THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)
DATE: FRIDAY, 1ST SEPTEMBER, 2023
TOPIC: PRIDE DESTROYS
TEXT: JEREMIAH 50:1-21
50:1. The word that the LORD spoke against Babylon [and] against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.
2. "Declare among the nations, Proclaim, and set up a standard; Proclaim -- do not conceal [it -- Say,] 'Babylon is taken, Bel is shamed. Merodach is broken in pieces; Her idols are humiliated, Her images are broken in pieces.'
3. For out of the north a nation comes up against her, Which shall make her land desolate, And no one shall dwell therein. They shall move, they shall depart, Both man and beast.
4. " In those days and in that time," says the LORD, "The children of Israel shall come, They and the children of Judah together; With continual weeping they shall come, And seek the LORD their God.
5. They shall ask the way to Zion, With their faces toward it, [saying,] 'Come and let us join ourselves to the LORD [In] a perpetual covenant [That] will not be forgotten.'
6. " My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray; They have turned them away [on] the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill; They have forgotten their resting place.
7. All who found them have devoured them; And their adversaries said, 'We have not offended, Because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, The LORD, the hope of their fathers.'
8. " Move from the midst of Babylon, Go out of the land of the Chaldeans; And be like the rams before the flocks.
9. For behold, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon An assembly of great nations from the north country, And they shall array themselves against her; From there she shall be captured. Their arrows [shall be] like [those] of an expert warrior; None shall return in vain.
10. And Chaldea shall become plunder; All who plunder her shall be satisfied," says the LORD.
11. " Because you were glad, because you rejoiced, You destroyers of My heritage, Because you have grown fat like a heifer threshing grain, And you bellow like bulls,
12. Your mother shall be deeply ashamed; She who bore you shall be ashamed. Behold, the least of the nations [shall be] a wilderness, A dry land and a desert.
13. Because of the wrath of the LORD She shall not be inhabited, But she shall be wholly desolate. Everyone who goes by Babylon shall be horrified And hiss at all her plagues.
14. "Put yourselves in array against Babylon all around, All you who bend the bow; Shoot at her, spare no arrows, For she has sinned against the LORD.
15. Shout against her all around; She has given her hand, Her foundations have fallen, Her walls are thrown down; For it [is] the vengeance of the LORD. Take vengeance on her. As she has done, so do to her.
16. Cut off the sower from Babylon, And him who handles the sickle at harvest time. For fear of the oppressing sword Everyone shall turn to his own people, And everyone shall flee to his own land.
17. " Israel [is] like scattered sheep; The lions have driven [him] away. First the king of Assyria devoured him; Now at last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has broken his bones."
18. Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, As I have punished the king of Assyria.
19. But I will bring back Israel to his home, And he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan; His soul shall be satisfied on Mount Ephraim and Gilead.
20. In those days and in that time," says the LORD, "The iniquity of Israel shall be sought, but [there shall be] none; And the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found; For I will pardon those whom I preserve.
21. " Go up against the land of Merathaim, against it, And against the inhabitants of Pekod. Waste and utterly destroy them," says the LORD, "And do according to all that I have commanded you.
MESSAGE:
Babylon had been used greatly by God in punishing and fostering repentance on the part of Israel whenever they moved away from His statutes. This made Babylon to feel larger than life and never in any way regarded the God of Israel. They filled their land with idols and boasted that they could do anything against God’s people because they had sinned against their God (v.7). God promised that the city will be in total ruins and all their idols which they trusted will be disgraced because of their arrogance and pride. Nations were set against the once powerful nation and everything they were proud of were broken into pieces.
We must note that pride in the heart of anyone set him against God and prepare such people for destruction. Wherever, the sin of pride resides no matter how useful the man may be, destruction will be the end. Who can stand against the vengeance of God? However, at the repentance of God’s people with a desire to return to their covenant with Him (vv. 4,5 ) God will have mercy on them. God will pardon and receive those who seek him in contrition and with humility. They will find comforts, satisfaction of soul and deliverance out trouble.
PRAYER:
My Lord help me not see myself beyond whom I am in You.
Happy New Month
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