Reading for today
Old Testament: Jeremiah 3, 4, 5
New Testament: Revelation 12
Thoughts from today’s reading
Jeremiah 3:22-25. Backsliding is like a wound or sickness which needs to be healed. When our hope seems disappointed, it makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12). When men treat us wrongfully, they wound us. Once the heart gets sick or wounded, we tend to resort to helping ourselves, either by searching for other means apart form God to bring our hope to pass, or by taking our revenge on men. This is what subtly leads to a backsliding heart. When we go through difficulties, rather than seek to resolve it ourselves, we should hope in God and He will heal us, cleanse us, and show us His salvation.
Revelation 12:15-16. As the enemy chased this woman to destroy her, heaven gave her wings to fly away from him, and when he caused a flood of water to come out of his mouth to carry her away, the earth helped by opening it’s mouth to soak up the water. God is committed to helping us in heaven and on earth against all the schemes that the devil plots against us.
Prayer
1. Heavenly Father, we come before your throne of mercy to receive help and healing in any area where our hearts have backslidden from you. Wherever we are hurting or disappointed we open up to you as we ask for grace to forgive those who have hurt us and not to seek revenge. We acknowledge you as our helper and the one who is able to make up for what we consider lost time and to put us ahead wherever we are behind. Thank you for loving us enough to pull us back to you when our hearts wander away.
2. Father, I thank you that like the psalmist, I can say, whom have I in heaven but you, and there is none on earth I desire besides you, when my strength fails, you are the strength of my life forever (Psalm 73:25-26). Thank you that you help me in heaven and you instruct the earth to favour my cause. I will not fear because whatever the enemy throws in my path way, you have created a way that I can escape it. I give you praise for victory on my side at all times.