Bible Studies

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The Scriptures
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 - Investing In God's Kingdom
Key Verses: (NIV)

• 1: "This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah…" - Jeremiah was imprisoned by King Zedekiah for truthfully prophesying the fall of Judah. The Babylonian army had surrounded Jerusalem and a lengthy siege was underway.
  
  
• 6-7: "Jeremiah said, 'The word of the LORD came to me: ⁷Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, 'Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.'" - With very little hope of a future with the Babylonians on the doorstep threatening ruin and death, Jeremiah enters into a business deal with a cousin.
  
  
• 9-10: "So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver. ¹⁰I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed, and weighed out the silver on the scales." - Jeremiah paid an outrageous price for land that would soon be in the hands of the Babylonians.
  
  
• 15: "For this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel says: Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land." - All seems lost and the future bleak and yet, God provides a glimpse of a bright and glorious future.
  

Points to Contemplate:

• Have you lost hope? Are you imprisoned by the circumstances of life with no where to turn? Have the battalions of disease and sickness lay siege to your life? Does your future seem bleak and the outlook dim? What should you do? What would God have you do? Does God want you to give up hope? Or does He want you to invest in your future? What purchase for tomorrow can you make today? What investment in His kingdom will you transact? What symbolic gesture can you make that will reveal God's love for you every day of your life?
  
  
• Who are you and what is your purpose? Judah was facing annihilation at the hands of the Babylonians. All the dreams and promises of Abraham and Moses seemed to be going up in smoke. Nothing would be left. Yet, Jeremiah reveals that God is still involved and still planning a future that is filled with His promises. How do you define yourself? Is it based on success and riches? If failure or sickness comes, are you somehow less of a person? Does God love you less? Do you see that no matter what happens in life you are still a child of God? Do you accept that you are still His most beloved regardless of any earthly situation?
  
  
• Where do you seek God? Do you seek Him in the everyday transactions of life? Or do you feel that He is only available during those "holier" times at church or in prayer? Jeremiah had had myriad of conversations with God regarding very serious and holy things. But, as today's scripture reveals, God was also involved in the mundane and everyday transactions of Jeremiah's life. Does He guide you in your business transactions? Is He holding your hand at work and at play? Do you see evidence of His love wherever you look?
  

Promises of the Gospel:

It is easier to see God's love and feel the hope He provides when times are good. We can stand up and celebrate His goodness when we have been healed or when life seemingly is exploding with joy. However, it is in those times when the world is pressing in on us from all sides, those times when hope is completely lost, that we need to feel God's love the most. God is the light of our lives. He pierces the darkness with His love. However, pain may persist. Death may still come. When it does, we are still called to seek out and invest in His future. We are not changed by our experiences. We are always children of God, created by His own hand and formed for a beautiful future. Invest and be who God is calling you to be.

FUMC Devotionals

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