Trapped in Chocolate

Welcome to today's encouragement from the Our Daily Bread devotional. I'm Kirsten Holmberg, and I titled our reading, Trapped in Chocolate. Two workers at a Mars candy factory in Pennsylvania fell into a large vat of chocolate. This might sound like the beginning of a joke and perhaps a lovely predicament to chocolate lovers. But the men, though unhurt, were waist deep in the confection and couldn't get out on their own.

Firefighters ultimately had to cut a hole in the side of the vat to deliver them to safety. When the prophet Jeremiah found himself at the bottom of a mud-filled cistern in Jeremiah 38, the story was anything but sweet. As a messenger to God's people in Jerusalem, he proclaimed the urgency for them to leave the city because it would soon be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon. Some of King Zedekiah's officials demanded Jeremiah be put to death because they claimed his words were discouraging the soldiers.

The king consented, and they lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern where he sank down into the mud. When another of the king's officials, a foreigner no less, advocated for Jeremiah's well-being, saying the others had acted wickedly, Zedekiah realized he'd made a mistake and ordered Ebed Melek to lift Jeremiah out of the cistern. Even when we're doing the right thing, as Jeremiah was, we might sometimes feel like we're stuck in the mud. Let's ask God to lift our spirits as we wait for his help in the troubles we face.

Today's Our Daily Read devotional scripture reading is from Jeremiah chapter 38, verses 1 through 10. Shephatiah, son of Matan, Gedaliah, son of Pashur, Jehukul, son of Shelomiah, and Pashur, son of Malchijah, heard what Jeremiah was telling all the people when he said, This is what the Lord says. Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, or plague. But whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. They will escape with their lives.

They will live. And this is what the Lord says. This city will certainly be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it. Then the officials said to the king, This man should be put to death. He is discouraging the soldiers who are left in this city, as well as all the people, by the things he is saying to them. This man is not seeking the good of these people, but their ruin. He is in your hands, King Zedekiah answered.

The king can do nothing to oppose you. So they took Jeremiah and put him in the cistern of Malchijah, the king's son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern.

It had no water in it, only mud. And Jeremiah sank down into the mud. But Ebed-Melek, a Cushite, an official in the royal palace, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern. While the king was sitting in the Benjamin gate, Ebed-Melek went out of the palace and said to him, My Lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet.

They have thrown him into a cistern, where he will starve to death when there is no longer any bread in the city. Then the king commanded Ebed-Melek the Cushite, Take thirty men from here with you, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies. Let's pray. Father God, please sustain us as we seek to obey you. Give us ears to hear your calling on our lives and hearts that are willing to obey. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Kirsten Holmberg, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.