus says the LORD: If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, [21] then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers. [22] As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me.”

[23] The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: [24] “Have you not observed that these people are saying, ‘The LORD has rejected the two clans that he chose’? Thus they have despised my people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight. [25] Thus says the LORD: If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, [26] then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.”

Jeremiah 34

[1] The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and all of its cities: [2] “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. [3] 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.’ [4] Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the LORD concerning you: ‘You shall not die by the sword. [5] You shall die in peace. And as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so people shall burn spices for you and lament for you, saying, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word, declares the LORD.”

[6] Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, [7] when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, Lachish and Azekah, for these were the only fortified cities of Judah that remained.

[8] 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, [9] that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother. [10] 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. [11] But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves. [12] The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD: [13] “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I myself made a covenant with your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying, [14] ‘At the end of seven years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; you must set him free from your service.’ But your fathers did not listen to me or incline their ears to me. [15] 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, [16] 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.

[17] “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. [18] And the men who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of the covenant that they made before me, I will make them like the calf that they cut in two and passed between its parts—[19] the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf. [20] And I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives. Their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. [21] And Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives, into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon which has withdrawn from you. [22] Behold, I will command, declares the LORD, and will bring them back to this city. And they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.”

The Master Servant

. . . so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:7)

To me, the Bible’s most astonishing image of Christ’s second coming is in Luke 12:35–37, which pictures the return of a master from a marriage feast like this:

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.”

To be sure, we are called servants — and that no doubt means we are to do exactly as we are told. But the wonder of this picture is that the “master” insists on serving. We may have expected this during Jesus’s ministry on earth, since he said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). But Luke 12:35–37 is a picture of the second coming, when the Son of Man comes in the blinding glory of his Father “with his mighty angels in flaming fire” as 2 Thessalonians 1:7–8 says. Why would Jesus be portrayed as a table waiter at the second coming?

Because the very heart of his glory is the fullness of grace that overflows in kindness to needy people. This is why Ephesians 2:7 says he aims “in the coming ages [to] show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

What is the greatness of our God? What is his uniqueness in the world? Isaiah answers: “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides thee, who works for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4 RSV). There is no other god like this. He never relinquishes the role of inexhaustible benefactor of his ever-dependent, happy people.

John Piper

Stewards of God’s Creation

Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” GENESIS 1:26-28

 

PONDER THIS

Man is made in the image of God, so he has a moral, mental, and spiritual proclivity to reflect his creator. He has a craving for deity. He also has a capability for dominion. In Genesis 1:26, God said, “. . . and let them have dominion . . .” God made us to have dominion over the animals.

When Jesus Christ was on Earth, He demonstrated supernatural dominion. Jesus rode a wild donkey into Jerusalem—a donkey upon which never a man sat. He had a rooster crow at the exact, precise moment after Peter had denied Him. Jesus had dominion over the fish of the sea. He said, “Go cast a hook into the sea,” as a means of paying taxes. And there was one fish, out of the whole sea, that our Lord had guided to a coin lying on the bottom of that Galilean Sea and then to that hook.

God gave Man dominion over the animals. Jesus had supernatural dominion, but we have all been given dominion as God’s caretakers in the world. Taking dominion is more than just exercising control; it is guiding and caring for the creation God put you over. You have a part to play as an image bearer to reflect God in the way you care for His creation and His creatures.

How can you care for God’s creation in specific ways?

What are some ways you can reflect God as you care for His creation?

PRACTICE THIS

Take a walk to look at nature and thank God for it. Ask Him to help you reflect Him in taking dominion over creation.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

October 12

John 4:15-26

[15] The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

[16] Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” [17] The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; [18] for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” [19] The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. [20] Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” [21] Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. [22] You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. [23] But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. [24] God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” [25] The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” [26] Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

James 5:13-20

[13] Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. [14] Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. [15] And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. [16] Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. [17] Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. [18] Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

[19] My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, [20] let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Ecclesiastes 9

[1] But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. [2] It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath. [3] This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. [4] But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. [5] For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. [6] Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

[7] Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.

[8] Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.

[9] Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. [10] Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

[11] Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. [12] For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.

[13] I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. [14] There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. [15] But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. [16] But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.

[17] The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. [18] Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

Jeremiah 30

[1] The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: [2] “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. [3] For behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore the fortunes of my people, Israel and Judah, says the LORD, and I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall take possession of it.”

[4] These are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah:

    [5] “Thus says the LORD:

    We have heard a cry of panic,

        of terror, and no peace. 

    [6] Ask now, and see,

        can a man bear a child?

    Why then do I see every man

        with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor?

        Why has every face turned pale? 

    [7] Alas! That day is so great

        there is none like it;

    it is a time of distress for Jacob;

        yet he shall be saved out of it.

    [8] “And it shall come to pass in that day, declares the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off your neck, and I will burst your bonds, and foreigners shall no more make a servant of him. [9] But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

    [10] “Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, declares the LORD,

        nor be dismayed, O Israel;

    for behold, I will save you from far away,

        and your offspring from the land of their captivity.

    Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,

        and none shall make him afraid. 

    [11] For I am with you to save you,

    declares the LORD;

    I will make a full end of all the nations

        among whom I scattered 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.

    [12] “For thus says the LORD:

    Your hurt is incurable,

        and your wound is grievous. 

    [13] There is none to uphold your cause,

        no medicine for your wound,

        no healing for you. 

    [14] All your lovers have forgotten you;

        they care nothing for you;

    for I have dealt you the blow of an enemy,

        the punishment of a merciless foe,

    because your guilt is great,

        because your sins are flagrant. 

    [15] Why do you cry out over your hurt?

        Your pain is incurable.

    Because your guilt is great,

        because your sins are flagrant,

        I have done these things to you. 

    [16] Therefore all who devour you shall be devoured,

        and all your foes, every one of them, shall go into captivity;

    those who plunder you shall be plundered,

        and all who prey on you I will make a prey. 

    [17] For I will restore health to you,

        and your wounds I will heal,

    declares the LORD,

    because they have called you an outcast:

        ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’

    [18] “Thus says the LORD:

    Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob

        and have compassion on his dwellings;

    the city shall be rebuilt on its mound,

        and the palace shall stand where it used to be. 

    [19] Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving,

        and the voices of those who celebrate.

    I will multiply them, and they shall not be few;

        I will make them honored, and they shall not be small. 

    [20] Their children shall be as they were of old,

        and their congregation shall be established before me,

        and I will punish all who oppress them. 

    [21] Their prince shall be one of themselves;

        their ruler shall come out from their midst;

    I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me,

        for who would dare of himself to approach me?

    declares the LORD. 

    [22] And you shall be my people,

        and I will be your God.”

    [23] Behold the storm of the LORD!

        Wrath has gone forth,

    a whirling tempest;

        it will burst upon the head of the wicked. 

    [24] The fierce anger of the LORD will not turn back

        until he has executed and accomplished

        the intentions of his mind.

    In the latter days you will understand this.

Jeremiah 31

[1] “At that time, declares the LORD, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.”

    [2] Thus says the LORD:

    “The people who survived the sword

        found grace in the wilderness;

    when Israel sought for rest, 

    [3]     the LORD appeared to him from far away.

    I have loved you with an everlasting love;

        therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. 

    [4] Again I will build you, and you shall be built,

        O virgin Israel!

    Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines

        and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. 

    [5] Again you shall plant vineyards

        on the mountains of Samaria;

    the planters shall plant

        and shall enjoy the fruit. 

    [6] For there shall be a day when watchmen will call

        in the hill country of Ephraim:

    ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion,

        to the LORD our God.’”

    [7] For thus says the LORD:

    “Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,

        and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;

    proclaim, give praise, and say,

        ‘O LORD, save your people,

        the remnant of Israel.’ 

    [8] Behold, I will bring them from the north country

        and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,

    among them the blind and the lame,

        the pregnant woman and she who is in labor, together;

        a great company, they shall return here. 

    [9] With weeping they shall come,

        and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back,

    I will make them walk by brooks of water,

        in a straight path in which they shall not stumble,

    for I am a father to Israel,

        and Ephraim is my firstborn.

    [10] “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations,

        and declare it in the coastlands far away;

    say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him,

        and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’ 

    [11] For the LORD has ransomed Jacob

        and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him. 

    [12] They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,

        and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD,

    over the grain, the wine, and the oil,

        and over the young of the flock and the herd;

    their life shall be like a watered garden,

        and they shall languish no more. 

    [13] Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,

        and the young men and the old shall be merry.

    I will turn their mourning into joy;

        I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. 

    [14] I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,

        and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,

    declares the LORD.”

    [15] Thus says the LORD:

    “A voice is heard in Ramah,

        lamentation and bitter weeping.

    Rachel is weeping for her children;

        she refuses to be comforted for her children,

        because they are no more.”

    [16] Thus says the LORD:

    “Keep your voice from weeping,

        and your eyes from tears,

    for there is a reward for your work,

    declares the LORD,

        and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. 

    [17] There is hope for your future,

    declares the LORD,

        and your children shall come back to their own country. 

    [18] I have heard Ephraim grieving,

    ‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined,

        like an untrained calf;

    bring me back that I may be restored,

        for you are the LORD my God. 

    [19] For after I had turned away, I relented,

        and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh;

    I was ashamed, and I was confounded,

        because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’ 

    [20] Is Ephraim my dear son?

        Is he my darling child?

    For as often as I speak against him,

        I do remember him still.

    Therefore my heart yearns for him;

        I will surely have mercy on him,

    declares the LORD.

    [21] “Set up road markers for yourself;

        make yourself guideposts;

    consider well the highway,

        the road by which you went.

    Return, O virgin Israel,

        return to these your cities. 

    [22] How long will you waver,

        O faithless daughter?

    For the LORD has created a new thing on the earth:

        a woman encircles a man.”

    [23] Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Once more they shall use these words in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I restore their fortunes: 

    “‘The LORD bless you, O habitation of righteousness,

        O holy hill!’

    [24] And Judah and all its cities shall dwell there together, and the farmers and those who wander with their flocks. [25] For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

[26] At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me.

[27] “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. [28] And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD. [29] In those days they shall no longer say: 

    “‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,

        and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’

    [30] But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.

[31] “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, [32] not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. [33] For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [34] And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

    [35] Thus says the LORD,

    who gives the sun for light by day

        and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,

    who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—

        the LORD of hosts is his name: 

    [36] “If this fixed order departs

        from before me, declares the LORD,

    then shall the offspring of Israel cease

        from being a nation before me forever.”

    [37] Thus says the LORD:

    “If the heavens above can be measured,

        and the foundations of the earth below can be explored,

    then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel

        for all that they have done,

    declares the LORD.”

    [38] “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when the city shall be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. [39] And the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah. [40] The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the LORD. It shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.”

Beware of Serving God

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” (Acts 17:24–25)

We do not glorify God by providing his needs, but by praying that he would provide ours — and trusting him to answer, and living in the joy of that all-providing care as we lay down our lives in love for other people.

Here we are at the heart of the good news of Christian Hedonism. God’s insistence that we ask him to give us help so that he gets glory. “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Psalm 50:15). This forces on us the startling fact that we must beware of thinking he needs us. We must beware of serving God, and we must take special care to let him serve us, lest we rob him of his glory. “God is not served by human hands, as though he needed anything” (Acts 17:25).

This sounds very strange. Most of us think serving God is a totally positive thing. We have not considered that serving God may be an insult to him. But meditation on the very meaning of prayer makes this plain.

In the novel, Robinson Crusoe, the hero, took Psalm 50:12–15 as his favorite text to hope in as he’s stranded on the island: God says, “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine. . . . Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

Which means: there is a way to serve God that would belittle him as needy of our service. Oh, how careful we must be not to preempt the mighty grace of God in Christ. Jesus said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He aims to be the servant. He aims to get the glory as the Giver.

John Piper