DAILY BIBLE READING: Jeremiah 51, 52; Hebrews 9
“The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of inheritance: The Lord of Host is his name.” Jeremiah 51:19 (KJV)
The Lord is the portion of the righteous and the hope of the righteous is not like that of the world. We must never begin to think that we are like the world and that the calamities and disasters that befall the world will befall us too. This is not so and God is quick to make that distinction in this passage. He says quickly that “…The Portion of Jacob is not like that!” This is huge for us; it is necessary to hold on to these words.
After the Lord had gone on in the previous verse about the end of those idols worshiped by the Babylonians, He says to the children of Israel that the portion of Jacob is different. We serve a different God and so our fate is different. God doesn’t mince words, He makes it absolutely clear to you and me that we do not have the same end as the world. While there are two ways to read that passage depending on what version you use, they invariably end up alike. Our God is not like the god’s of Babylon; our hope is not like theirs.
When disaster strikes the world, say this words to yourself again and again, remind yourself of them. When you are at your most vulnerable, speak these words, don’t let them depart from your heart. Circumstances might give the impression that there is no difference between your God and the god of the Babylonians and so your end is not going to be any different from theirs, but, God Himself spoke these words to you “… The portion of Jacob is not like them…”
Our God is not like the others, He made the heavens and the earth including the people that dwell in them. Your portion is different from the world’s!
Prayer: Dear Lord, in the face of challenges that threaten my faith, help me to have absolute confidence in Your word that assures of a different fate than the world’s in Jesus Christ name.
Rev. Julius Oluwole