Jeremiah 12:5 “If you have raced with men on foot
and they have worn you out,
how can you compete with horses?
If you stumble in safe country,
how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?”

Jeremiah is famous for being blunt with God, but God returned the favor. Reading Jeremiah I am reminded of the time I was thinking, there are so many things I wish were different, when God surprised me by saying, very clearly, “How do you think I feel?” If we are honest and open with God we are far more likely to get answers we can understand. They may not be too comforting, however! I’m not at all sure Jeremiah was very happy about being told what is recorded here. God was telling him, “If you think this is bad, you haven’t seen anything yet!” Actually, the Lord has used this verse to chide me in the past, when I have tended toward self pity. It is not our place to complain, because we are for the most part low-ranking soldiers. In Tennyson’s famous poem The Charge of the Light Brigade, the attitude is expressed as, “Theirs not to reason why; theirs but to do and die.” We have two huge advantages over Tennyson’s hapless cavalrymen: our Commander really knows what’s going on and doesn’t make stupid mistakes, and our ultimate reward is secure, and glorious. Jeremiah shows us that it isn’t wrong to be frank with God about how we see thing and about our feelings, but we have to leave Lordship in His hands. Sin is when we think we know better than God, and act on what we think or feel instead of what God says. It goes without saying that the results are never good.

As many parallels as I see between me and Jeremiah, I still like Isaiah better! However, the contents and the results of my ministry are God’s business rather than my own, and I’ve got to be satisfied with that. I too get disgusted with people for whom “God is near to their mouths but far from their hearts.” (verse 2) I too get worn out by the daily struggle to be faithful when I see little fruit. However, “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12) I know I’ve got a lot of company where I am, both those who have gone before and those who are in the battle now. I know that God’s plans are ultimately perfect, for my good and for His glory. (Jeremiah 29:11) As He has told me, I need to rest, relax, and rejoice!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me indeed take heart and know that Your grace is truly sufficient for me. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Help me anticipate joyfully all that You have in store for me, however long or hard the road might be to that point, so that I will not allow the devil to steal either my joy or my peace, because I know he can’t steal my salvation. Thank You. Hallelujah!