I was watching the video lesson for our Jeremiah precept class and in it Kay Arthur was sharing some of the trials that her family had been facing… as she shared her trials it hit home. As my family has been bombarded.
As I read in Jeremiah this past couple of weeks I read of the nation of the north coming to set siege on Jerusalem. This nation didn’t come to make an in and out sneak attack. They showed up with their tents and livestock and set up house all around the city walls (Jeremiah 6:3). They were there for the duration. Our family has been attacked in this way…
We have had the in and out sneak attacks from which we still carry the scars. Now what we are under is the circled round about siege. Cancer has set up camp all around us, my Daddy, my Sister-in-Law, and my Father-in-Law. What we hoped would be a short fight or at least remain a maintenance camp has proven to be a full throttle war.
Looking from the outside it’s easy to wonder as Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad the Butthole (as I like to refer to him) did in the book of Job what sin we could be committing to cause such an act of discipline… and I have even asked what in us needs so pruned that it requires such a fierce fire of refinement. I have struggled with God. I have asked Him to show me… and all I have heard is “trust Me“
So a strange painful peace has enveloped me as I have stood on “trust Me“
There have been so many moments that I have wanted to have a “moment”. I have wondered in my times of anger and hurt if I could just say to hell with God and walk away from Him and His Church and any attempts at serving Him.
There have been moments of stunned numbness that I have just wanted to go into a zoned out stupor and just run from reality and pretend it all isn’t true.
There have been moments of overwhelming confusion when I have wanted to fall into a heap in the floor and cry and crumble and melt away.
There have been moments of desperation when I have said God give it to me… I’ll take it. Take it away from them and pour it all on me.
There is nothing so paralyzing as helplessness. Watching a loved one battle an illness makes you feel utterly helpless. I know why the four friends grabbed their friend and carried him on his pallet to a roof and ripped off the roof to lower him down to Jesus… it was finally something they could do. Finally they could help!
The amazing thing about believers today… is that we don’t have to grab our friend and rip off a roof to get them before the feet of Jesus… we have been given direct access from any place at any time through His rent flesh. We just need friends who are willing to go boldly to the throne (Hebrews 4:16) and get us help in our time of need.
As the evil from the north circled and set up camp around the city, they came as direct call of God in order to bring judgment upon the land of Judah. The prophets and priests and leaders of the land had led the people away and were not listening to God or having any regard for His Word. They mocked Him to His face within the land that He had given them.
However… Jeremiah remained. He remained to reach the remnant. Jeremiah would suffer much persecution for His faithfulness to proclaim the truth to a people who preferred their own understanding and the sweet pleasant non condemning words of the charismatic.
As I have studied through just these first chapters of Jeremiah my God has set a resolve within me… as Kay stated “I will not fall apart!” My family also declares, “We will not fall apart!“
We will not fall apart because we serve the God who holds all things together (Colossians 1:17). You see my family is choosing to be Jeremiah’s in this day. We choose to stand for Biblical truth. We choose to not stay silent. We choose to not bow the knee to apathy or mediocrity. We choose to hold the banner of the Standard high. We choose to blow the trumpet.
Though a host encamp against us our hearts will not fear. Though war arise against us in this we will still be confident… because one thing we have asked from the Lord and this one thing we will seek… that we will dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our life and behold the beauty of the Lord in His temple… we sing praises to the Lord… in the midst of the battle we will sing. For we know that as God made Jeremiah a fortified city so has He made us. Though the walls of our city be damaged, dented, and devalued they will not be defeated. We will be delivered. The walls of the city of our God will never fall. They will never crumble. For not even the gates of hell themselves can prevail against them.
As I was teaching the name El Shaddai in chapel to my preschoolers last Thursday one of the kids in our 4 year old class shouted out and pointed at me and said “You look like God!“
Oh I hope so!
How I hope and pray that when others look at me it is JESUS they see…
We are in the wall of God (Colossians 3:3). We are the watchmen on the wall (Isaiah 62:6). We will not fall apart. We will stand. We still trust Him.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth…
Ephesians 6:10-14