July 18 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Jeremiah 8:1-9:

¹At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves:
²And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.
³And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, which remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.
⁴Moreover thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD; Shall they fall, and not arise? shall he turn away, and not return?
⁵Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.
⁶I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.
⁷Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.
⁸How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.
⁹The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?

Devotional

The stork is not as beautiful as some other birds. It is not known for its melodious voice like the nightingale; but the stork and other migratory birds are wise in their ways, so that the people of God can learn valuable lessons by observing them. Did not Christ say, "Behold the fowls of the air." "The stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times." When fall comes she leaves her abode and flies over land and sea, perhaps thousands of miles, to warmer climes. When spring makes its appearance, at the appointed time, not too late and not too early, she returns. She has no chart or compass. She carries no road map in her pocket, and yet she makes her long and weary journey without losing her way.

The stork is in the heaven. Her element is the sky, not the ground, nor the water. She stays in her element, and knows when to leave and when to return.

"But my people know not the judgment of the Lord." God has given them a chart and a compass — His Word. They have neglected it. If God bids them to the marriage of his son, they make light of it. If God comes in judgment, they harden their hearts. "Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved." "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."

Prayer

Our Father, the stork soars through the heaven, and knows that she is going to a better clime; but Thy people do not give heed to Thy judgment. They know not Thy way, because they neglect and reject Thy Word. And if they have rejected Thy Word, what wisdom is in them? Teach us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

O grant us grace, Almighty God,
To read and mark Thy holy Word;
Its truth with meekness to receive,
And by its holy precepts live. Amen.

"God In The Gospel Of His Son" (link to Trinity Hymnal)

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Scripture in Devotional: Matt. 6:26; Jer. 8:7; Matt. 22:5; Jer. 5:3; Hos. 4:6.

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