Doyle Smith Daily

Ezekiel 6:8-10 (God's Word) Originally published 04/25/2013) God was telling about the judgment that he was going to bring on his people; then he said this: "But I will let some people live. Some people will escape the battle among the nations and be scattered throughout the countries. Then those who escape will remember me among the nations where they are taken captive. I was hurt by their adulterous hearts, which turned away from me, and by their eyes, which lusted after idols. They will hate themselves for the evil and disgusting things that they have done. Then you will know that I am the LORD..." Ezekiel 6:8-10 (God's Word). What caught my attention was that God said their disobedience hurt him. God takes my disobedience personally. Like I would take it personally if I asked a friend not to tell or do something, and they just did it anyway. Lord, don't let me forget that our relationship is not just about rules, but is personal, and all that I do affects you ...

Ezekiel 4:14 (God's Word) Originally published 04/24/2013 God was going to punish Israel for 390 years and Judah for 40 years. He told Ezekiel to deliver this message by laying on his left side for 390 days and then on his right side for 40 days. All the while he was to maintain a very strict diet. He was to cook using human excrement as fuel. "I answered, 'Almighty LORD, I have never dishonored myself. From the time I was young until now, I have never eaten an animal that died by itself or was killed by other wild animals. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth" Ezekiel 4:14 (God's Word). Ezekiel did what God asked even though it was entirely opposite of what he had done all his life. Lord, I want a passion to obey you whatever you ask of me.

 Ezekiel 3:17-18 (God's Word) Matthew 28:19 (God's Word) Originally published 04/23/2013 This is what God said to Ezekiel: "Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the people of Israel. Listen to what I say, and warn them for me. Suppose I tell you that wicked people will surely die, but you don't warn them or speak out so that they can change their wicked ways in order to save their lives. Then the wicked people will die because of their sin, but I will hold you responsible for their deaths" Ezekiel 3:17-18 (God's Word). Then Jesus said to his followers: "So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19 (God's Word). Lord, I want making disciples the most important thing in my life.

Ezekiel 2:1-2 (God's Word) Originally published 04/22/1013  The God of the Bible communicates with people. Ezekiel the prophet reported this: "He said to me, 'Son of man, stand up and I will speak to you. As he spoke to me, the Spirit entered me, stood me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me" Ezekiel 2:1-2 (God's Word). While I have never heard God speak with my ears, I have recognized his "speaking" by the thoughts that come to my mind. I have learned that thoughts about what I have done wrong and how I should think and act are sometimes communication from God. I check on these thoughts by asking in my mind if God wants me to do something about what has come to my mind. If thoughts, consistent with the Bible, then come to me, I understand that God is talking with me. Lord thank you for your eagerness to communicate with me. Help me to always act on what you tell me.

Lamentations 5:11-16 (God's Word) Originally published 04/20/2013 Most of the trouble that comes in our lives is the result of disobeying God, and it is always devastating. I don't think anyone in our country would believe that the Marathon bombers were acting in obedience to the God of the Bible. Jeremiah saw it centuries ago. "Women of Zion are raped, so are the girls in the cities of Judah. Our leaders are hung by their hands. Our older leaders are shown no respect. Our young men work at the mill, and our young men no longer play their music. There is no joy left in our hearts. Our dancing has turned into mourning. The crown has fallen from our head. Because we have sinned, it has been disastrous for us" Lamentations 5:11-16 (God's Word). Lord, please give me discipline and complete obedience to you so that my life would be a force for holiness in this world and not for devastation.

Lamentations 3:17-23 (God's Word)  Originally published 04/19/2013 Jeremiah saw terrible things in the war that destroyed his home city. People starving and even mothers eating their own children. His whole country was taken over by the enemy. He said:" My soul has been kept from enjoying peace. I have forgotten what happiness is. I said, 'I've lost my strength to live and my hope in the LORD' Remember my suffering and my aimless wandering, the wormwood and poison. My soul continues to remember these things and is so discouraged. The reason I can still find hope is that I keep this one thing in mind: The LORD's mercy. We were not completely wiped out. His compassion is never limited. It is new every morning. His faithfulness is great” Lamentations 3:17-23 (God's Word). Lord, please give hope to those injured and grieving from what is happening in Boston and West, Texas. Keep the officers safe as they find the bombing suspect.

Lamentations 1:2 (God's Word) Originally published 04/18/2013 For forty years Jeremiah warned the people of Judah that God would destroy their nation because of their failure to obey him. They did not believe him. Then the Babylonians conquered the city of Jerusalem and destroyed it and the Temple. Jeremiah took no pleasure in being right. His pain at losing the city he loved is evident. "Jerusalem cries bitterly at night with tears running down its cheeks. Out of all those who love the city, no one offers it comfort. All of Jerusalem's friends have betrayed it and become its enemies" Lamentations 1:2 (God's Word). It is wonderful to see the outpouring that people give in times of tragedy and disaster, but everyone knows what it is like to be in pain and despair, and it seems that no one cares. Lord, open my eyes to those around me in despair and trouble so they would know that they are not alone.

Jeremiah 51:24 (God's Word) Originally published 04/17/2013 God brings justice to his people. The Babylonian government abused God's followers who were unable to defend themselves. God took their cause as his own without any help from his people. He said: "In your presence I will pay back Babylon and all the people who live in Babylon for the evil things that they did in Zion" Jeremiah 51:24 (God's Word). So, every government that abuses the people of God will face God's judgment. It's a battle God fights. Lord, remind me constantly to be obedient and faithful and to trust to your hand those who would hurt me.

Jeremiah 49:16b-17a (God's Word) Originally published 04/16/2013 If one thinks that the world is controlled by people who commit random acts of violence, then they should be terrified. But if one believes that everyone is accountable to God for what they do, then they can have peace in the middle of chaos. The Boston bomber may think that he is safe, but God knows where he is and will bring justice. We have history to see what can happen. Edom was a nation that did horrible things and lived in the mountains where armies could not attack. They thought they were safe. God said to them: "Even though you build your nest as high as an eagle, I will bring you down from there,' declares the Lord. Then Edom will become something horrible" Jeremiah 49:16b-17a (God's Word). Today there is no Edom. Lord, never let me be deceived into thinking that evil will win.

Jeremiah 48:38 (God's Word) Originally published 04/15/2013 There are spiritual forces at work in this world, and to ignore this is like ignoring gravity. Sometimes disaster comes because Satan is trying to disrupt our lives, and sometimes it is because God is bringing consequences from our choices. When God brings judgment, it is inescapable. An example is what he did to Moab. God warns us, and when we do not obey, the judgment comes. "People in Moab will mourn on every rooftop and in every street. There will be mourning everywhere, because I will break Moab like a jar that no one wants,' declares the LORD" Jeremiah 48:38 (God's Word). Lord, help me to remember that I am accountable to you for every choice I make.

Jeremiah 47:4 (God's Word) Originally published 04/13/2013 God has been working since people first rejected his plan for the world to restore that plan. His plan is for a world of peace and harmony lived by his original instructions. God is kind, loving, forgiving and patient, but when a person or group is a threat to destroy his plan, he must remove them for the good of all other people. The future of the world depends on his plan succeeding, so he will do what it takes. He said: "The time has come to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon any Philistine who might have escaped to get help. The LORD will destroy the Philistines and anyone who is left from the Island of Crete" Jeremiah 47:4 (God's Word). Lord, I do not want to stand in your way of achieving your purpose, but to give my life to serve you.

Jeremiah 45:2-5 (God's Word) Originally published 04/12/2013 Sometimes following God is difficult and trying. Baruch was Jeremiah's writer and "Jeremiah said, 'This is what the LORD God of Israel says to you, Baruch: You said, 'I'm so miserable! The LORD has added grief to my pain. I am worn out from groaning. I can't find any rest.' Say this to Baruch, ‘This is what the LORD says: ' I will tear down what I have built. I will uproot what I have planted throughout the earth. Are you looking for great things for yourself? Don't look for them, because I'm going to bring disaster on all people, declares the LORD. But wherever you go I will let you escape with your life" Jeremiah 45:2-5 (God's Word). Lord, may my only goal be to be faithful and obedient to you and trust you for all the rest.

Jeremiah 44:11-12 (God's Word) Originally published 04/11/2013 God went to great effort to establish his people in Canaan. There were miracles of crossing the Red Sea, water from rocks, wars they won though they were vastly outnumbered. God gave them the ability to drive out the people who lived there, and it was their home for 400 years. They had great success with kings like David and Solomon. Over the years they took God for granted and did whatever they wanted to do that made them happy. God sent many prophets to warn them, but they refused to take God's demands seriously. They thought, "We are his people, and he won't and can't destroy us." But when the people continued to refuse to live holy lives, this is what God said; "This is what the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel says,  I am going to bring disaster on you and destroy all of Judah. I will take away from Judah those who are left, those who are determined to go to live in Egypt. They will die ...

Jeremiah 42:6; 43:2 (God's Word) Originally published 04/10/2013 The Babylonians had captured Jerusalem and taken many people to Babylon. Those left thought their best chance to live was to go to Egypt. They asked Jeremiah to ask God to tell them what to do. They said, “We will obey the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, whether it's good or bad. Yes, we will obey the LORD our God so that everything will go well with us” Jeremiah 42:6. Jeremiah told them that God's plan was for them to stay in Judah, not go to Egypt or they would die there. They responded: “You're lying! The LORD our God didn't send you to tell us that we must not go to live in Egypt” Jeremiah 43:2 (God's Word). Lord, give me the trust in you to do what you tell me even if it does not seem best to me.

Jeremiah 40:14 (God's Word) Originally published 04/09/2013 The Babylonians appointed Gedaliah to govern Israel. Johanan and the army commanders came to Gedaliah: ‘‘They asked him 'Do you know that King Baalis of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael, Nethaniah's son, to kill you?’ However, Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, didn't believe them" Jeremiah 40:14 (God's Word). Lord, help me to take the warnings that you give in the Bible and by your Spirit as matters of life and death.

Jeremiah 38:20-23 (God's Word) Originally published 04/08/2013 Sometimes it is hard to do what you know is right because of what people will think. But when you don't do what is right it is always worse. The city of Jerusalem was surrounded and Zedekiah asked Jeremiah what to do. Jeremiah replied, “Obey the LORD by doing what I'm telling you. Then everything will go well with you, and you will live. But if you refuse to surrender, this is what the LORD has shown me.... All your wives and children will be brought to the Babylonians. You will not escape from them. You will be captured by the king of Babylon and the city will be burned down’ Jeremiah 38:20-23 (God's Word). Zedekiah was afraid of what people would think and he refused to surrender and he and his family were killed. Lord, help me to have more faith in what you say than in what I feel or think.

 Jeremiah 37:17 (God's Word) Originally published 04/06/2013 Following Christ means that sometimes you have to do things that are hard and even dangerous. Jeremiah was in prison because he told the King exactly what God had told him. God was going to give the victory in their war with Israel to the Babylonians. "Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah, and the king asked him privately in the palace, 'Is there any message from the LORD?' Jeremiah answered, 'Yes!! There is a message from the LORD. You will be handed over to the king of Babylon" Jeremiah 37:17 (God's Word). Lord, I want to have so much trust in you that I would do whatever I know you want me to do or say, regardless of the possible consequences.

 Jeremiah 36:24-26 (God's Word) Originally published 04/05/2013 It is God's method to tell us what he plans to do, so he told Jeremiah to tell the king that his nation was going to be destroyed. The king had his servant, Jehudi, read God's message to him. "As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a scribe's knife and throw them into the fire in the fireplace. He did this until the whole scroll was burned up. The king and all his attendants didn't show any fear or tear their clothes in fear when they heard everything being read" Jeremiah 36:24-26 (God's Word). Lord, I want to show you great respect and listen to all that you want to tell me in the Bible.

Colossians 1:9-10 (God's Word) Originally published 04/04/2013 03/28/2013 · God told the people of Israel exactly how they must live. "This is what the LORD of Armies says: 'You did not listen to my words, . . .’ Then he said, ‘I will take from them the sounds of joy and happiness, the sounds of brides and grooms, the sound of mills and the light of lamps. This whole land will be ruined and become a wasteland’” Jeremiah 25:8-10 (God's Word). Lord, sometimes it is hard to recognize your voice in my mind, but I ask that you show me which thoughts are from you, and give me the determination to follow only your words.

Jeremiah 33:1-5 (God's Word) Originally published 04/04/2013 The God of love will not tolerate refusal to obey him. He told his people to submit to the Babylonians, but they refused. "The LORD said, 'I made the earth, formed it, and set it in place. My name is the LORD. This is what the LORD says: ‘Call to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you great and mysterious things that you do not know. The houses in this city and the palaces of the kings of Judah have been torn down to be used against the dirt ramps and weapons of the Babylonians.’ This is what the LORD of Israel says about this: ‘The People of Israel fought the Babylonians. Now their houses are filled with the bodies of their own people I killed in my anger and my fury. I will hide my face from this city because of its wickedness’” Jeremiah 33:1-5 (God's Word). Lord, keep reminding me that I have promised to obey you in every part of my life and not to take your love for granted.

Jeremiah 32:6-7 (God's Word) Originally published 04/03/2013 Jeremiah was in jail and God told him that the army surrounding the city would win the war, and the nation would be destroyed. But in the future sometime the nation would be restored. "Jeremiah said, 'The LORD spoke his word to me. He said, 'Jeremiah, your cousin Hanamel, son of Shallum, is going to come to you and say, ' Buy my field that is in Anathoth, . . .’”  Jeremiah 32:6-7 (God's Word). Trusting God, Jeremiah bought the land in spite of the disaster he knew was coming. Lord, help me do what you say is right, even when in human terms it seems foolish.

Jeremiah 31:19 (God's Word) Originally published 04/02/2013 Sometimes God allows and even brings hard things into our lives as discipline to change our behavior. This is what he wants: “I have certainly heard Ephraim mourn and say, 'You disciplined me, and I was disciplined. I was like a young, untrained calf. Turn me, and I will be turned, because you are the LORD my God. After I was turned around, I changed the way I thought and acted. After I was taught a lesson, I hung my head in shame. I was so ashamed and humiliated, because of all the stupid things I have done ever since I was young’ Jeremiah 31:19 (God’s Word). Lord, help me every time some bad things happen to ask you how I can change my life.

Jeremiah 29:11 Originally published 04/01/2013 It was one of the worst times in Israel's history. Thousands of people were taken from their homes to exile in Babylon, some never to see their homeland again. It was judgment for their rebellion against God. God sent them this message, “I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope" Jeremiah 29:11 (God's Word). Lord, never let me see my future based on present circumstances, but on the promises that you have made for your people.

Jeremiah 27:5-7 (God's Word) Originally published 03/30/2013 God is at work not only in the lives of individuals, but also in international politics. God's people could not believe it, but one time he used an unbelieving pagan king to discipline his own people. God said to his people: "I used my great strength and my powerful arm to make the earth along with the people and the animals on it. I give it to anyone I please. Now I have handed all these countries over to my servant King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have even made wild animals serve him. All nations will serve him ..." Jeremiah 27:5-7 (God's Word). Lord, when frightening things like what North Korea is doing happen, never let me forget that you rule the universe, and no one is out of your control.

Jeremiah 26:13 (God's Word) Originally published 03/29/2013 We all have some control over our future. “Now change your ways and what you are doing, and listen to the LORD our God. Then the LORD will change his plan about the disaster that he intends to bring on you” Jeremiah 26:13 (God's Word). Lord, guide my thoughts and actions. Give me a spirit of submission to you.

Jeremiah 25:8-10 (God's Word) Originally published 03/28/2013 God told the people of Israel exactly how they must live. "This is what the LORD of Armies says: 'You did not listen to my words.’ Then he said, ‘I will take from them the sounds of joy and happiness, the sounds of brides and grooms, the sound of mills and the light of lamps. This whole land will be ruined and become a wasteland’” Jeremiah 25:8-10 (God's Word). Lord, sometimes it is hard to recognize your voice in my mind, but I ask that you show me which thoughts are from you and give me the determination to follow only your words.