Only God can add days to our lives or redeem our soul. There is nothing we can do in ourselves to accomplish this. We should cease trying.

Psalm 49:7-9

7No man can by any means redeem his brother
Or give to God a ransom for him--
8For the redemption of his soul is costly,
And he should cease trying forever-
9That he should live on eternally,
That he should not undergo decay

God promises his people He will not forget them and will bring them back to the land He gave them and again reveals the reason for the current disaster that has come upon them; they had turned away from Him “this city has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove it from my sight” “They set up their abominable idols in the house that bears my Name and defiled it.”
Jeremiah 31:28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant," declares the LORD. Jeremiah 32:30-31 "The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but provoke me with what their hands have made, declares the LORD. 31 From the day it was built until now, this city has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove it from my sight. Jeremiah 32:34-38 They set up their abominable idols in the house that bears my Name and defiled it. 35 They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech, though I never commanded, nor did it enter my mind, that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin. 36 "You are saying about this city, 'By the sword, famine and plague it will be handed over to the king of Babylon'; but this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 37 I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. 38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. (NIV)

Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
If you are obsessed with getting wealth and worldly things your heart will be far from God.

A contrast between people of the last days who are lovers of themselves, “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power”, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth and those who know the truth “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Of the first group the Lord warns “Have nothing to do with them.”

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
We can trust in God and what He tells us in His Word because He does not change and all His promises will be fulfilled.

Music was central to the celebrations of Israel when they remembered the Lord. It is good to praise Him in song.

Psalm 47:5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.

7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise.
8 God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.
9 The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.

As the people of Judah are taken away into captivity the Lord makes this promise “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 30:18-22 "This is what the LORD says: "'I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place. 19 From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained. 20 Their children will be as in days of old, and their community will be established before me; I will punish all who oppress them. 21 Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?' declares the LORD. 22 "'So you will be my people, and I will be your God.'" (NIV)

Luke 10:2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
There are many people who have not heard the Gospel. We need to pray and support the missionaries that go to different areas but we also need to witness to the people right here in this town.

The gospel accounts are so full of rejection of the Savior, but in Luke 2 we find that there were those among the Jewish people who were waiting for the Savior and gave Him a proper reception. God always reserves for Himself a remnant.

Luke 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant
in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”

When we look at the judgment God has proclaimed on the Israelite people, we think, how could a loving God bring this kind of judgment on His people? We like the idea of grace. But God is just, Jeremiah said for 23 years I have warned you and many other prophets as well and you have not listened, but God said warn them again and if the repent I will relent. Jeremiah did and the response he got was “But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, "You must die!”. God is just and will follow through with what He has said, “Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing." God shows us His grace and mercy by providing a way to escape judgment Hebrews 10:26-27 says “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” But if we reject Him there is no hope of mercy or grace and judgment will come.