DCLM Daily Manna 7 October 2021 — Friendly Fire
📜 TEXT:JEREMIAH 11:15-23📜
15 What hath my beloved to do in mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.
16 The Lord called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.
17 For the Lord of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.
18 And the Lord hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings.
19 But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.
20 But, O Lord of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.
21 Therefore thus saith the Lord of the men of Anathoth, that seek thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the Lord, that thou die not by our hand:
22 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine:
23 And there shall be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.
🔑📖KEY VERSE: “But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered” (JEREMIAH 11:19).
Pat Tillman joined the US army and was trained as an Army Ranger – an elite force equipped for special operations. Tillman was sent to Afghanistan to fight in the war on terror and was killed on April 22, 2004 by a mortar attack when his platoon was fired. He stayed on while under fire, allowing the rest of the platoon to escape alive. He was awarded the purple heart honour posthumously. Within weeks of his death, it was revealed that Tillman was not killed by enemy fire, but by friendly fire.
Also Read: Open Heaven 7 October 2021 – Look And Live!
Jeremiah was a priest in Anathoth, the city of priests in the land of Benjamin, when the Lord called him. But shockingly, his greatest opposition came from fellow priests and ministers in the city of Anathoth. The men of Anathoth took him like a lamb to the slaughter, charging him to stop prophesying in the name of the Lord, lest they kill him. Jeremiah was so pained that he asked the Lord to judge them. The Lord answered and comforted him. He promised to judge the men of Anathoth and bring them down by famine and the sword.
We can only imagine how disappointed and disheartening this experience was for Jeremiah. They reported him to the government and presented a false and exaggerated report about his preaching instead of being there to defend him. They took the lead in recommending the worst punishment for him, including, casting him into a muddy pit one time where he nearly starved to death.
Our worst enemies could be our best friends, and vice versa. When this happens, we should not be surprised because nothing is new under the sun. It happened to Jeremiah and to our Lord Jesus Christ. Just commit your ways into God’s hands who is present with us at all times and He will see you through.
✍🏽THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Don’t give up in the face of betrayal.
📜THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ISAIAH 5-8📜
MEDITATION
TRUTH VS SENTIMENTS
1. The sins and the sentiment
a. Israel, formally “a green olive tree, fair and of goodly fruit,” lost her fruitfulness and fairness though yet existing as a nation, v16.
b. The once “beloved” of God had fallen from grace to complete moral defeat, v15.
c. Holy worship was replaced with worldly and fleshly worship, v17.
d. They were comfortably rejoicing with their sacrifices of “holy flesh”, thinking sacrifices and worship without repentance will appease God, v15.
Questions
Are there evils/sentiments in your life and heart that you know are wrong but you are not willing to give up? Are there some good things that you are not willing to do for God or neighbour? Read James 4:17.
Are you still retaining your spiritual fruitfulness and grace?🤔
2. The truth
a. Jeremiah was sent by God to expose and rebuke those sins and evil sentiments, v22.
b. He confronted them with truth of the word of God without fear or compromise, v23.
c. Unfortunately, the preachers received a cold and hostile response👌
Questions
Are you fortunate to have parents, preachers, pastors or peer friends who prefer to always tell you the truth without flattering or compromise? Do you see them as God sent or liabilities?👌
3. The wrong attitude
a. Unfortunately, their reaction to the truth and the person speaking the truth was more of betrayal, contempt, avoidance and anger, vv19,21.
b. Inner resistance to the truth is part of the satanic spirit of the last days which must be resisted by heaven bound saints, 2 Timothy 4:3.
c. Hatred or sentiments against preachers or counsellors who speak the whole truth is a sign of possessing the nature of the wicked king Ahab, 2 Chronicles 18:7.
Question
What is your attitude to those people, friends, peers, foes, preachers etc. who always confront you with truth and nothing but the truth?
4. The right attitude
a. Yield your heart to God and ask Him to give you the spirit that loves and cherish the truth at all times.
b. Make it your habit to pray for those who are carriers of truth and ask for grace to love them more.
c. Prayerfully resist all inner tendencies to reject the truth at any time. Ask God to sanctify your heart.
d. Ask for the grace to be willing whenever the heart is not willing to accept and follow the truth.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Oh Lord, I present my heart to you and consecrate to always love and accept the truth🙏
2. Give me the grace and the heart that will always accept and follow the truth no matter how bitter 🙏
3.Lord, keep me from all errors against the truth🙏
4. Pray that we will not only be listeners to the truth of the word of God but we all will have grace to be lovers and doers🙏
HYMN
STAND UP, STAND UP FOR JESUS
1. Stand up, stand up for Jesus
ye soldiers of the cross;
lift high his royal banner,
it must not suffer loss:
from vict’ry unto vict’ry
his army he shall lead,
’til ev’ry foe is vanquished,
and Christ is Lord indeed.
2. Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the trumpet call obey;
forth to the mighty conflict
in this his glorious day:
ye that are men now serve him
against unnumbered foes;
let courage rise with danger,
and strength to strength oppose.
3. Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
stand in his strength alone;
the arm of flesh will fail you,
ye dare not trust your own:
put on the gospel armor,
each piece put on with pray’r;
where duty calls, or danger,
be never wanting there.
4. Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
the strife will not be long;
this day the noise of battle,
the next the victor’s song:
to him that overcometh
a crown of life shall be;
he with the King of glory
shall reign eternally.
1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all [humans] have sinned, and comes short of the glory of God....[and] the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 3:23)
2. Repent now. "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out ...[for] if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness " (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
3. Believe that God loves you and Jesus died for you. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
4. Invite Jesus into your life through prayer of faith. Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20)
