Jeremiah and me

In previous years, I have always found Jeremiah to be something of a hard slog. Two years ago, we were reading it over Christmas, where the unremitting grimness of the plight that Jeremiah found himself in was an interesting counterpoise to the general "jollity" around.



This time, I found there was more light in Jeremiah's situation. What does God want from Jeremiah? In a word - obedience. Jeremiah is called to speak God's word to the people of Judah, even though they will not listen. The people are told to submit to the Babylonians and accept the seventy years of exile, but they do not obey and suffer a much worse fate.



Sometimes, we are asked to do something which requires a lot of faith. It may require a lot of faith, because the task seems daunting, beyond our capabilities or simply not to our tastes, or just out of our comfort zone.



Not for the first time, I have heard a still small voice in the lyrics of an Andrew Peterson song, which I reproduce below.



No More Faith - Andrew Peterson



This is not another song about the mountains

Except about how hard they are to move

Have you ever stood before them

Like a mustard seed who's waiting for some proof?



I say faith is a burden

It's a weight to bear

It's brave and bittersweet

And hope is hard to hold to Lord,

I believe

Only help my unbelief



Till there's no more faith

No more hope

I'll see your face and Lord, I'll know

That only love remains



Have you ever heard that Jesus is the answer

And thought about the many doubts you hide

Have you wondered how he loves you

If He really knows how dark you are inside



I say faith is a burden

It's a weight to bear

It's brave and bittersweet

And hope is hard to hold to

Lord, I believe

Only help my unbelief



Till there's no more faith

No more hope

I'll see your face and Lord, I'll know

When there's no more faith

And no more hope

I'll sing your praise and let them go

'cause only love

Only love remains



So I will drive these roads in thunder and in rain

And I will sing your song at the top of my lungs

And I will praise you, Lord, in glory and in pain

And I will follow you till this race is won

And I will drive these roads till this motor won't run

And I will sing your song from sea to shining sea

And I will praise you Lord, till your kingdom comes

And I will follow where you lead



Till there's no more faith

No more hope

I'll see your face and Lord, I'll know

When there's no more faith

And no more hope

I'll sing your praise and let them go

'cause only love

Only love remains



Faith can really feel like a burden and can be bittersweet. In such circumstances, we need to remind ourselves that, in the words of 1 Cor 13, only these three things remain - faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love.



In the crescendo of defiance of this song, there is the willingness to embrace what Paul wrote in Phil 3:12-14, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."



Let us encourage each other as we commit to driving these roads in thunder and rain, singing His song at the top of our lungs, praising Him in glory and pain, following where He leads until His kingdom comes.