Sunday, August 30, 1998 This Week’s Lesson:
In this week’s lesson, which came from Jeremiah 31:33-34 and Jeremiah 32:1-3, 6-9, and 13-15, we learned about the importance of trusting God to keep His promises to us in all situations, no matter how desperate the situation. The mark of a spiritual Christian is being able to trust life’s most difficult circumstances to the One Who died for us and Who keeps us. However, having this kind of attitude can sometimes be very difficult, even for the most mature person in Christ. I Corinthians 10:12 says, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Our lesson focused on helping us find some legitimate ways to strengthen our faith, even when all seems lost and even when we feel like our Lord is nowhere to be found. According to Jeremiah 32:1-3, we can begin by acknowledging that God has never failed to keep any of His promises. In Acts 12:6, while under the sentence of imminent death, the Apostle Peter, still a young man, trusted the Lord’s promises to Him concerning his old age and went fast to sleep. Later that evening, when the angel of the Lord came to free Peter, the angel had to awaken him so that he could escape. Would to God that we might all have this kind of faith when we are facing our most challenging trials and testings.
In Jeremiah 32:6-9 and 13-15, the prophet shared his purchase of some property from his cousin, Hanamel. His gesture was more symbolic than practical however, because he was trying to show the people of Judah that they would be returning to Judah after their seventy-year captivity in Babylon. The prophet wanted the people to look past the obvious difficulty of their present ordeal and to instead look to the hope of God’s promises for the future. Jeremiah did not take part in the Babylonian exodus when the people returned to their land, but he did tell the people that their God would bring them out of captivity and back to their homes. To show that the Lord really could carry out that promise, Jeremiah reminded them that He had brought them out of captivity in Egypt with a mighty hand about one thousand years earlier. By remembering what God has done for us in the past, we, too, can have hope and faith for the future. By remembering that God does not always act immediately, we can also avoid the pitfalls which come with impatience. Even when things seem hopeless, the faithful should strive to remain faithful. Even when our deliverance seems far, far away, the faithful should diligently strive to remain patient. Jeremiah was trying to encourage a people about to enter captivity, and he did so by trying to encourage them to look to a better, more promising day. We do not always know what the future holds, but as Christians, we should at least be able to console ourselves concerning our knowledge of Who holds the future.
As you go through the coming week, ask the Holy Spirit to point out to you someone in need. Then, as He would lead you, try to be the kind of person who helps others meet their needs. God receives sinners, but many, many people do not know that. May each of us do all we can to get the word out.
Tom of Spotswood"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13)
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