How God Works
Daily Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 37-40
Daily Focus Passage: Jeremiah 37-40
The prophet Jeremiah tales the coming victory of Babylon over Judah during his prophecy; he declares that some of the young noble people would be taken into captivity. When we understand this statement in light of the totality of the Old Testament, we find that God is at work in the midst of what appears to be pain. As we consider this moment in the life of Judah, may we see that even amid difficulty, God is at work doing something unique.
The young noble individuals being taken captive set the stage for the Book of Daniel. During the book of Daniel, we find amazing moments in the history of God's people. We find how these young nobles would remain faithful to the Lord while living in a foreign land. Their lifestyle gave forth an example of the reality of God. Their life declared the reality and faithfulness of God and opened up the door for Nebuchadnezzar to even follow God. When we consider this in light of the book of Jeremiah, we find that God was at work even in pain. What looked to be a dire situation in the book of Jeremiah was a foreshadowing of the greatness of God. Today, when we consider moments of heartache, struggle, and difficulty, we must recognize that God is up to something and is working before us. Though we may be in exile, he never abandons us and is with us constantly.
The prophet Jeremiah demonstrates how we live with complete trust in the Lord. He knew that the message he would declare to the rulers of Judah would not be taken well and that his life may be taken. Yet, Jeremiah declared a message of faithfulness because he wanted to make God known. The prophet Jeremiah teaches us that even when we have difficult information to give, we must do so when it is the truth of God's word. Jeremiah did not concern himself with his situation but instead rested on the faithfulness of God. Thus, like those taken into exile into Babylon who trusted God throughout their time in a foreign land, the prophet trusted likewise in the Lord as he declared what would occur.
When we consider these moments within the Old Testament, we must ask ourselves if we are truly walking in faithfulness before the Lord. We need to see if we can handle hearing difficult information that calls us to recognize the greatness of God. We must seek to know that we can live out the example of who God is and declare difficult truths that people need to hear. We must understand that in moments of pain, struggle, and difficulty, the Lord works before us, is with us, and will never abandon us. When we know how history within the Old Testament continues to unfold, it is God, yes, who is leading them into exile; it is God who will be with them during exile, and it is God who will return them to the promised land from exile. Likewise, we must understand there are moments when we go through difficulty, and yet God is with us through every moment of the struggle. With that, we must look and hold on to the hope that God is faithful in life and that we gain the hope that comes from the promise that comes from him.
