Jeremiah 2:5 ” This is what the Lord says: ‘ What fault did your fathers find in Me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.’ “

We become what’s important to us, ever influenced by what we devote  our time and money to. If it’s empty, futile, and meaningless things of the world…we’ll be left wanting  and ever searching for more.  But if it’s God…our search is over.

John 15: 1-2 ” I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will bear even more fruit.”

The Lord cuts off all the barren branches.  But He also prunes the fruit-bearing branches as to insure greater productivity in the future.  Being cut back and shaped may be uncomfortable at the time…but totally beneficial for what the Lord has in mind for you in the future.

Ezekiel 24: 15-16 ” The Word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.”

God’s commandments are sometimes very unique…requiring great inner commitment, not merely external or superficial obedience.  Many times, there was tremendous cost to serving the Lord.  In this verse, God is telling him that He is taking Ezekiel’s dear wife home to heaven, but that he may not mourn her in public.  God instructed Jeremiah never to marry…and the Lord told Hosea to take an unfaithful, adulterous woman as his wife.  In all cases with these men, God symbolically used their situations to demonstrate His relationship with His people and the changes that needed to be made.

Exodus 14:14 ” The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.”

Sitting still in silence, for many of us is quite a feat in and of itself to achieve.  We think we need to be constantly “doing something”.  But  God simply wants us to quietly watch as He does the battling on our behalf…because if you think about it, He really doesn’t need our help at all!

I Corinthians 2: 6-7 ” We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.”

The principles and judgment of this day and age are totally opposed  to God’s wisdom.  The absurdity and foolishness people look to as sage advice are laughable in  the eyes of the Lord.  True Godly wisdom is hidden naturally to mankind and unknown to human reasoning.  It is only made known to the Believer by Godly revelation.

Isaiah 59: 1-2 ” Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear.”

Sin separates us from God…for God can not look upon it.  It’s not that the Lord can’t help, it’s because He won’t.  For in John 9:31 it says, ” We know that God does not listen to sinners.  He listens to the godly man who does His will.”

Joshua 24: 15 “…then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

A simple statement, but with  very profound and eternal consequences within it.  Has your family made such a commitment to serve God?  Have you consciously made a covenant with the Lord to worship Him, and Him only?  Then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.

Luke 18: 7-8 ” And will not God bring justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly.”

We may think God is delaying and procrastinating, and not hearing us clearly.  But His timing is always perfect.  And when the time is right, all fairness, truth, and honesty will be revealed.”

Jeremiah 29: 14 ” ‘I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.’ “

Sometimes we manage to banish ourselves from God’s presence by bad decisions we’ve made…sometimes the Lord disciplines us by starkly exposing our disobedience and lets us think about it in the desert for a while.  Either way, God promises His forgiveness and reconciliation to all who seek Him.

Jeremiah 29:11 ” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ “

The plan and purpose for your life was written before the beginning of time.  Every goal, aspiration, and ambition has been planned for you beforehand…every aim, consideration, and course of life has been especially designed for you only by the Lord Himself.  He desires only the best for you.