Today's Devotional
& Prayer

Anywhere

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Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord:

“I remember you,

The kindness of your youth,

The love of your betrothal,

When you went after Me in the wilderness,

In a land not sown.

Israel was holiness to the Lord,

The firstfruits of His increase.

All that devour him will offend;

Disaster will come upon them,” says the Lord.’ ”

Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel.  Thus says the Lord:

“What injustice have your fathers found in Me,

That they have gone far from Me,

Have followed idols,

And have become idolaters?

Neither did they say, ‘Where is the Lord,

Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt,

Who led us through the wilderness,

Through a land of deserts and pits,

Through a land of drought and the shadow of death,

Through a land that no one crossed

And where no one dwelt?’

I brought you into a bountiful country,

To eat its fruit and its goodness.

But when you entered, you defiled My land

And made My heritage an abomination.

The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’

And those who handle the law did not know Me;

The rulers also transgressed against Me;

The prophets prophesied by Baal,

And walked after things that do not profit.  -  Jeremiah 2:1-8

“Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.  And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.  -  Jeremiah 3:14-15

As I flipped through a box of my old wedding photographs, my fingers stopped at a picture of my husband and me, newly christened “Mr. and Mrs.” My dedication to him was obvious in my expression. I would go anywhere with him.

Nearly four decades later, our marriage is tightly threaded with love and a commitment that has carried us through both hard and good times. Year after year, I’ve recommitted my dedication to go anywhere with him.

In Jeremiah 2:2, God yearns for His beloved but wayward Israel, “I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me.” The Hebrew word for devotion conveys the highest loyalty and commitment possible. At first, Israel expressed this unwavering devotion to God, but gradually she turned away.

Jeremiah is sometimes known as the weeping prophet. He’s saddened by the messages God has asked him to take to the people of Israel. In essence, the Lord is asking the people of Jerusalem, “Why don’t you love me like you once did?”

Despite the undeniably powerful feelings in the early stages of commitment, complacency can dull the sharp edge of love and a lack of zeal can lead to unfaithfulness. We know the importance of fighting against such a lag in our marriages. What about the fervor of our love relationship with God? Are we as devoted to Him now as we were when we first came to faith?

God faithfully allows His people to return (3:14–15). Today we can renew our vows to follow Him—anywhere.

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The devotional message, “Anywhere”, was written by Mrs. Elisa Morgan, and appeared in “Our Daily Bread”, , April 21, 2018.  Used here with permission from the website.