Go ahead... read it for yourself...
Jeremiah 45
[If your Bible is not handy... click the reference above to read online at BibleGateway.com...]
So... let me give you some background...
Baruch the son of Neriah was Jeremiah's scribe... he'd been with him a long time... through thick and thin...
Now the timing of this message to Baruch is the fourth year of Jehoiakim... son of Josiah... king of Judah... the same year... this same king... took the book Jeremiah dictated to Baruch... and cut it up... piece by piece... and burned it... then he sent men to find the author and his scribe so he could kill them...
Jeremiah and Baruch were then commanded by God to rewrite the whole thing...
Just imagine... Baruch is tired...
"Woe is me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain.
I am weary with groaning, and I find no rest."
Jeremiah 45:3 ESV
he is tired of writing...
tired of rewriting...
tired of running for his life...
tired of hiding in fear...
Baruch was having a pity party... and blaming God for all his sorrows...
God hears Baruch... he got a personal response from God through Jeremiah... his own message... now that should be encouraging... God hears His people when they moan... groan... complain...
Yet... he might have received the message as more of a scolding... than an encouragement...
"...And do you seek great things for yourself?
Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster
on all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life
as a prize of war in all places to which you may go."
Jeremiah 45:5 ESV
God gives life...
Those He calls are not promised riches... in fact... Jesus said...
In this world you will have trouble...
John 16:33
If they persecute me they will persecute you...
John 15:20
Those who follow me must take up their cross...
Matthew 16:24
Depending on the season of history in which we live... God builds up... or tears down...
I believe we're living in a season where God is about to tear down the blessings which built our nation...
We too need to take a lesson from Baruch...
Don't blame the Lord...
thank Him for life...
Jesus gives us all sorts of reason to hope... rejoice... no matter what season we live in...
He... is... Life...
Why are you so downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
Psalm 43:5
This week's readings...
Monday Jeremiah 50
Tuesday Jeremiah 51:1-22
Wednesday Jeremiah 51:23-64
Thursday Jeremiah 52
Friday 1 Chronicles 1
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