Jeremiah 20 - 31: The roaring lion

- Boldness:  Jeremiah stood up to Pashur, the chief priest of the temple (Jer 20:1). For his boldness and courage, Jeremiah was thrown into the stocks, beaten, and publicly humiliated.
- Wingman:  "But God, a most fierce warrior, is at my side" (Jer 20:11). At a low point, this truth comforted Jeremiah. I'm going to hang onto this one too for when I next need it.
- Are you kidding me?  Pashur, the chief priest who publicly punished Jeremiah, came back to ask Jeremiah for help against Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Jeremiah couldn't help him; it was too late.
- Can't claim ignorance:  Israel could never say they hadn't been warned. Multiple prophets explained in detail the coming judgment. How could the people ignore this?
- Don't be a know-it-all:  "Don't pretend that you know all the answers yourselves and talk like you know it all" (Jer 28:37-38). Ouch.
- The Lion:  When angry, "God roars like a lion from high heaven" (Jer 25:30). At the SF Zoo, the lions are in a Lion House with marble floors, and when it's feeding time, their roars echo and resonate throughout the zoo. It's an incredible sound and makes your heart pound. There's a vibration in the air that's hard to describe.
- More boldness:  Jeremiah stood up to a false prophet named Hananiah (Jer 28) who was giving the people false hope. The people were not happy.
- Faithful:  God told his people, "I've never quit loving you and never will" (Jer 31:2-6).
- The Master Gardener:  Jer 31:27 says that God plants people and animals in their place & time like a farmer plants seeds.

Elena's verse of the day:  "I am everywhere--both near and far, in heaven and on earth. There are no secret places where you can hide from me" (Jeremiah 23:23-24)

1 Samuel 12 - 24 : The giant vs. the runt

- I'm taking this:  Samuel preached a sermon to the Israelite people and said this: "God took delight in making you into his very own people" (1 Samuel 12:22). This is for me and for you today. God takes delight in making us into his very own people!

- War & peace:  The good judges in the book of Judges brought peace to the people. Unfortunately, King Saul did not. "All through Saul's life there was war" (1 Samuel 14:52). It was a "bitter and relentless" time, says 1 Samuel. Not good.
- Disappointing God:  Saul didn't listen to God, even when God let it be known that obedience was better than sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22-23). "God was sorry he had ever made Saul king in the first place" (1 Samuel 15:34-35). Saul got worse as he got older and became angry, depressed, bitter, and murderous.
- The boy who would be king:  As a result of Saul turning away from God, Samuel went and anointed David, at God's direction. David was the runt of the family, out tending the sheep. An unlikely candidate for a warrior king. (1 Sam 16:11).
- A rush of wind:  On the day of his anointing, the Spirit of God entered David like a rush of wind, "God vitally empowering him for the rest of his life" (1 Sam 16:13).
- The giant:  David volunteered to fight Goliath. This was crazy, for many reasons.

• David was young and inexperienced
• He had no armor
• He was tiny compared to Goliath, who was ten feet tall
• No one supported his decision
• No one else was foolish enough to go up against the giant
• Everyone was watching

- He did not walk:  But none of those things mattered to David, who was filled with the Spirit and empowered by God. And of all the amazing facts on this story, this hits me the most:  David ran to the field of battle to meet Goliath (1 Sam 17:48-49). What tremendous courage and surrender to God's call. Lord, give me that kind of courage.
- Saul didn't get it:  This amazing man, David, was first appreciated by King Saul. But later, when David began to win the hearts of the people, Saul hated him and tried to kill him.



Elena's verse of the day:  "Does the Lord really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He wants you to obey Him" (1 Samuel 15:22).

Joshua 22 - Judges 9: The left-handed warrior & the runt warrior

- Come back, Joshua:  I'm already missing Joshua. The people were more tuned into God, then. Joshua was a strong leader and kept the people on the right track. Judges? It's a shock. A dark and dangerous time, with just a few bright spots. "Then another generation grew up that didn't know anything of God or the work he had done for Israel" (Judges 2:10).
- The people were "stubborn as mules"  (Judges 2:18-19) and engaged in evil practices. They didn't clear out all of the land's occupants, as they were instructed, and the remaining peoples led them back into Baal and Ashtoreth worship. God's anger blazed.

- Where did my knife go?  Ehud was a left-handed Benjaminite warrior who decided to take down Eglon, a fat king who was oppressing the Israelites. He crafted a short, two-edged sword and strapped it to his thigh under his clothes. He asked for a private meeting with Eglon, then said "I have a word of God for you." He plunged his knife into Eglon's belly, hilt and all. Eglon died and the people were released. Interesting note: the current Israeli defense minister is named Ehud Barak.
- Woman warrior:  Deborah was a wife, mother, prophet, and judge over Israel. She went into battle with her general, Barak. "Isn't God marching before you?" she told Barak (Judges 4). He was, and they routed the enemy.
- Jael, a wild mountain goat of a woman, was also an assassin and took out the enemy general, Sisera, with a tent peg. Deborah's song said this: "Most blessed of all women is Jael" (Judges 5:24-27).
- A lovely blessing after a war:  "Thus may all God's enemies perish, while his lovers be like the unclouded sun" (Judges 5:31).
- A runt saves Israel:  Gideon was commissioned by God to save Israel. He couldn't believe it. "I'm the runt of the litter from the weakest clan, and you want me to do what????" (Judges 6:15). But he did. The Angel who delivered the message started with this: "God is with you, O mighty warrior" (Judges 6:12).

Elena's verse of the day:  "The next generation did not know the Lord or any of the things he had done for Israel" (Judges 2:10).