Jeremiah 32:27 “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

I have always loved how God quoted Jeremiah’s own words from verse 17 back to him here. God had told Jeremiah in some detail what was going to happen to Jerusalem, and at this point that is obviously about to take place, but He completely blindsided him by telling him to buy a piece of land outside the city with good money and have the transaction legally witnessed. At this point Jeremiah can’t even imagine things returning enough to “normal” that such a thing would make any difference whatsoever. He rightly remembers all the wonderful things God has done in the past, but being told to buy the field is something he really can’t wrap his mind around, even though he did it as told, as recorded in the first part of this chapter. This is a problem we all have. We get so mired in the past and the present that we have no capacity to envision what God is going to do in the future. There are plenty of secular examples of this as well. It’s generally quite amusing to read what various publications printed years ago predicting what the future was going to look like. Occasionally they got a few things almost right, but the misses can be quite hilarious. The point for us, as it was for Jeremiah, is to realize that God can indeed do literally anything, and so not try to stuff Him into even the biggest box we can imagine. It literally doesn’t matter what the current circumstances are; God is still God. That should be a huge comfort to us!

This is an extremely timely Word. We have ministered in Omura for 39 years and 10 months at this point, with so far very little visible results. There has been fruit, yes, but much of the best fruit has dispersed to the four corners of the earth. I will be 73 in two months, and have no clear picture of my successor. We have poured our hearts out to the people of Omura and have been welcomed and affirmed as people, but very few have come to Christ. Thinking about it, though, that’s not as severe as Jerusalem being surrounded by the Babylonian army! We have an outreach event coming up in two days, and at the moment I’m rather stressed out about the preparations for that. I have no idea what if any lasting impact the event will have, but I’ve got to remember what God told Jeremiah. I’ve learned the hard way not to try to dictate to God what He’s going to do, but I still need an infusion of faith to believe that He’s going to do wonderful things beyond my imagination. He has told me to rest, relax, and rejoice, but I also need the anticipation of faith that will welcome what He has planned, and not stumble in moving into it.

Father, as often as I tell other people to take their eyes off of themselves and their circumstances, I’m not very good at it myself! Forgive my hypocrisy. I do indeed pray for the fulfillment of the vision You have given us of Omura again being the foremost Christian city in the nation, whatever steps that involves and whatever it will look like. Help me not draw back from my part in the “grunt work,” but be willing to apply myself fully however You indicate, for the sake of Your kingdom and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!