The Ten Commandments:
Commandment V

Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

If our mom and dad do things that are pleasing to God, we should hold them in high respect and honor their wishes.

Ephesians 6:4
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

I know this isn't a part of the actual commandment, but it is a good addendum. We are to honor our parents, and they are to nurture us in the ways of the Lord. If parents are harmful or destructive, they need to be reported to the authorities. That's what Dr. Laura says on her show and that's what I believe.

This commandment makes a lot more sense to me now that I'm a parent than it did when I was the child. I didn't always agree with the wishes of my parents, but this commandment says nothing about agreement. A God-fearing parent will raise their child in a good way that is safe for them, whether they like it or not. So this commandment is really nothing more than a warning to keep you safe in the proper upbringing of a good family. That's not so tough, is it? Of course, if it were easy, it wouldn't be in writing now, would it?

Finally, when does the parenting stop? When has the last lesson been taught? Is the age of 18 the break-off point where the child is able to take on whatever life has to offer? According to my uncle, the important lessons continue for the life of the parent, sometimes beyond. Read his writing and you'll see what I mean.

Yours in Christ,

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Just because Jeremiah was under God's protection, that doesn't mean life was always easy. He actually cursed the day he was born, but note that he never broke faith with God here. That's important. Life isn't always easy and you're not always going to be cheery about your circumstances, but your faith should be firmly anchored in the rock.

The Babylonians invaded Israel (we'll end up reading about this a couple times) and Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were among the Jews that were chosen to be educated toward a place in the king's court. During this three-year education, they were given the finest that Babylon had to offer, including food and wine direct from the king's own table. Daniel wanted to avoid these luxuries, possibly because they cooked with unclean ingredients, but it doesn't say. After a ten-day period of water and vegetables, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were the healthiest of the students and they were given knowledge and understanding from God. They proved that they were the right ones for their tasks by avoiding the king's table and their gifts from God were used to better their positions and serve God and his people in Babylon. The Jews weren't completely cut off, they were just in a 70-year holding pattern. And this quartet would assist their cause for much of this time.

Day 2

If you ask most people about dream interpretation and the Bible, most will want to talk about Joseph, as he is the most famous person who did this. He is not the only one to do it, though, and didn't do it in the most "difficult" way. Daniel had to both tell Nebuchadnezzar what the dream was, and then interpret it. Of course, this was only necessary because that was the demand that Nebuchadnezzar had made. If Pharaoh had demanded that of Joseph, God would have provided the answer to him as well as to Daniel.

Take note that Daniel gave all of the credit to God, just as Joseph had done. Also notice that the interpretations for each person may have started out sounding good to the subject, but ended up not so great. No king wants his empire to lose stature. Also notice the great esteem that the interpreter was given once this task was completed. Give credit to the Lord in all that you do, because you won't even be able to get out of bed unless He allows it! If the proper credit is given, and your efforts are ultimately for His glory, your work will be rewarded, no matter where you try to point the glory.

One last note about today's read: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into a fiery furnace that was so hot that it was deadly to even be near the door. They made no attempt to escape or fight back and they were in there just because they refused to prostitute themselves by worshiping a graven image. This is another well-known story, but one point toward the end doesn't get enough attention. When they came out, they and their clothes were unharmed. In fact, they didn't even smell like smoke.

That's what God is all about. He can rescue you from any predicament you can get yourself into, even one that is deadly just to venture near. After His intervention, He will not notice even a hint of your plight. When I stand in front of him, my soul, which is downright trashy by Heavenly standards, will seem white as snow and God won't even note the memory of my sins. Nothing I could do is beyond His forgiveness. To think otherwise is to question the authority and power of His blood, and I'm not prepared to do that. Are you?

Day 3

My mother wanted to write a piece for us, so here you go:

The Lord's compassion and promises are not just for the nation Israel. They are for all nations. Other nations have been reaching out for the inheritance God gave Israel. God has an inheritance for each nation - their own inheritance. Just like each member of a family receives their own portion of an inheritance so does each nation. God promises that if a nation acknowledges Him that nation will receive the inheritance promised them. But, if a nation refuses to obey God they will eventually be destroyed.

God's desire is that we cling to Him - to be His people, His pride, His glory as an honor to His name. We often hear parents say their child is their "pride and joy". God is no different. God desires to say that about YOU!

Although we would rather only contemplate God's compassion, we must realize that God gives a fair warning of judgment if we turn our backs on Him. When we realize that we are living under God's judgment we seem to think that we can suddenly say, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." We think that words, not repentance, should make us right with God. But God may say, "You love to wonder from me….I will punish you for your sins". We would be wise to respond early to God's warnings or we may hear, "I am tired of always giving you another chance". Wow - coming from God, what a tragedy that would be!

How hard it must have been for Jeremiah to stand alone and speak the warnings God gave him. God gave Jeremiah personal promises of security. We too must closely listen to God and as He speaks to our hearts, stand firm knowing that God will keep us secure. No matter what life brings our way, if God is at the center, we have His promises.

Day 4

My father didn't want my mom to have all of the fun, so he wrote this piece for us:

In Jeremiah 8 the question is asked, "Why have these people turned away from God?" The answer is given in verse 7, "My people do not know the requirements of the Lord." The prophets and priests had failed to follow God's teachings. As a result of sin there was punishment from God. In Jeremiah 8:20 we see a very sad condition, "The harvest is past the summer has ended, and we are not saved." What could be worse?

Jeremiah weeps for the people in chapters 8 and 9. In Jeremiah 9:23-24 the Lord says that a man should not boast of his wisdom, strength, or riches, but that he understands and knows the Lord.

In chapter 10 the false worthless idols are contrasted with the true and living God, the God of all creation. Let's never try to limit God's hand in creation for God uses the argument of creation time and again to show His power and authority.

In chapter 11 God shows that a covenant without obedience is futile. Back in Exodus 19:5-6, God told Israel that if they obeyed Him fully and kept His covenant then they would be His treasured possession, a kingdom of priest and a holy nation. What a wonderful covenant and promise. In I Peter 2:9, God says, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light."

Day 5

My home is my abode. Tina and I control what goes on here and nobody has the right to change that or to bring anything in here that we don't allow. If somebody decided to visit and use our basement to do drugs, I would forcibly eject them from my home. Why do I say this? The Israelites had defiled the land of God with detestable images. They invaded the sanctity of His chosen nation and His chosen people with lies and idolatry. That puts much of this rage into perspective for me.

They chose to trust in their strength and the strength of allies and found those efforts lacking. All God ever demanded of them is that they trust in His strength that would never fail them. Do you trust in your own efforts to put dinner on the table? Do you feel that a certain friend can give you the edge needed to consider your life a success? It gives you something to ponder, doesn't it? Give God the controls of your life and He will shape you into something useful and beautiful, much like the pottery in this reading. With God at the helm of your life, your ship will never need lifeboats in case that iceberg that is on a direct course to your life sneaks up on you.

Day 6

Well, has all of this pleading helped? Let's ask Jehoiachin, shall we? He was so bad, that God allowed him to be in charge for a little over three months. That's about the time God allowed Josiah's son to be in place before the destruction first began, and with Jehoiachin at the tender age of 18, he hadn't had too much time to screw his life up. He sure must have been trying! He tried so hard that God declared him to be a detestable person through and through.

For years, the kings, priests and prophets had been placed over the Israelites with the trust that they would watch over them and keep them on the right path, much like a good shepherd. God is the landowner in this reading and he was upset that his shepherds had done such a shoddy job. Like the good shepherd that He is, the Lord announced His plans to take the job back upon himself. The prophets had been doing worse than a shoddy job aiding the people, they were worsening their situation. God separated them from the prophets He spoke with, saying they were as different as straw and grain. Bedding and nourishment.

Day 7

Many Jews were now exiles in Babylon under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar, and they were not forgotten. God had Jeremiah send a letter to them, telling them what His expectations of them were to be. Quite simply, it said to live there. Build your homes, raise your families, and seek the good of Babylon, for as Babylon would prosper, so would they. That's not what I usually think about when I consider the proper rules of an uprooted prisoner of war. The American creed is to resist and try to escape. Of course, Americans have somewhere to try and escape to, but the Jews didn't. That explains why they were to work toward the prosperity of Babylon. They knew that this period was to last seventy years, about as long as a human can expect to live. This generation was to prepare the next for the coming forgiveness. We'll read about how well they did.

The Jews so far had been a wash up, worse than the surrounding kingdoms and each generation was worse than the one before with very few exceptions. Only an all-powerful God could work toward changing that, and He used difficult tools to accomplish a difficult task. And when it was all said and done, they were to be restored and He would be their God, just as they were his people.

Weekly Link Finding those you've lost touch with Have you ever suddenly thought of a childhood friend and wondered how you could get in touch with them? Not too long ago, this would only mean a bunch of detective work. You could call mutual friends for leads, but you had to be pretty committed to the search. The internet then arrived with some help, but a lot of sites that help you get back in touch want you to pay for the assistance. And there's no guarantee that you'll ever connect with the right person. This site doesn't guarantee a connection either, but at least it's free! You can simultaneously search through numerous search engines and databases to find a person. There are a few other options, also. I did a quick search and found quite a few people out there that share my sister's name, 'Dacia', but none of them are dentists! I'm glad to know that my sister isn't living a double life! http://www.person.langenberg.com/

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