Jeremiah 1:13

And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north."
Jeremiah 1:13

The LORD uses another illustration to show Jeremiah what is going to happen in the future. I can picture a cooking pot on the fire, water boiling rapidly, with the pot leaning over seemingly held upright by an invisible string, ready tip over and pour the scalding water out at any moment. Jeremiah recognized the direction the pot was leaning was away from the north. Babylon was to the east, but their armies would come from the north when Babylon attacked Judah. The desert between Judah and Babylon was not conducive for marching armies. So God showed Jeremiah that the danger lay to the north, where the fierce armies of Assyria, Babylon, and Syria had historically come to attack God's chosen people when they refused God's protection. At this time Egypt to the south was also powerful and fighting for domination of the area around Judah. God told Jeremiah that His judgments on Judah and the final, horrible, destruction of Judah would not come from the south, or Egypt, but from the north. Even though Judah was unfaithful to God and deserved nothing good, God still was going to warn them of the coming calamity and give the rulers and people an opportunity to repent. God still wanted to save Judah and its people. They felt secure in the position they were in, working Egypt against Assyria and Babylon. They didn't see the giant boiling pot leaning their way, with the boiling water ready to spill out and engulf them in an agonizing horror. God is giving Jeremiah a message of warning to Judah. It is to be the last warning before God will let the pot tip over and let Judah reap the justice it deserves.

Lord,
Help me to see and understand the warnings you give me, and take heed of them to repent each day. The signs are here today that the world I live in has a boiling pot of justice leaning towards it. Help me to be willing to tell others of the danger and to point them towards You, the salvation from the calamity that is coming upon the world. Help me to assist those upon whom the destruction is even now coming, to relieve their pain and tell them about Your love for them. I am weak, give me of Your strength to serve as You see best.