Growing with God: A daily devotional with Tonia Slimm.
Jeremiah 32:25 (NIV)
“And though the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians, you, Sovereign Lord, say to me, ‘Buy the field with silver and have the transaction witnessed.’”
Jeremiah 32:25 (MSG)
“And yet you, God, the Master, even though it is certain that the city will be turned over to the Babylonians, also told me, Buy the field. Pay for it in cash. And make sure there are witnesses.’”
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“Yet, O Lord God, You said to me, “Buy the field with money and get witnesses,” even though the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’” -(AMP)
“Observe, it is hardly a prayer that Jeremiah utters; it is just a statement of his condition, and yet that is real prayer. When you do not know what to ask of God, state your difficulty; for that is the very best thing you can do. When you cannot see any way out of the maze, never mind; it is for God to show you the clue. There is often much sanctified common sense in laying the difficulty before the Lord, spreading the letter before him, and leaving it there. When you cannot ask for deliverance in this way or that, it will be sufficient just to state the case as Jeremiah did.” ~Charles Spurgeon
Jeremiah recognized the fact that everything was happening just as the Lord had predicted it would:
“Look! Siege ramps have come against the city to capture it, and the city, as a result of the sword, famine, and plague, has been handed over to the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you have spoken has happened. Look, you can see it!” -Jeremiah 32:24 (CSB)
And yet…even Jeremiah had his doubts. We find Jeremiah wondering why the Lord had instructed him to buy his cousin’s field.
“But You, Eternal Lord, tell me, “Buy Hanamel’s field with your own money in the presence of witnesses”—even as You hand over the city of Jerusalem to the Chaldeans.” -(VOICE)
Even though Jeremiah had been obedient to the Lord, here we find him expressing his doubts. We find him asking the Lord: “Have I done the right thing? Was this a wise investment? Did I really hear you Lord?” (We will find the Lord’s answer to Jeremiah beginning in the next verse.)
“It was hard for Jeremiah to understand why God told him to make the property purchase from prison. The Chaldeans were certainly going to conquer the city and the region. Even if God could restore His people to the land, they didn’t deserve it. This didn’t make much sense to Jeremiah, but he did the right thing: he looked to God and prayed for understanding.” ~David Guzik
Even Jeremiah, a prophet of God, struggled with doubts.
“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.” -(TLB)
“Jeremiah adores the Lord and his infinite perfections. When at any time we are perplexed about the methods of Providence, it is good for us to look to first principles. Let us consider that God is the fountain of all being, power, and life; that with him no difficulty is such as cannot be overcome; that he is a God of boundless mercy; that he is a God of strict justice; and that he directs every thing for the best. Jeremiah owns that God was righteous in causing evil to come upon them. Whatever trouble we are in, personal or public, we may comfort ourselves that the Lord sees it, and knows how to remedy it. We must not dispute God’s will, but we may seek to know what it means.” ~Matthew Henry
We too often struggle with doubts. Doubts are common, we all have them. What we do when we begin to doubt is what matters. When in Doubt:
Listen and obey the Lord, despite the doubts: “Pay attention to my guidance, dare to be wise, and don’t disregard my teachings.” -Proverbs 8:33 (VOICE)
Trust the Lord, even though you have doubts: “Place your trust in the Eternal; rely on Him completely; never depend upon your own ideas and inventions. Give Him the credit for everything you accomplish, and He will smooth out and straighten the road that lies ahead.” -Proverbs 3:5-6 (VOICE)
Pray, regardless of the fact that you are experiencing doubts: “My God, my God, why have You turned Your back on me? Your ears are deaf to my groans. O my God, I cry all day and You are silent; my tears in the night bring no relief. Still, You are holy; You make Your home on the praises of Israel. Our mothers and fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You rescued them. They cried out to You for help and were spared; they trusted in You and were vindicated.” -Psalm 22:1-5 (VOICE)
Ask the Lord for wisdom: “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. The key is that your request be anchored by your single-minded commitment to God. Those who depend only on their own judgment are like those lost on the seas, carried away by any wave or picked up by any wind. Those adrift on their own wisdom shouldn’t assume the Lord will rescue them or bring them anything. The splinter of divided loyalty shatters your compass and leaves you dizzy and confused.” -James 1:5-8 (VOICE)
“Christ never failed to distinguish between doubt and unbelief. Doubt is can’t believe. Unbelief is won’t believe. Doubt is honesty. Unbelief is obstinacy. Doubt is looking for light. Unbelief is content with darkness.” ~Henry Drummond
Remind yourself that God is All-Knowing, and nothing is impossible for Him: “Our Lord is great. Nothing is impossible with His overwhelming power. He is loving, compassionate, and wise beyond all measure.” -Psalm 147:5 (VOICE)
Keep in mind that God is Sovereign over all things: “We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.” -Romans 8:28 (VOICE)
“Doubt can actually be a good thing, if we continue to trust God, because it forces us to nail down why we believe what we believe. This doubt can actually cause our faith to be strengthened as we work through the issues that simply are not as clear as we would like them to be. By spending time understanding the deeper things of God, our faith and our relationship with Him is deepened.” ~Robert Driskell
My friend, we all have doubts from time to time. What we choose to do with those doubts though is what matters. They can help our faith grow, or they can drive us away from the Lord. The choice is ours. I encourage you to use those doubts to grow in your faith. Explore “why” you have doubts. Speak to the Lord about those doubts, He knows them already anyhow. Continue to walk in obedience to Him. Ask for wisdom. And keep in mind, we may not understand everything this side of Heaven, but our God, who is able to do the impossible, is working all things out for good. Trust Him.
“Doubting does not prove that a man has no faith, but only that his faith is small. And even when our faith is small, the Lord is ready to help us.” ~J. C. Ryle
My Prayer:
Adonai Elohim, my Great Lord, I admit, there are times that I do have doubts. I don’t understand why you ask me to do certain things, or why things happen the way that they do. There are times that I am confused, frustrated, and even fearful at how things will pan out. In my doubts, Lord, remind me that you are Sovereign, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Nothing gets by you by accident, and there are no surprises for you. You are always in complete control. I may not understand “why” things happen, but you have a plan, and that plan is good. Lord, I give you my doubts, my fears, my frustration. Help my faith and trust in you to grow stronger. Lord, I am counting on you.
Growing with God 