“If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,
Then how can you contend with horses?
And if in the land of peace,
In which you trusted, they wearied you,
Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?" Jeremiah 12:5
Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Psalm 73, and other passages in Scripture you can read men disconcerted with their circumstances and questioning God. They asked, out loud "why are these treacherous, and evil men prospering?" What I love about the passage in Jeremiah is the way he assures himself before God challenges him. And God does challenge him.
In verse 3 of chapter 12 Jeremiah is speaking out loud to God about what he believes God is doing, "But You, O Lord, know me; You have seen me, And You have tested my heart toward You." Jeremiah is back and forth. He isn't resting in the assurance that God has this. He finishes in verse 3 by asking God to get these evil people. Jeremiah is pretty unsteady in his faith. He knows God. He wants to trust God. He also impatiently wants God to act now.
Brothers and Sisters we too, get like this. We see evil, we want to trust God, but we'd rather he just fix it NOW. Am I right? This thing, whatever it is, has gone on long enough. We know God is testing our hearts towards Him. Will we trust? Will we wimp out?
God's answer to Jeremiah was a gentle rebuke. It is the same for us. Yet, he knows we are but dust, Psalm 100 tells us. Let me put God's response from verse 5 in Cookie terms without changing the meaning, "you haven't faced much of anything yet, and you are wimping out? What happens when things get worse? Right now it is still pretty peaceful, what happens when that peace really subsides? Will you lose faith in ME?"
Today our Nation seems to be turning upside down. This is happening at the Citizens' expense, especially the Conservative Citizen. Many of us hold to Christ as LORD and GOD. We can not wimp out on God. He knows the times we are in. He knew Jeremiah's times. He knew Esther's times. He created them and us for such a time. Do not quit! Let's rest assured that God is testing us towards Him. Will you pass this test. If it gets worse, will you persevere? Just whatever we do, let's not wimp out. Hold to His unchanging hand.
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