Bible Reading: Jeremiah 1
Key Verse: Verse 19 – “And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.”
Key Words: And they shall fight against thee
As you read the book of Jeremiah, you read about a prophet of God whose ministry was one of great sadness and sorrow because of God’s people and their lack of spirituality. Jeremiah was what some call a divine melancholy; his eyes were a fountain of tears. The truths he had to proclaim were unwelcomed and brought him many enemies, but he carried out his task without fear or favor.
In these days of great apostasy, we would all do well to live near the book of Jeremiah, which centers on having a true heart and pure holiness to God. Jeremiah teaches us the importance of putting first things first.
A while back I was reading about an expert on the subject of time management. One day this expert was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration I am sure those students will never forget. After I share it with you, you will never forget it either.
As this man stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, “Okay, it’s time for a quiz.” Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. He produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?”
Everyone in the class said, “Yes.”
Then he said, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. Then he smiled and asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?”
By this time the class was onto him. “Probably not,” one of them answered.
“Good!” he replied. And he reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in, and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?”
“No!” the class shouted.
Once again he said, “Good!” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”
One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!”
“No,” the speaker replied, “that’s not the point. The truth this illustration teaches is this: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.”
What are the “big rocks” in your life?
What to do:
✞ Live close to God and put the things of God first.
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