Read Jeremiah 12:1-6.
Why do bad things happen to good people? It is an age-old, perplexing question. Jeremiah stands that on its head with an equally vexing question, essentially asking God, “Why do good things happen to bad people?”
Jeremiah is not bitter. He prefaces his question with a confession of God’s utter righteousness. Yet, even though the prophet knows this in his head, his heart is another matter—struggling with the fact that he as a prophet was being faithful to God, resulting in suffering and the false prophets were being faithless and experiencing success. His eyes were full of tears over sin while the false prophets mouths were full of laughter profiting from sin. The hypocrites were firm in their position and fruitful in their profession—using religious vocabulary to beguile the people while the prophets’ minds were on profits instead of God.
Jeremiah was a great man. But, he was a man—subject to the same struggles of us all. We sometimes think the champions of the Bible were supermen, but no—they felt the same hurt, and fretted over the same issues as we do. If you are struggling while serving God today, just remember that you are in good company—all God’s men have. Faithfulness to God means there will be no favor from the godless.
Jeremiah proposes a solution. He has been treated like a sheep for the slaughter by the religious leaders (11:19), so why wouldn’t God turn it around and bring the same judgment on his foes? It’s only fair!
God’s answer is not what we might expect. Basically, God told him that what happened in him was more important than what happened to him! God not only permitted Jeremiah’s pain, but He had a purpose for it. The prophet questioned God, so God questioned him. I paraphrase, “If you’re struggling to keep up running with the infantry, how do you expect to race with the cavalry? If you’re worn down running in an oasis, how will you be at slogging through a jungle? If you think it hard to endure the taunts of the enemy, how will you withstand the treachery of your family?”
There is only one way to develop spiritual stamina and strengthen faith muscles—resistance. We must place ourselves in a gym with a grueling workout. We must run until we think we are going to collapse. That’s how we get ready for a marathon. “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” (Heb.12:1-3)
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