Daily Bible Readings for Home Devotions – November 29-December 4, 2021

 

Devotion by P. Koch
for Monday – November 29 –  Jeremiah 29:1-23 lays out a readable survey of some history. Because the Jewish nation had not heeded God (15-19), He put them (20-23) into detention for 70 years (!) in a foreign land where He expected them to settle in (4-7) but not be taken-in by crazy talk (8-9). Let them rather keep faith that God would manage to get them back to Palestine (10-11), and they could start in again where they had left off (12-14). Lesson: God has ways and means to humble a nation that disses Him.

 

Today’s Bible reading – Jeremiah 29:1-23 
1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the remainder of the elders who were carried away captive—to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 (This happened after Jeconiah the king, the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.) 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying,
4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace. 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. 9 For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the Lord.
10 For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.
15 Because you have said, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon”— 16 therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, concerning all the people who dwell in this city, and concerning your brethren who have not gone out with you into captivity— 17 thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that cannot be eaten, they are so bad. 18 And I will pursue them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence; and I will deliver them to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth—to be a curse, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them, 19 because they have not heeded My words, says the Lord, which I sent to them by My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; neither would you heed, says the Lord. 20 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall slay them before your eyes. 22 And because of them a curse shall be taken up by all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, “The Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire”; 23 because they have done disgraceful things in Israel, have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken lying words in My name, which I have not commanded them. Indeed I know, and am a witness, says the Lord.

 

Devotion by P. Koch
for Tuesday – November 30 – Luke 19:28-40 It was not a grand entry and would have escaped notice except for two loud announcements. First, the miracle which befit Jesus’ lowly service on our behalf (28-35), and then the disciples’ broadcast of Him as the LORD, their Righteousness (38)--per Ps. 118:26 (37-38). Those who did not see Jesus that way (39-40) still live among us today. Lord, have mercy!

 

Today’s Bible reading – Luke 19:28-40 
28 When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 And it came to pass, when He drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mountain called Olivet, that He sent two of His disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village opposite you, where as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Loose it and bring it here. 31 And if anyone asks you, ‘Why are you loosing it?’ thus you shall say to him, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’ ”
32 So those who were sent went their way and found it just as He had said to them. 33 But as they were loosing the colt, the owners of it said to them, “Why are you loosing the colt?”
34 And they said, “The Lord has need of him.” 35 Then they brought him to Jesus. And they threw their own clothes on the colt, and they set Jesus on him. 36 And as He went, many spread their clothes on the road.
37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, 38 saying:
“ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”
40 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

 

Devotion by P. Koch
for Wednesday – December 1 – 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 Fast-forward to a missionary’s gush of praise for God’s work in a foreign land (9-10), followed by his prayer for God to make these converts increase and abound in love to one another (and to everyone else, too), so that God would establish (fortify and solidify) them to hold their ground in God-pleasing conduct – as they looked ahead to the coming [Advent] of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. Amen!

 

Today’s Bible reading – 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 
9 For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, 10 night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?
11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

 

Devotion by P. Koch
for Thursday – December 2  – Jeremiah 33:14-16 After God downloaded the bad news that He was about to punish Judah (the South) for the evils they had done to Him, God gave Jeremiah (and all repentant sinners) a bright light at the end of the tunnel. It’s Jesus, of course. We knew it all the time because God has told us so more than once; it’s the truth which the Apostle Paul was getting across to his countrymen in Rom. 1:17 and 10:4, in 1 Corinthians 1:30; the truth which other apostles emphasized, as in Jeremiah 23:5-6 and 2 Peter 1:1.

 

Today’s Bible reading – Jeremiah 33:14-16 
14 ‘Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah:
15 ‘In those days and at that time
I will cause to grow up to David
A Branch of righteousness;
He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
16 In those days Judah will be saved,
And Jerusalem will dwell safely.
And this is the name by which she will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’

 

Devotion by P. Koch
for Friday – December 3 – Luke 21:25-36 “It’s darkest just before dawn” has some truth to it—for that’s the scenario prior to Jesus’ second coming/advent (25-28). Look up (not downcast) and lift up your heads (to receive  a blessing) because your redemption is drawing near. How about an illustration (29-30)? People get drunk and carouse in futile efforts to escape their anxieties, and absorption in life’s problems is a distraction from God’s perfect escape plan (27-28).

 

Today’s Bible reading – Luke 21:25-36 
25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
29 Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

 

Devotion by P. Koch
for Saturday – December 4 – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 There’s a lot of misinformation about Jesus’ return; here’s the straight of it: Jesus will descend from heaven with much shouting, the voice of an archangel, and trumpet fanfare loud enough to wake the dead; God’s people will arise from their graves to join up with the rest of us, and in grand assembly we will meet Jesus and float up to heaven.
Heaven is my home. Heaven is my home. Heaven is my home.

 

Today’s Bible reading – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.