DEVOTIONAL PASSAGE
“Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord. This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.[b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” Jeremiah 29:7-14
DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
In The Sanctuary in our Friday Bible Study, we learned that we have entered into the month of Tammuz on our Lord’scalendar on Wednesday, July 6, 2016. The Hebraic month Tammuz corresponds to July- August on the Gregorian calendar; within the month Tammuz there are three weeks observed for the mourning of the destruction of the Beit Hamkidash (Temple in Jerusalem).
I researched the following material, which is a non-all-inclusive analysis of rabbinic explanations for the Churban (destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem), underscoring the point that sinat chinam (rejection of grace) is a reason, but not the exclusive reason, for the destruction of the Second Temple. Historical findings have shown that the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash was due to sin. Therefore, I found it very important to mention the findings of the Chazal (Torah commentary) regarding the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash. The Chazel feels that the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash was not solely because of the sins of the people even though it was a major component. However, sin -was said to have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Mishnah Avot (5:8-9) (Ethics of the Father) states, “that the word exile is the reality of idol-worship, prohibited sexual relations, bloodshed, and neglect of the agricultural sabbatical year (Shemitat ha’aretz). In like fashion, but addressing specific tragedies, the Tosefta (compilation of the Jewish oral law) offers the most well-known explanations for the Temples’ destructions: the First Temple was destroyed because of the idol worship, prohibited sexual relations and bloodshed that took place within it, and the Second Temple was destroyed “because they love money and each one hates his neighbor”. (Zivotofsky, 2004).
Does this not sound vaguely familiar to today’s most recent events that seem to be streaming around the globe? Is this a coincidence or is this just a sign of the times? We need to seek God like never before, if what we are truly seeking is change here in this earth. Please join me in prayer as I enter into the Sanctuary in prayer seeking God’s face and not just His hands for an aberrant change across the land.
DEVOTIONAL PRAYER
Lord Jesus, You promised in Your word that “we could seek You out, and find You whenever we search for You with all our heart!” (Jer. 29:13) So Lord, we now cry out to You with our 1WHOLE heart, and we ask that You please hear our prayer and give us the deliverance that we earnestly seek! You said, “They looked unto Him and were lightened, and their faces were not ashamed.-This poor man cried and the Lord HEARD him and SAVED him out of all his troubles!” (Psa. 34:5,6).
Lord, You told us to “submit ourselves to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from us!” Jesus, we now submit ourselves to You! Please forgive us for all of our unwillingness to yield to Your way, hardness of our hearts or resistance to You and Your Spirit! We ask that You, would please Create in us a CLEAN heart, O God; and renew a RIGHT spirit within us!” (Pas. 51:10).
I can’t do it myself, I can’t get the victory, without YOU I can do NOTHING! But “I can do ALL things through YOU, Lord, Who strengtheneth me!” (Jn.15:5; Phil.4:13) So I present myself to You now, Lord Jesus, my ALL, and I ask You to empower me and cleanse me from everything and anything that is not of You! — I don’t want ANYTHING that’s not of YOU, JESUS! I just want YOU, Jesus! I rebuke and resist you, Devil, in Jesus’ Name! God DAMN you, Satan, get out of here! I’m the LORD’S child, I belong solely to Him! There’s NO foothold for you here, in Jesus’ name! I will not tolerate it, I will have “NO fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness!” (Eph.5:11) DEPART from me, Satan! I REBUKE you in the Name of Jesus! We ask for these things and all other things according to Your riches and Glories in Jesus name we prayer, Amen!
Contributed by: Sharessa Bass
Sharessa currently works for Wells Fargo Bank and is the CEO of The Real Me Foundation. She is a devoted mother of 5, originally from Whiteville NC and is one of 7 siblings. She is a faithful covenant member of The Sanctuary, and is passionate about sharing her faith in a very real way. If this devotional has fed your soul, please share with your friends and family. Click the social share button or leave a comment in the box below for Sharessa.