Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Worry”
Our Bible verse for today: “If you have raced with runners and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?” Jeremiah 12: 5 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “God’s got this; so trust Him.”
I both admire and feel sorry for Jeremiah. He was a great man of God and he was a shining example of faithfulness. But he ministered in extraordinarily difficult circumstances and so I wouldn’t have wanted his job.
Jeremiah was assigned by God to be a prophet to a nation in rebellion. Jeremiah’s message to them was essentially, “You’re about to get a whuppin.” “Father God has had enough of your nonsense and He’s gonna put a whuppin on you that you won’t soon forget.”
Needless to say, the people weren’t receptive. In fact they rejected him, they beat him, they chased him out of their towns, and eventually they put him in prison. They didn’t like Jeremiah or what he had to say.
Although Jeremiah was faithful and he did do what God told him to do, he was also human, and so he had times of doubt and worry. That’s what we’re reading here in chapter 12. Jeremiah was complaining to God about how hard things were for him.
In response, God assured Jeremiah that He had everything under control – but He did it in a somewhat comical way by using an absurd but convicting question. In verse 5 of chapter 12 God asked, “If you have raced with runners and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses?” In other words, “Jeremiah, you are standing here arguing with Me, as if you actually have any basis for understanding My ways or the reasons for which I chose to do what I am doing. You can’t even keep up with the people you’re trying to minister to – they’re wearing you out. So how is it you seem to think you can argue with the Almighty God of the Universe?”
The correction God gave to Jeremiah is instructive for us. Whatever situation you find yourself in at the moment; as difficult as it may seem, and as confusing as it may be for you as you try to understand what God is up to; you can be sure that He has it all under control. God has a purpose and a plan. You just be faithful to do what He has instructed you to do and then trust Him to work everything else out according to His good purposes.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 