Day 290: God’s Business-Breaking and Tearing.

Today’s Scripture: Jeremiah 30:8-9 (NIV)

Central Thought: The Lord desires to set us free even while we are in bondage.

‘In that day,” declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will break the yoke off their necks and will tear off their bonds; no longer will foreigners enslave them. Instead, they will serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.”

The Lord desires to set us free even while we are in bondage. The children of Israel still had years of captivity ahead of them when these words were spoken by Jeremiah. Yet God’s plan was to break His children free from the slavery they were in. Whether we realize it or not, the Lord is looking forward to setting us free from our slavery. We may not be in physical bondage to anyone, but many of us are enslaved to our sin and fleshly desires.

The Lord sees us in our state and declares that He will break the yoke. He will tear off the bonds. Notice the strong language the prophet uses when stating how the Lord will set His own free! God will not just do it haphazardly; He will do it and do it forcefully. The children of Israel would know that the Lord had set them free. Likewise, when the Lord delivers today, He does it with force and power—and there is unmistakable victory.

Take note of the purpose of the deliverance, ‘they will serve the Lord their God and David their king.” When we are free, we are free for one purpose, to serve the Lord. We will have uninterrupted communion with the Lord who desperately desires to dwell among His own.

Devotional Prayer: Dear Lord, You alone have the power to set me free. Break off the yoke; tear off the bonds in my life so that I may be free to serve You. You are My God and it is You I will worship and serve.

Today’s Bible Reading: Jeremiah 30:1-31:26; 1 Timothy 2:1-15; Psalm 87:1-7; Proverbs 25:18-19