God's Challenge In My Life - Jeremiah 12:1-5

 God's Challenge In My Life
Jeremiah 12:1-5

It’s tough being a Christian these days. There are more difficulties than ever before. For many the answer to these problems is simple. Quit, walk away and don’t look back. When the going gets tough many Christians just get going, to a new church, a new pastor, a new denomination or just to the church of “I Used To Go.”

I want to encourage you, child of God, to not give up, to keep on going. Sometimes the victory is simply means not surrendering. This is the challenge that God gives to Jeremiah in Chapter 12
 
Jeremiah’s Conversation With God - Jeremiah 12:1

Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

God let me talk to you

Jeremiah speaks to God and says, "You are righteous but let me talk with you about your judgments. Why do the wicked prosper and why are all the treacherous happy? he asks of God.

We also should take time to seek God and ask, "I need to talk to you." I know you are always right but I’m not sure you’re aware of what’s going on down here, especially to me! Lord, why does wickedness exist? Why do good people get hurt? Why isn’t life fair?

You you should talk to God, even question God, but as you do, please understand that He is probably not going to answer you in the way you want or expect.

We want God to explain the workings of the universe from before time began until it ends and we don’t want it to be too complicated or take longer than 10 minutes to explain.

God can’t give us that kind of answer. First, because it makes God subservient to us and second because we couldn’t understand the answer even if he did tell us.

It’s like trying to have someone explain quantum physics as opposed to the chaos theory but to keep it under 200 words and make sure it has a music video.

God, because he loves us and know us, is going to give us the answer we need. It will be the right answer and it will be the answer he knows not only can we handle but will challenge us to go on.

The Confederate Soldier Prayer
(found in the uniform of a dead confederate soldier after the battle)

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve
I was made weak, that I might learn to humbly obey
I asked for health, that I might do greater things
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things
I asked for riches, that I might be happy
I was given poverty, that I might be wise
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things
I got nothing that I asked for but everything that I needed.

Jeremiah’s Complaint - Jeremiah 12:2-4

Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins. But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter. How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.

God You Have Allowed The Evil

Jeremiah seems to say to God, "You have planted them and they have taken root and grow fruit. You are near in their mouth but far from their reins. They are hypocrites.

You know me and have tried my heart toward you. You know my sincerity and faithfulness. Deal with those who have hurt me, as justice demands.

All the land suffers because of them. Even the wild animals and birds have given up because they don’t think you will save them.

Why does God allow sin and sorrow?
The answers are hard or mysterious. The hard part is accepting the answers. He allows these things because the free-will he created in us, means evil is part of the result of that freedom.

We live in a sinful world by Adam’s choice and we suffer for it. Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Troubles are often a result of our own mistakes, choices and sin. Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

This is a universal law, a direct result of man having free will. We can and will choose and sometimes, many times that choice results in sin, pain, sorrow and suffering.

As someone has once said, "Everything happens for a reason and many times the reason is stupidity.”

Reasons for Sin, Evil and Sorrow In this World

1) Sometimes God uses trouble and sorrow order to prove, strengthen and correct his children. Troubles, pain and suffering are sometimes punishment to bring us back to God.

Hebrews 12: 5 - 6And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

2) Troubles are also sometimes used by God to strengthen us. John 15:1-5 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

John Wesley’s Diary illstrates Troubles as Building Blocks

A page from John Wesley's Diary reads as follows:
Sunday morning, May 5, preached in St. Ann's, was asked not to come back anymore.
Sunday p.m., May 5, preached at St. John's, deacons said, "Get out and stay out."
Sunday a.m., May 12, preached at St. Jude's, can't go back there either.
Sunday p.m., May 12, preached at St. George's, kicked out again.
Sunday a.m., May 19, preached at St. somebody else's, deacons called special meeting and said I couldn't return.
Sunday p.m., May 19, preached on the street, kicked off the street.
Sunday a.m., May 26, preached in meadow, chased out of meadow as a bull was turned loose during the services.
Sunday a.m., June 2, preached out at the edge of town, kicked off the highway.
Sunday p.m., June 2, afternoon service, preached in a pasture, 10,000 people came to hear me.
 
Jeremiah’s Challenge - Jeremiah 12:5

If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?

God now Questions Jeremiah

If you have run with men and they wore you out? What will you do when I have you race against horses? If you are defeated running in the smooth plains, what will you do when I ask you to run in the tangled brush along the river?

In other words God is saying, “Cheer up Jeremiah! It’s going to get worse.” It's not the answer Jeremiah wanted but it was the answer he needed. In the answer was a challenge from God but also a vote of confidence.

“Jeremiah, you are my man for the job. I believe in you, more than you believe in yourself.” Are we willing to still hear God’s answer?

In the midst of our difficulties and troubles God still speaks. He says, “Yes, it’s probably going to get worse! But you are going to get stronger. I believe in you more than you can believe in yourself.”

2 Cor 4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

Galatians 6:8-9 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Child of God, it’s going to get tougher
 

This world wants to rend your marriage apart, destroy your children with drugs, illicit sex and an empty life. It wants to ridicule you into silence and stop your church from standing for truth. It wants to make you live in fear, sorrow and regret because you claim the name of Christ.
 

But God has called you to the task of stopping the world and each day it gets tougher but listen to what Paul says, “For this cause we faint not Though the outward man perish the inward man is renewed.” Listen to what God promises, “You will reap if you faint not.”
It is His sure promise. Will you keep going that you will see it fulfilled? 

Abraham Lincoln's Challenges and Victory 

When he was seven years old, his family was forced out of their home on a legal technicality, and he had to work to help support them. At age nine, his mother died. At 22, he lost his job as a store clerk. He wanted to go to law school, but his education wasn't good enough. At 23, he went into debt to become a partner in a small store. At 26, his business partner died, leaving him a huge debt that took years to repay. At 28, after courting a girl for four years, he asked her to marry him. She said no. At 37, on his third try he was elected to Congress, but two years later, he failed to be reelected. At 41, his four-year-old son died. At 45, he ran for the Senate and lost. At 47, he failed as the vice-presidential candidate. At 49, he ran for the Senate again, and lost. At 51, he was elected president of the United States. His name was Abraham Lincoln, a man many consider the greatest leader the country ever had. Some people get all the breaks. - Unknown, Leadership, Vol. 4, no. 1.

Jeremiah didn’t give up. At Anatoth where our text was set, they just threatened him, but in Jerusalem the King arrested him and had him thrown in a well. For months he stood with water and mud up to his neck, only a kind servant of the king kept him alive by throwing him bread.

After he was pulled from the pit, the king had Jeremiah read the book that God had told him to write. As each page was read the king took a knife and cut it from the book and tossed it in the fire. Jeremiah went back and rewrote the book, the very book you hold in your hands today. Jeremiah ran his race with the horses and in eyes of God, he won that race. Will you?