Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.
Jeremiah 32:16 (NIV)
“After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:”
Jeremiah 32:16 (MSG)
“And then, having handed over the legal documents to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to God…”
**************************************
“Now when I had delivered the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying…” -AMPLIFIED
“I prayed unto the Lord — And what a prayer! What weight of matter, sublimity of expression, profound veneration, just conception, Divine unction, powerful pleading, and strength of faith! Historical, without flatness; condensed, without obscurity; confessing the greatest of crimes against the most righteous of Beings, without despairing of his mercy, or presuming on his goodness: a confession that, in fact, acknowledges that God’s justice should smite and destroy, had not his infinite goodness said, I will pardon and spare.” ~Adam Clarke
We found Jeremiah taking a stand in faith, declaring that the Lord, the God of Israel, would do exactly what He said He would do:
“I charged Baruch in their sight, ‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Take these scrolls—this purchase agreement with the sealed copy and this open copy—and put them in an earthen storage jar so they will last a long time. For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’” -Jeremiah 32:13-15 (CSB)
But…even Jeremiah had doubts. He wondered how the Lord could possibly bring about what He had promised. So, what did Jeremiah do? He went to the Lord in prayer. He sought assurance from the Almighty One.
“After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch (son of Neriah), I prayed to the Eternal:” -(VOICE)
After being obedient to the Lord, stepping out in faith, even though he was unsure. And after taking a stand of faith before many witnesses, we find Jeremiah going to the Lord in prayer. Mind you, even this prayer seems to be taking place in front of the witnesses. So, Jeremiah did not hide his doubts from these men.
We will delve into Jeremiah’s prayer over the coming days, but here it is in its entirety: “O Lord God! You have made the heavens and earth by your great power; nothing is too hard for you! You are loving and kind to thousands, yet children suffer for their fathers’ sins; you are the great and mighty God, the Lord Almighty. You have all wisdom and do great and mighty miracles; for your eyes are open to all the ways of men, and you reward everyone according to his life and deeds. You have done incredible things in the land of Egypt—things still remembered to this day. And you have continued to do great miracles in Israel and all around the world. You have made your name very great, as it is today. You brought Israel out of Egypt with mighty miracles and great power and terror. You gave Israel this land that you promised their fathers long ago—a wonderful land that ‘flows with milk and honey.’ Our fathers came and conquered it and lived in it, but they refused to obey you or to follow your laws; they have hardly done one thing you told them to. That is why you have sent all this terrible evil upon them. See how the siege mounds have been built against the city walls, and the Babylonians shall conquer the city by sword, famine, and disease. Everything has happened just as you said—as you determined it should! And yet you say to buy the field—paying good money for it before these witnesses—even though the city will belong to our enemies.” -Jeremiah 32:17-25 (TLB)
Bottom line, Jeremiah needed God’s assurance because even he had his doubts.
“Then after I had given the papers to Baruch I prayed:” -(TLB)
“One of the hardest things about doubt is admitting it’s there. Our beliefs feel like dominos. If one wobbles, won’t the whole lot come crashing down? Doubts often start small. Is there any point in praying? Yet one question quickly leads to another. Does God hear? Does God care? And finally, Is God even there? …But such doubts are there. And like weeds, they grow when unattended. If we don’t confront them, they’ll soon confront us.” ~Emma Scrivener
Even men and women of great faith have doubts. What they do with those doubts though is what makes the difference. Scripture tells us:
1.) Every believer has doubts, struggles in which our faith is deepened. “Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing.” -James 1:2-4 (VOICE)
2.) We need to question our doubts, don’t just settle for them or accept them. “If you don’t have all the wisdom needed for this journey, then all you have to do is ask God for it; and God will grant all that you need. He gives lavishly and never scolds you for asking.” -James 1:5 (VOICE)
3.) We need to accept the fact that we will not understand everything that God is doing in our lives. “Only the Eternal knows the secret things. But we and our descendants are always responsible for what has been revealed to us, and we need to obey every word of this law.” -Deuteronomy 29:29 (VOICE)
4.) We need to trust that God can handle our doubts. “So don’t be afraid. I am here, with you; don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, help you. I am here with My right hand to make right and to hold you up.” -Isaiah 41:10 (VOICE)
5.) We need to remind ourselves, especially in our doubts, that faith is the assurance of things hoped for: “Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen.” -Hebrews 11:1 (VOICE)
“Doubt affects the lives of many believers. The reality is that no one’s faith is ever perfect in this life. That includes you. And if your faith is not perfect, then it can grow and become stronger today than it was yesterday. I like to think of doubt as the gap between our current faith and perfect faith. If this is the case, we all doubt.” ~Michael Patton
My friend, we all have doubts from time to time. What we do with those doubts though is what matters. Doubts will either draw us closer to the Lord or drive a wedge between us. Doubts can deepen our faith, if we chose to face them, not run from them. Remember, the Lord knows your heart. Nothing surprises Him. He can handle our doubts, and He will use them to reassure and strengthen us. Trust Him.
“Faith cannot live without prayer. When she has performed her most heroic deeds, she turns to God and humbly asks for renewed strength; for oh! my brethren, the best of men are but men at the best; and those who have the most faith never have any to spare.” ~Charles Spurgeon
My Prayer:
Adonai Elohim, my Great Lord, I admit, there are times that I have doubted you. I have looked at my situation and saw only the impossibilities. I have failed to remind myself that you are the God who accomplishes impossibilities. I have forgotten to come to you in prayer. And in those times, I have failed. Please forgive me. Help me to start taking those doubts and fears to you. Help me to remember that you can handle my doubts, that they are a catalyst to drive me to a closer walk with you. Lord, I need your reassurance. I know I may not always understand “why” things happen, but I can know that you are always in control. Lord, help my unbelief. Help me to trust you more. Thank you, Lord.
Growing with God 