NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

January 13

Scripture focus: "But for right now, because you've taken up with these new-fangled prophets who set themselves up as 'Babylonian specialists,' spreading the word 'GOD sent them just for us!' GOD is setting the record straight: As for the king still sitting on David's throne and all the people left in Jerusalem who didn't go into exile with you, they're facing bad times. GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says, 'Watch this! Catastrophe is on the way: war, hunger, disease! They're a barrel of rotten apples. I'll rid the country of them through war and hunger and disease. The whole world is going to hold its nose at the smell, shut its eyes at the horrible sight. They'll end up in slum ghettos because they wouldn't listen to a thing I said when I sent my servant-prophets preaching tirelessly and urgently. No, they wouldn't listen to a word I said.'" GOD's Decree. "And you—you exiles whom I sent out of Jerusalem to Babylon —listen to GOD's Message to you. As far as Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah are concerned, the 'Babylonian specialists' who are preaching lies in my name, I will turn them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will kill them while you watch. The exiles from Judah will take what they see at the execution and use it as a curse: 'GOD fry you to a crisp like the king of Babylon fried Zedekiah and Ahab in the fire!' Those two men, sex predators and prophet-impostors, got what they deserved. They pulled every woman they got their hands on into bed—their neighbors' wives, no less—and preached lies claiming it was my Message. I never sent those men. I've never had anything to do with them." GOD's Decree. "They won't get away with a thing. I've witnessed it all." And this is the Message for Shemaiah the Nehelamite: "God-of-theAngel-Armies, the God of Israel, says: You took it on yourself to send letters to all the people in Jerusalem and to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah and the company of priests. In your letter you told Zephaniah that God set you up as priest replacing priest Jehoiadah. He's put you in charge of God's Temple and made you responsible for locking up any crazy fellow off the street who takes it into his head to be a prophet. "So why haven't you done anything about muzzling Jeremiah of Anathoth, who's going around posing as a prophet? He's gone so far as to write to us in Babylon, 'It's going to be a long exile, so build houses and make yourselves at home. Plant gardens and prepare Babylonian recipes.'" The priest Zephaniah read that letter to the prophet Jeremiah. Then God told Jeremiah, "Send this Message to the exiles. Tell them what God says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Shemaiah is preaching lies to you. I didn't send him. He is seducing you into believing lies. So this is God's verdict: I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his whole family. He's going to end up with nothing and no one. No one from his family will be around to see any of the good that I am going to do for my people because he has preached rebellion against me." God's Decree. Jeremiah 29:15-32, The Message

Another important reminder to pray: prayer is an effective weapon when it comes to spiritual warfare. Not everyone we encounter will have our best interests in mind when they guide us. Sometimes spiritual sounding people are not really in touch with God’s decrees.

* The book of Daniel recounts how angelic messengers got into a celestial battle and evil forces sought to hinder them from coming to Daniel’s aid.

* Jesus himself prayed repeatedly for prayer in defeating Satan.

* Other passages tell us that approaching the throne of grace is essential if we want to overcome the Enemy (James 4:7-8, 1 Peter 5:8-9, Ephesians 6:12) and to do the same for our friends (Ephesians 6:18).

* Jesus told his disciples that some things could only be accomplished through prayer (Mark 9:29).

Not only does it seem that prayer impacts the Evil One, it also can touch the heart of God, making him willing to change his own course in response to the prayers of his children.

* Jonah didn’t want the Ninevites to repent, knowing that this would change God’s heart toward them (Jonah 3:6-10).

* Jeremiah reminded his people that repentance causes God to relent (Jeremiah 18:7-8).

* Jesus likens God to a parent, who responds to the requests of their children (Luke 11:11-13).

Maybe the best way to develop a deeper understanding of the nature of prayer is to simply begin the practice of prayer – and see what happens.



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