Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

October 29
Wednesday


SHADOWED

READ:
Jeremiah 42:1-12
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The LORD is my light
and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
__Psalm 27:1
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Someone was shadowing me. In a darkened hallway, I turned the corner to go up a flight of stairs and was alarmed by what I saw, stopping dead in my tracks. It happened again a few days later. I came around the back of a favorite coffee shop and saw the large shape of a person coming at me. Both incidents ended with a smile, however. I'd been frightened by my own shadow!

The prophet Jeremiah talked about the difference between real and imagined fears. A group of his Jewish countrymen asked him to find out whether the Lord wanted them to stay in Jerusalem or return to Egypt for safety because they feared the king of Babylon (Jer. 42:1-3). Jeremiah told them that if they stayed and trusted God, they didn't need to be afraid (vv.10-12). But if they returned to Egypt, the king of Babylon would find them (vv.15-16).

In a world of real dangers, God had given Israel reason to trust Him in Jerusalem. He had already rescued them from Egypt. Centuries later, the long-awaited Messiah died for us to deliver us from our own sin and fear of death. May our Almighty God show us today how to live in the security of His shadow, rather than in shadowy fears of our own making.
__Mart DeHaaan

````````````````````Trust when your skies are darkening,````````````````````
`````````````````````Trust when your light grows dim,``````````````````````
`````````````````````Trust when the shadows gather,```````````````````````
````````````````````Trust and look up to Him. __Anon.`````````````````````
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Under the protecting shadow of God's wing,
the little shadows of life lose their terror.

********************************Today's Bible Reading __ Jeremiah 42:1-12****************************

1 Now all the...people,
from the least to the
greatest, came near 2 and
said to Jeremiah the
prophet, "Please, let our
petition be acceptable to
you, and pray for us to the
LORD your God, for all this
remnant (since we are left
but a few of many, as you
can see), 3 that the LORD
your God may show us the
way in which we should
walk and the thing we
should do."

4 Then Jeremiah the
prophet said to them, "I
have heard. Indeed, I will
pray to the LORD your God
according to your words,
and it shall be, that
whatever the LORD answers

you, I will declare it to
you...."

5 So they said to Jeremiah,
"Let the LORD be a true and
faithful witness between us,
if we do not do according
to everything which the
LORD your Go sends us by
you...."

7 And it happened after ten
days that the word of the
LORD came to Jeremiah.

8 Then he called Johanan
the son of Kareah, all the
captains of the forces which
were with him, and all the
people from the least even
to the greatest. 9 and said to
them, "thus says the LORD,
the God of Israel, to whom
you sent me to present your
petition before Him: 10 'If
you will still remain in this
land, then I will build you
and not pull you down, and
I will plant you and not
pluck you up. For I relent
concerning the disaster that
I have brought upon you.

11 Do not be afraid of the
king of Babylon, of whom
you are afraid; do not be
afraid of him,' says the
LORD, 'for I am with you,
to save you and deliver you
from his hand. 12 And I will
show you mercy, that he
may have mercy on you and
cause you to return to your
own land.' "