Sandyford Henderson Memorial Church

THE Lord starts by speaking of the inevitability of the doom coming on the people of Judah. He makes it clear that it is His doing and that the pagan hordes from the north descending on them are unwittingly carrying out His will. Wars and disasters are reported to us through the media but do we remind ourselves that it all happens, dreadful as it may be, through the permissive will of God who is using evil people to further His long-term plans for undreamed-of blessings planned for the world? We should!

          This word from the Lord is too much for Jeremiah. He weeps at the thought of these godless armies destroying God’s chosen people despite their backsliding. Do we weep over the judgment the Lord is going to bring down on those of our family and community who have no faith in Jesus? Many a Christian son or daughter has been in the depths of grief because a parent has died outside a saving faith in Jesus. How much grieving are we doing? It is only human to feel more deeply over a local disaster than over something that happens on the other side of the world, because people identify themselves with local situations. We need to identify ourselves more with the lost all around us so that our sorrow for them will drive us to pray for them and find ways of witnessing to them.

          We should learn verse 23 off by heart. How foolish it is for anyone to think he is in control of his destiny. Jeremiah loved his own people and cried to God to bring to justice the pagan invaders. This is a vey natural reaction. In times of war even true Christians often feel hatred for the enemy, not as individuals, but for what they represent. We too need to hate sin of every kind, but by God’s grace we need to have an overflowing love for the sinner.