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4/27/13. Jeremiah 12:1-17. JEREMIAH’S QUESTION REVEALS GOD’S PLAN – my devotional

4/27/13. Jeremiah 12:1-17.  JEREMIAH’S QUESTION REVEALS GOD’S PLAN – my devotional

wy with a pencil

Jeremiah 12:1-17

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Key Verse: 12:16                                                                                                                                                                  Kevin E. Jesmer

“And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people.”(NIV 2011)

     Dear Lord heavenly Father, thank you for being my God. Who am I but a grain of sand in the beach of life. But you are my God and I praise you. I learned that there were about 108 billion people who have walked this planet. And you have loved them all. You are God with an infinite love. Lord, bless our serving at the International Student Café. May it reveal the love of God to the people. May it generate many friendships, through which we can reveal Christ and the Gospel to the people in culturally sensitive ways. Lord, please illuminate my heart through your word and your spirit. I thank you and I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part l: Jeremiah’s Complaint (1-4)

Jeremiah voices what he has been struggling with to God. Verses 1-4 read, “You are always righteous, Lord, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice:  Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts. Yet you know me, Lord; you see me and test my thoughts about you. Drag them off like sheep to be butchered!  Set them apart for the day of slaughter! How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished. Moreover, the people are saying, “He will not see what happens to us.”

 

Jeremiah’s own people were plotting his death. He asks the timeless question: “Why do the wicked prosper and the faithless live at ease?” This was the case in Israel, who had the LORD on their lips, but whose heart was far from God (2). They were mixed up with the good people like Jeremiah, and the land and animals suffered because of them. How could a just God permit this?

This is a timeless question. I have come to grips with this type of question through my study of theology. I realize that God is the Creator God and he is all powerful and all mighty. Yet he does not intervene to stop every accident, heal every disease, stop every untimely death, divert every natural disaster, or stop every heinous crime in its tracks. He chooses to limit himself as he interacts in this world to work to save people from their sins. He submits to the many of the principles that run this “fallen” world. For example, when Jesus submitted himself to death on the cross to die on the cross, he eliminated other options bring about the forgiveness of sins. When God decided to create the world, he eliminated the option of not creating the world. Jesus felt the full brunt of the punishment that was due us because of our sin. Could he have done it some other way?  Did he choose to do it this way and submit to this type of suffering at the hand of sinners? Yes. God submits himself to operate under the principles of this world to bring about his perfect salvation to all who believe.

A better way, than complaining to God, is to learn from God and what God is doing in our lives and in this world. We need to trust God. We need to submit to God’s perfect plan. God is at work. He is guiding us according to his sovereign will. We may not understand what God is doing. We may not agree what he is doing. But in light of eternity, we need to trust God. We may not see the goodness of his guidance for a while, but God is good. He is love. He is our Father in heaven. We need to trust him with our whole hearts. He sees what we don’t see. He knows what we don’t know.

I do thank God for the opportunity to be able to voice our complaints to him, no matter what we have on our minds. We can talk to God. We can share what is on our hearts. God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, inviting his people to come and talk to him. Isaiah 1:18 reads, “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” In the NIV 1978 version, God says, “Come, let us reason together…” God wants us to come to him and talk and reason with him and settle the matter in our hearts. He is God that does not just dictate what we need to say all the time. We can talk and state our troubles and struggles. He will be sure to give us wise counsel and wisdom and direction and comfort. He may just patiently listen to us. He may even tell to be silent for a while for our own good. He is our Father in heaven.  Thank you Lord for inviting us to come and talk with you anytime.

Part ll: God’s Answer (5-17)

 

The Lord’s answer was far more than Jeremiah expected. First, God exhorts Jeremiah to beware of the people of this world and trust in him alone. Verses 5-6 read, “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumblein safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan? Your relatives, members of your own family— even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you.” Jeremiah was a strong servant of God, but even the mission field that God sent him to was wearing him out. He was worn and stumbling. It is not easy to serve God’s purpose to the people we are called to serve. In my 12 years of being a pastor to a small house church, I was worn and stumbling spiritually in so many ways. I took my eyes off of Jesus and fixed my eyes on people and ministry. I was disappointed at other peoples’ response to my gospel preaching. I wanted people to hang out with me and my family. I wanted deep and sincere fellowship. I wanted people to share in my suffering and help me carry my cross. Parts of me wanted other people to build up my ministry and contribute to my reputation and my ministry. I began seeking meaning to my life, and numbers instead of knowing Jesus. I was being worn out mostly because I had the wrong priorities and the wrong focus. I was joylessly hanging in there.

 

But thank God that he helped me to step back and find the right focus, knowing Jesus and having Jesus. I am happy simply coming to know Christ more and serving Jesus. There is no more “self” kingdom building…no more self-centered motives. (By God’s grace). These things were only wearing me out and robbing me of joy. But Jesus has saved me by showing me that he must be the focus of life and ministry. With Jesus as the focus that is how young people may soar like eagles. Isaiah 40:30-31 read, “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

     The people and the land will suffer mainly because the leaders of the people. Verses 7-14 read, “I will forsake my house, abandon my inheritance; I will give the one I love into the hands of her enemies. My inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest. She roars at me; therefore I hate her. Has not my inheritance become to me like a speckled bird of prey that other birds of prey surround and attack? Go and gather all the wild beasts; bring them to devour.10 Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field; they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland. 11 It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me; the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares. 12 Over all the barren heights in the desert destroyers will swarm, for the sword of the Lord will devour from one end of the land to the other; no one will be safe.13 They will sow wheat but reap thorns; they will wear themselves out but gain nothing. They will bear the shame of their harvest because of the Lord’s fierce anger.” 14 This is what the Lord says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the people of Judah from among them.”

 

Israel had failed to bear the LORD’s name and fulfill his purpose. Instead of being a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, they became deceitful like those around them. So God would lay waste to the whole land, and strike them with a sword. The godless nations would also be uprooted and scattered.

 

There is hope in the Lord. But people need to repent to and turn to Christ and obey him. Look at verses 15-17 read, “ 15 But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. 16 And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people. 17 But if any nation does not listen, I will completely uproot and destroy it,” declares the Lord.”

But God has a redemptive purpose to uproot Judah and establish them again with compassion in order to reach out to the godless people. The Lord would draw the godless people who seduced Israel to himself in Jesus Christ. Those who believe will be established among his people; those who reject will be destroyed.

Turning from our sin and the lies perpetrated by our generation then there can be restoration and fruitfulness. We must turn to the Lord for salvation. He will set our paths straight.     Leaders have as a great influence on the cities and the land and especially in the churches. They have a responsibility to shepherd properly and guide policies and point people to Jesus and the gospel. Then the land will prosper and bear abundant fruit. May God raise up such leaders across our land. I have a great responsibility as the leader of my family. My family may be fruitful and prosper and grow and be a blessing is I take the lead and shepherd them in the ways of the Lord.

 

Prayer: Father, your ways are beyond understanding. Thank you for revealing your compassion for all sinners in the gospel of Jesus. May I share your hope and vision.

One Word: The gospel is the hope of the nations

 

 

 




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