Monthly Archive

In Jeremiah 11, we find the Lord instructing Jeremiah to remind the people of the Covenant He made with them. Verse 3 tells us, “Cursed is the man who does not hear the words of this covenant.” He reminds them, He had given it to their fathers in the day that He brought them out of the land of Egypt. He also reminds them that breaking the covenant brings consequences – curses!

You think that they would heed the warning, you think they would reflect on the covenant. This precious covenant, “You will be My people and I will be your God.” A personal relationship with God, the Creator of the universe. Can you imagine? God, not just in the abstract, not as a higher being, not as a deity out there somewhere, not as an old grumpy grandfather with a bolt of lightning in one hand and a baseball bat in the other, but God the Creator, holy, holy, holy, who’s shown mercy and and condescended and come down to us, and He’s told his people, “You’re my people and I’m going to be your God and I’m going to give you a fertile and a vibrant land.”

As God recites these points of the covenant to Jeremiah, “I brought you out of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, listen to my voice, do according to all that I command you so you shall be my people and I will be your God in order to establish the oath which I want to land flowing with milk and honey as it is this day,” Jeremiah interrupts God. It’s there right at the end of verse 5, “Then I answered,” this is Jeremiah, he hears God reiterate the promises of the covenant and he is moved to say, “Amen, O Yahweh!” This is God reminding the weeping prophet, the broken prophet, the prophet who is mourning the judgment coming upon his people and when God reiterates His covenant and His covenant faithfulness, Jeremiah jumps up and says, “Yes! That’s my God.” “Amen! Oh, Yahweh.” There are times that I am convinced that we just need to be reminded who God is, and when we are reminded, this should be our response.

Times are tough. Yes, when haven’t they been? Even in the good times, we have things to complain about, don’t we? Well, you know the election will fix all that. Ha! No, don’t put your hope in men. Don’t put your hope in government. Don’t put your hope in a nation. Put your hope in God. Remember who He is. And when you remember who He is, look at the devastation in the world around us and say, “Yes, amen!” God is God and He’s on His throne. Jesus rules and He reigns and He’s coming back. When He comes, He’s coming to judge the nations with a rod of iron.

Jeremiah, in the midst of weeping over the judgment that’s coming, is moved to praise God. “Yes, so be it! Oh, Yahweh.” He’s a keeper of His covenant. When God makes a promise, it’s a promise. He’s going to do it. He will never fail, He will never fall short, He will never tell us He’s going to do something and not do it. I’m surprised at how often we let doubt creep in. When we let doubt and fear persuade us that God’s not in charge and He’s not going to do what He said.

Go back to His Word. Look at His covenant. Realize this is His solemn oath. He’s going to keep His Word.