Jeremiah 35:1-36:32
1 Timothy 5:1-25
Psalm 89:14-37
Proverbs 25:25-27

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October 20 Daily Bible Reading

God Has Spoken. What Will You Do With His Word?

Today’s Bible reading brings up something we all need to think about. What do we do when God tells us something we don’t particularly want to hear? Do we listen and obey, or do we look for a way around it?

As we read through Jeremiah, we find people who refused to listen to God, even after He repeatedly warned them. We also find a king who thought he could get rid of God’s message by burning the scroll it was written on. Then, when we come to Paul’s instructions to Timothy, we see that listening to God is more than knowing what the Bible says. It should affect how we treat people, how we handle responsibilities, and how we live.

The same question runs through all these passages. Are we willing to let God’s Word correct us, or do we only want to hear the parts we already agree with?

1 Timothy 5:1–25 | How We Treat One Another

Paul begins this chapter by telling Timothy how he should treat other believers. Older men should be treated with the respect we would show a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with all purity.

“Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.” (1 Timothy 5:1–2, KJV)

I think this is something we can easily overlook. We can be right about what the Bible teaches and still be wrong in how we treat someone. Timothy had a responsibility to correct people when necessary, but Paul wanted him to remember that those people were his brothers and sisters in Christ.

Paul then talks about caring for widows and taking responsibility for our families. The church was supposed to help widows who were truly in need and had no family to care for them. But when family members were able to help, they were expected to take that responsibility seriously.

“But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” (1 Timothy 5:8, KJV)

Those are strong words, but they show us that our faith should be evident in everyday life. It doesn’t mean much to tell everyone how much we love God if we’re unwilling to care for the people He has placed in our lives.

Later in the chapter, Paul talks about church elders. Those who lead well, especially those who faithfully teach God’s Word, deserve honor. But that doesn’t mean they are above correction. Paul tells Timothy not to accept accusations carelessly, and he also tells him how to handle sin when it is established.

“I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.” (1 Timothy 5:21, KJV)

That last part is especially important. We shouldn’t have one standard for people we like and another for people we don’t. God’s Word is the standard for everyone, including those in leadership.

Paul also warns Timothy not to be too quick to lay hands on someone. In the context of this chapter, Timothy needed to be careful about whom he approved for responsibility. Some people’s sins are obvious, while others only become known later. The same is true of good works.

The lesson here is simple. We need to take our relationships, responsibilities, and decisions seriously. Following Christ isn’t just about what we say we believe. It should show in how we live.

 
Jeremiah 35:1–36:32 | When People Refuse to Listen to God

Jeremiah 35 gives us an interesting example involving a family known as the Rechabites. Their ancestor Jonadab had instructed them not to drink wine, and they had continued obeying that instruction for generations.

God told Jeremiah to bring these men into the house of the Lord and offer them wine. When Jeremiah did, they refused because of the command their ancestor had given them.

God then used their obedience to make a point to the people of Judah.

“I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me.” (Jeremiah 35:14, KJV)

Think about what God was showing them. The Rechabites had remained faithful to the instruction of an earthly ancestor, yet Judah would not listen to the Lord who had repeatedly sent His prophets to warn them.

God wasn’t telling Judah that everyone needed to follow the Rechabites’ family rules. He was showing them how willing this family had been to obey, while His own people had refused to listen to Him.

Then we come to Jeremiah 36, where things get even worse.

God instructed Jeremiah to write His words on a scroll. Jeremiah dictated the message to Baruch, who wrote it down and read it publicly. Eventually, the scroll was brought before King Jehoiakim.

As the king listened, he did something almost unbelievable.

“And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth.” (Jeremiah 36:23, KJV)

Can you imagine that? Here was God’s warning being read aloud, and instead of humbling himself before the Lord, the king cut up the scroll and threw it into the fire.

But what did that accomplish? Nothing. God’s Word was still true, and the judgment He had warned about was still coming.

The Lord told Jeremiah to take another scroll and write the words again, including additional words of judgment against Jehoiakim.

I wonder how many people today are doing something similar without actually burning a Bible. They come across something in Scripture they don’t like, so they ignore it, explain it away, or simply refuse to believe it applies to them.

But getting rid of a verse doesn’t change what God has said. We can reject His Word, but we cannot make it untrue.

The people of Judah had been given opportunity after opportunity to repent. Their problem wasn’t that God had failed to speak clearly. Their problem was that they refused to listen.

We need to make sure we don’t fall into that same trap.

 
Psalm 89:14–37 | God Keeps His Word

As we read through Psalm 89, we’re reminded that God is completely different from us. People change their minds, break promises, and sometimes say things they never intend to do. But God is faithful to what He has spoken.

“Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.” (Psalm 89:14, KJV)

That verse tells us something important about God’s character. Everything He does is right. His judgment is righteous, and His mercy and truth are never separated from who He is.

The psalm then speaks about God’s covenant with David and the promises He made concerning his descendants. God promised to establish David’s throne, but He also made it clear that disobedience would bring correction.

“If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.” (Psalm 89:30–32, KJV)

Notice that God’s faithfulness doesn’t mean He overlooks sin. He promises to correct disobedience while remaining faithful to His covenant.

Then we read:

“My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” (Psalm 89:34, KJV)

That takes us right back to what we read in Jeremiah. King Jehoiakim thought he could get rid of God’s message by burning the scroll. But God had already spoken, and the king couldn’t change that.

We need to remember this when we read our Bibles. God’s promises are trustworthy, but so are His warnings. We don’t get to accept one and reject the other.

When God says something, we can be certain He means it. Our responsibility is to believe Him and respond accordingly.

Proverbs 25:25–27 | Receiving Truth Instead of Seeking Our Own Glory

Proverbs gives us another thought that fits today’s reading.

“As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.” (Proverbs 25:25, KJV)

We all understand how refreshing a cold drink of water can be when we’re thirsty. Solomon compares that feeling to hearing good news from someone far away.

Although this proverb isn’t specifically talking about receiving Scripture, it reminds me of how we should value the truth God gives us. His Word brings the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, and it teaches us how to live in a way that pleases Him.

But the next verse gives us a warning.

“A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.” (Proverbs 25:26, KJV)

A spring is supposed to provide clean water, but what good is it when the water becomes polluted? In the same way, a righteous person who gives way before wickedness is no longer providing the faithful example he should.

We see this happening when people who know what Scripture says become more concerned about pleasing others than standing for what is right. Instead of holding firmly to the truth, they begin making compromises.

Then Solomon warns against seeking our own glory.

“It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.” (Proverbs 25:27, KJV)

There is nothing wrong with receiving encouragement or appreciation, but seeking our own glory can become a serious problem. When our reputation becomes more important than the truth, we’re headed in the wrong direction.

That brings us back to the question we’ve been considering throughout today’s reading. Are we concerned about what God thinks, or are we more interested in getting our own way?

Bringing Today’s Reading Together

One thing that stands out to me in all four passages is that God expects us to take His Word seriously.

In Jeremiah, we saw people who repeatedly refused to listen to God, even though He continued warning them. We saw a king who tried to destroy God’s written message because he didn’t want to hear it. In Psalm 89, we’re reminded that God doesn’t break His promises or change what He has spoken.

Then in 1 Timothy, Paul shows us how God’s instructions should affect our everyday lives. The way we treat people, care for our families, handle problems in the church, and make decisions should all be guided by what God has said.

And Proverbs reminds us not to compromise what is right or become so concerned about our own glory that we forget whose approval really matters.

I think one of the greatest dangers we face as Christians is becoming so familiar with the Bible that we forget we’re reading the very Word of God. We can read a passage, understand what it says, and then go right on living as though we never read it.

James warned us about that very thing.

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22, KJV)

Jesus also said:

“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46, KJV)

Those are questions worth thinking about. We can say we believe the Bible is God’s Word, but what happens when it corrects something we’re doing or challenges something we’ve always believed?

Do we submit to what Scripture says, or do we start looking for a way around it?

God has already spoken. Our responsibility isn’t to change His Word to fit our lives. It’s to allow His Word to correct our thinking and guide how we live.

Something to Think About

As you finish today’s reading, here’s a question I’d like you to consider.

When you come across something in the Bible that challenges what you believe or how you’re living, are you willing to change your thinking and actions to agree with God’s Word?

It’s easy to recognize when someone else is ignoring Scripture. The harder question is whether we’re willing to recognize it in ourselves.

That’s something all of us need to examine as we continue reading God’s Word together.

Overview: 1 Timothy  –  Click Here

Widows in the Church, Part 1
1 Timothy 5:3–4

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