RETURN FROM CAPTIVITY!

by Cathy Weymouth

Tuesday 8/17/10 Jeremiah 23,25; John 19 - Return From Captivity!

S - Jeremiah 25:5-7 - Turn now each of you, from your evil ways and your evil practices.  Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them...  But you did not listen to Me.. you have brought harm to yourselves.

O - The nation of Israel had been warned repeatedly to leave their worship of substitute gods and return to the true God. He used the prophets to warn them of coming captivity in Babylon if they did not return to Him. They ended up in Babylon.

A - Sometimes we become caught in a snare of depending upon something else for comfort and satisfaction in our lives.  We may not realize that this is a modern form of idol worship.  God is calling us to Him, but we run to other things to try to feel better (food, drugs, alcohol, pornography, spending money, a person, etc).  We actually bring the harm to ourselves as the dependance on this "other thing" grows stronger over time.  We walked right into captivity.

P - Lord, you promised the nation of Israel freedom from their captivity.  Lord, we live in the New Covenant.  Jesus has already purchased our return!  All we need do is walk in the victory that is ours by believing in Your Saving Grace! Yes, Jesus, we can turn from substitutes to You when we are weak.  We choose today to love you and worship you instead of something else. Only You, Lord, can bring the kind of comfort we are seeking into our lives.