August 11, 2026, Jeremiah 14:1-12

August 11, 2026, Jeremiah 14:1-12

14 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:

² “Judah mourns,
     and her gates languish;
 her people lament on the ground,
     and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
 ³ Her nobles send their servants for water;
     they come to the cisterns;
 they find no water;
     they return with their vessels empty;
 they are ashamed and confounded
     and cover their heads.
 ⁴ Because of the ground that is dismayed,
     since there is no rain on the land,
 the farmers are ashamed;
     they cover their heads.
 ⁵ Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn
     because there is no grass.
 ⁶ The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights;
     they pant for air like jackals;
 their eyes fail
     because there is no vegetation.

⁷ “Though our iniquities testify against us,
     act, O Lord, for your name's sake;
 for our backslidings are many;
     we have sinned against you.
 ⁸ O you hope of Israel,
     its savior in time of trouble,
 why should you be like a stranger in the land,
     like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?
 ⁹ Why should you be like a man confused,
     like a mighty warrior who cannot save?
 Yet you, O Lord, are in the midst of us,
     and we are called by your name;
     do not leave us.”

¹⁰ Thus says the Lord concerning this people:
 “They have loved to wander thus;
     they have not restrained their feet;
 therefore the Lord does not accept them;
     now he will remember their iniquity
     and punish their sins.”

¹¹ The Lord said to me: “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. ¹² Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”

Jeremiah 14:1-12 describes a terrible physical drought in Judah that mirrors the people’s spiritual dryness, highlighting Jeremiah’s desperate prayers for the nation and God’s firm refusal to grant mercy due to their persistent rebellion. 

●      The physical drought in Judah left everyone from the nobles to the farmers empty and despairing.  (Verses 3-4)  Have you ever experienced a season of spiritual dryness or emptiness, and did it drive you closer to God or further away?

●     God refused to listen to the people’s prayers and fasts because their hearts remained rebellious (verse 12).  How can you ensure that your personal spiritual habits (like attending church, reading scripture or praying) are driven by genuine relationship with Jesus rather than just going through the motions?

  Robin Adams