Jeremiah 9-11 reveals Israel's unfaithfulness to the Lord. Jeremiah, being the prayer-warrior and man of God that he is, is about at his rope's end because of his nation's unfaithfulness to God (Jeremiah 9:1). I doubt many of us have cried over our nation's condition before God like Jeremiah did. Israel had broken covenant with their God (Jeremiah 11) and Jeremiah "identified with his people's sufferings" (8:21, MacArthur Bible Commentary, p. 853). Jeremiah compares Israel's false gods to that of scarecrows (10:5) which "cannot speak or walk." What scarecrows (false gods) can you identify in your own life? I think the prophet Jeremiah and the apostle Paul would have made good friends with one another. Both Jeremiah and Paul speak of the importance of boasting in the Lord (Jer. 9:24, 2 Corinthians 10:17). As we remove the false idols found in our lives, I believe that we will find that we have more items to boast about in the Lord.
I Timothy 6:3-5 reminds me of the "health, wealth, and prosperity gospel" that is often preached about on television. This is a false gospel and it often lacks talk about the doctrine of God's wrath, hell, and Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Christ did not come to this earth solely to bless us and make us happy. Quite the opposite however is revealed in 2 Timothy 3:12: "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."
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