A Devotional Thought from The Lamentations of Jeremiah
Look at this terrible description of literal judgment.
Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows. We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us. Our necks are under persecution; we labor, and have no rest. We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread. Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities. Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand. We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness. Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine. They ravish the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah. Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honored. They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood. The elders have ceased from the gate, young men from their music. The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into morning. The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us that we have sinned! 
Lamentations 5:2-16
This sounds like images from a sci-fi movie showing the devastation of a future time, or scenes from a violent video game, or the ancient destruction committed by an invading horde (which is what it is). Isn't it striking that Jeremiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, equates these terrible circumstances with the results of one generation suffering for the sins of another? And his confession in verse 16 that even the suffering generation had sinned? No need for preachers' moralizing here, modern people should read this for themselves and turn from sin.

Devotional Thoughts from Jeremiah
Here's a great Word God spoke to His people Israel, which is applicable to all believers in the God of the Bible:
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. (33:3)
And listen to what one of those great things was, and is:
And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby theu have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. (33:9)
Good, huh?

'nuff said! A Devotional Thought from the prophet Jeremiah
At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
Jeremiah 18:7-10

A Devotional Thought from the prophet, Jeremiah
Here is advice to an ancient nation that is good advice to our country today. Don't trust in your religion, or "spirituality," or what you think is your moral superiority. Instead change, amend, your evil ways, and God will give you peace and blessing in the land. There are a lot of behaviors and other doings the people of our country should amend. Here is the advice as Jeremiah spoke it in 7:4-7:
Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; If ye opress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
That's good advice for the populace and the government.

Why is God ultimately so good to His people Israel (and the church, which is His body), even sometimes when they are not living as He calls them to live? A Devotional thought from Isaiah
For my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.
Isaiah 48:9

Big Difference! A Devotional Thought from Isaiah
Those in ancient Israel who worshiped false gods in idols had to carry their gods, those who worshiped "The God of Israel, The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, The Only True God" were carried by God. That is a significant choice: carry or be carried.
Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle: your carriages were heavy loaden; they are a burden to the weary beast. They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity. Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb: And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
Isaiah 46:1-4

We don't want to go through the fire. A Devotional thought from Isaiah.
When God spoke to His people Israel about the difficulties they might face in life He gave them this comforting word, that we need as much today as they did then.
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
Isaiah 43:2
I need to trust Him for that.

Little did he know! A Devotional Thought from Isaiah
Rabshakeh, General of the Assyrian army of Sennacherib, said to the people of Jerusalem:
Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us: this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria.
Isaiah 36:15

A Wonderful Devotional thought from Isaiah
Spoken by God to Israel for her day of restoration, but equally true for His Church people today by extension and application.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Isaiah 26:3
As the old youth chorus says: "I just keep trusting the Lord..."

One Day! A Devotional Thought from Isaiah
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 11:9

A Devotional Thought From Isaiah

Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
Isaiah 8:13

A Devotional Thought from Isaiah

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isaiah 1:18