Scripture Union Daily Guide 19 April 2020
Topic: Obeying God even when it does not make sense
Opening Prayer: Grant me grace dear Lord to apply what you will teach me today as I read this passage.
Scripture: Jeremiah 32:1–25
Reflection
• What does the passage teach about God the Father, God the Son or God the Holy Spirit?
• Is there any example for me to follow or not to follow?
Scripture Union Daily Guide 19 April 2020 – Obeying God even when it does not make sense
Outline: For his prophecy of impending doom against Jerusalem, Jeremiah was imprisoned (vv.1–5). Yet, the “Word of the Lord” still came to him while in prison (v.6). God can reach us anywhere we are as long as our relationship with him is intact.
God told Jeremiah to buy a piece of land from his cousin, in spite of the fact that Jerusalem was under siege and will soon be destroyed, and he did (vv.6–9). If you were Jeremiah, would you have obeyed God in this circumstance? Does it make sense?
What do you think helped Jeremiah to obey? What can we learn from Jeremiah in vv.9–12 about landed properties? Many families, churches and mission agencies have lost landed property for not doing the necessary legal documentations. Why did God ask Jeremiah to buy this land at such an awkward time (vv.14–15; cf: 43–44)? After buying the land, Jeremiah had doubts whether his action was really wise, but resorted to prayers (vv.16–25). We may also have doubts after we decide to obey God. We would do well, like Jeremiah, to turn to God in prayers at such moments.
⁂ Any new insight or reinforcement of what you already know?
Practice/Word Application
• So What? “But because you say so, I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5)
Death
Death is the separating of the soul from the body. Man has been created with a definite beginning in time and he moves every day through this world on to an eternal destiny. Death never denotes non–existence. As spiritual life is a conscious existence in communion with the Almighty God so also spiritual death is a conscious existence in separation from the Almighty God. For the unbelievers, physical death is the final and ultimate separation from God into eternal damnation but for the believers, physical death is the gateway by which they pass out of this troublesome world into the arms of the waiting and loving Father in eternity. Death is the end of earthly life, but not the end of life.
Prayer
• Dear heavenly Father, grant me grace to trust you enough to be able to obey your instruction even when it does not make sense to me.
• Offer a prayer of faith in line with Jeremiah 30:17
Read the Bible in one Year
Dan. 5–7; Rev. 7