Living out our trust in God

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Jeremiah 37-39; Psalm 23

TO CHEW ON: “‘For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me,’ says the LORD.” Jeremiah 39:18

The words of our focus verse were given to Jeremiah for Ebed Melech. In all the palace intrigue we find in Jeremiah 37-39, this African eunuch and servant of King Zedekiah was sympathetic to Jeremiah. When the king’s princes threw him into a dungeon of muddy quicksand, Ebed Melech went to Zedekiah and begged for Jeremiah’s life.

The king allowed him to rescue Jeremiah. He with others made ropes from rags and pulled him from the miry pit.

Then Nebuchadnezzar conquered the city just as Jeremiah had predicted (the predictions and his advice that the king should surrender that got him into so much trouble with the king and his princes). All that Jeremiah had prophesied, about how the king would be treated and the city burned if they did not surrender, came true.

But God did not forget Ebed Melech, the man who trusted in Him and lived out that trust by standing up for Jeremiah. God gave him his life “as a prize.”

I am writing this on the day that the Supreme Court has announced their decision to deny Trinity Western University the right to have a law school—a decision that will impact religious freedom in Canada in many other areas as well. In the days ahead it will become increasingly unpopular and politically incorrect to hold biblically based views on morality and lifestyle. We may encounter persecution.

I take encouragement from God’s remembrance of this servant who trusted Him and lived out that trust by supporting unpopular Jeremiah. Let us likewise continue doing things that are right and supporting and helping God’s servants, no matter how unpopular their biblically based message and stance.

PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to trust You and live out my trust when such trust is culturally popular and also when it’s not.  Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 23

MORE: An article that explains the impact of the Supreme Court decision to the church and Canadian society: "The Supreme Court Now Decides that Faith is Banned from Canada's Public Spaces" - National Post

*********
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Thanks for reading! This year we are using The Bible Project "Timeless Reading Plan" to read through the Bible in 2018. If you'd like to read along in your own Bible, you can download a pdf of the reading plan HERE.