Under Gods Command
Proverbs 25:26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked.
“Give way to the wicked” means setting aside your standard of right and wrong. No one is helped by someone who compromises with the wicked.
Under Gods Command
Jeremiah 22:21 I warned you when you felt secure, but you said, I will not listen! This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me.
Jehoiakim has been hardheaded and hard-hearted since childhood. God warned him, but he refuse to listen. His prosperity always took a higher priority than his relationship with God. If you ever find yourself so comfortable that you don’t have time for God, stop and ask which is more important-the comforts of this life or a close relationship with God.
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 23:13,14 – Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.
The stern tone of discipline here is offset by the affection expressed in verse 15. However, many parents are reluctant to discipline their children at all. Some fear they will forfeit their relationship, that their children will resent them, or that they will stifle their children’s development. But correction won’t kill children, and it may prevent them from foolish moves that will.
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 22:24, 25 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.
People tend to become like those with whom they spend a lot of time. Even the negative characteristics and habits sometimes rub off. The Bible exhorts us to be cautious in our choice of companions. Choose people with qualities you would like to develop in your own life.
Under Gods Command
Jeremiah 20:7-18 O LORD, you deceived me and I was deceived, you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say I will not mention him or speak any more in his name, his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. I hear many whispering. Terror on every side! Report him! Let’s report him! All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him.
11-12 But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten. O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind. Let me see your vengeance upon them for to you I have committed my cause
13 Sing to the LORD! Give praise to the LORD! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.
14-18 Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed! Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, who made him very glad, saying, “A child I born to you-a son!” May that man be like the towns the LORD overthrew without pity. May he hear wailing in the morning, a battle cry at noon. For he did not kill me in the womb, with my mother as my grave, her womb enlarged forever. Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame.
Jeremiah cried out in despair mixed with praise, unburdening his heart to God. He had faithfully proclaimed God’s word and had received nothing in return but persecution and sorrow. Yet when he withheld God’s word for a while, it became fire in his bones until he could hold it back no longer. When God’s living message of forgiveness becomes fire in your bones, you also will feel compelled to share it with others, regardless of the results.
Under Gods Command
Jeremiah 17:5-8 This is what the LORD says: Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
Two kinds of people are contrasted here: those who trust in human beings and those who trust in the LORD. The people of Judah were trusting in false gods and military alliances instead of God, and thus they were barren and unfruitful. In contrast, those who trust in the Lord flourish like trees planted by water (see Psalm 1). In times of trouble, those who trust in human beings will be impoverished and spiritually weak, so they will have no strength to draw on. But those who trust in the Lord will have abundant strength, not only for their own needs, but even for the needs of others. Are you satisfied with being unfruitful, or do you like a well-watered tree, have strength for the time of crisis and even some to share as you bear fruit for the Lord.
Under Gods Command
Jeremiah 14:19-22 Have you rejected Judah completely? Do you despise Zion? Why have you afflicted us so that we cannot be healed? We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there is only terror. O LORD, we acknowledge our wickedness and the guilt of our fathers; we have indeed sinned against you. For the sake of your name do not despise us; do not dishonor your glorious throne. Remember your covenant with us and do not break it. Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, O LORD our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this.
Interceding for the people, Jeremiah asked God if Judah’s repentance would bring his help. But God refused to come to their aid because the people were insincere, wicked, and stubborn. They knew he wanted to bless them, and they knew what they needed to do to receive that blessing. They wanted God to do his part, but they did not want to do theirs. It’s easy to express sorrow for wrong actions, especially when we want something, but we must be willing to stop doing what is wrong. God will forgive those who are truly repentant, but hypocrites will be severely punished.
Under Gods Command
Jeremiah 15:17-21 I never sat in the company of revelers, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me and you had filled me with indignation. Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable. Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that falls? Therefore this is what the LORD says: If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesmen. Let this people turn to you but you must not turn to them. I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you, I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel.
Jeremiah accused God of not helping him when he really needed it. Jeremiah had taken his eyes off God’s purposes and was feeling sorry for himself. He was angry, hurt, and afraid. In response, God didn’t get angry at Jeremiah; he answered by rearranging Jeremiah’s priorities. As God’s mouth piece, he was to influence the people, not let them influence him. There are three important lessons in this passage: (1) In prayer we can reveal our deepest thoughts to God (2) God expect s us to trust him, no matter what; (3) we are here to influence others for God.
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 15:1 –A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Have you ever tried to argue in a whisper? It is equally hard to argue with someone who insists on answering gently. On the other hand, a rising voice and harsh words almost always trigger and angry response. To turn away wrath and seek peace, choose gentle words.
Under Gods Command
Proverbs 14:29 – A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.
A quick temper can be like a fire out of control. It can burn us and everyone else in its path. Anger divides people. It pushes us into hasty decisions that only cause bitterness and guilt. Yet anger, in itself, is not wrong. Anger can be a legitimate reaction to injustice and sin. When you feel yourself getting angry, look for the cause. Are you reacting to an evil situation that you are going to set right? Or are you responding selfishly to a personal insult? Pray that God will help you control your quick temper, channeling your feelings into effective action and conquering selfish anger through humility and repentance.
Under Gods command 