DEVELOPING SPIRITUAL STAMINA

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)

VEXED AND PERPLEXED

 

“Look, I go forward, but He is not there, And backward, but I cannot perceive Him”  (Job 23:8)

“Why?”  Young children ask that—a lot.  You share with them some information and they want to know why it is so.  You tell your little son or daughter to do something and they ask, “Why?”  The reality is that as an adult we may know far more than they do—but it is not always easy to explain to their little minds.  Since we are the parents, we may try to, but we are not obligated to do so.  Numbers of times I answered, “Because I said so.”  Where did I learn that?  My father told me the same thing.

Job found himself in horrible misery.  He was vexed by the suffering he went through, and perplexed by the silence he encountered from God.  Job wondered why all this had happened.  Of course, his three friends were convinced they knew—this was a punishment for Job’s sins.  They freely shared such “comforting” words—repeatedly—which not only failed to correctly answer the perplexity, it compounded the vexation.

Have you ever felt that way?  There are inexplicable events that happen to the children of God, and we instinctively ask our Father in Heaven, “Why?”  He may answer.  Since He knows far more than we know, even when He answers we may not grasp it.  God’s mind is so superior to our thoughts and His ways beyond ours that it would be akin to a nuclear physicist trying to explain complex chemical processes to a gnat.  The Lord graciously at times gives us some truths to help us, but He is not obligated to do so—He is God.

Job was vexed and perplexed about his UNANSWERED PRAYER (Job 23:1-7).  Job had been pleading for a response from God, and had received no answer to his prayer.  He knew God could answer prayer, believed God did answer prayer, but had not a clue why God was not hearing him.  There have been times we have all felt that way.

Job was vexed and perplexed about God’s UNAVAILABLE PRESENCE (Job 23:8-12).  He searched desperately for God, and did not find Him—even though he believed God knew he was looking.  Job is convinced the Lord understood the whole story, but just wouldn’t let him in on the secret.  He had faith in the character of God—that the result of this fiery trial will be that his faith would be revealed as pure gold.  Where God was in the midst of this mess at the moment was another matter.  He was not sure.

Job is vexed and perplexed despite God’s UNALTERABLE PROVIDENCE (Job 23:13-17).  God never changes.  His purposes are fixed.  Job submitted to the sovereignty of God in His providential dealings.  He has truth in his head, but terror in his heart.  Should we feel that way about God?  We may feel worse by feeling guilty about the feelings we have rather than venting our vexation.  Express it!  God knows what you are thinking anyway.  Expressing your frustration can give some relief from the pressure.

In your heartache cling to this, “We will understand it better by and by.”  Then earth’s question mark will be replaced by eternity’s exclamation point!