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Daily Devotions

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 
Day 
Day 153

"The way of man is not in himself"

Text: Jeremiah 10:23

THE WAY OF MAN

Man has always believed in himself. He promotes himself in many ways. Jeremiah begs to differ. From what he could see all around him, the way of man is not in himself!

“O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself;
It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.
O LORD, correct me, but with justice;
Not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing.
Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, who do not know You,
And on the families who do not call on Your name;
For they have eaten up Jacob,
Devoured him and consumed him,
And made his dwelling place desolate.”
Jeremiah 10:23-25

1. “O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps”

a) This text was a prayer to God.
b) Jeremiah made this observation about the way of man.
i) Man is prone to error.
ii) He is weak.
iii) He is limited in so many ways.
c) Man cannot direct his own steps safely.
i) He cannot see the future.
ii) He does not have enough wisdom to plan his own steps.
iii) The fact that the Kingdom of Judah was in such deep trouble proved the point.

2. “O LORD, correct me, but with justice; not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing”

a) A prayer for correction.
i) This presupposes confession of sin.
ii) It also presupposes that there was repentance and forgiveness.
iii) The next stage is for God to correct.
b) Plea with acceptance of correction.
i) Correction without anger.
ii) Correction with justice.
iii) If God’s anger is meted out, man would be totally undone!

3. “Pour out Your fury on the Gentiles, who do not know You, and on the families who do not call on Your name; for they have eaten up Jacob, devoured him and consumed him, and made his dwelling place desolate”

a) Prayer against the Gentiles.
b) This is not a general word of reference.
c) The Gentiles in question here:
i) Those who do not acknowledge God.
ii) Those who have “eaten up” Jacob.
iii) They have destroyed the nation.
iv) The dwelling places of the children of Israel have been devastated!
d) This was a prayer directed against the wicked enemies of the nation.