FOR GOD'S SAKE, DO SOMETHING!

Famine, Sword, and Pestilence

1 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:

2 “Judah mourns,
    and her gates languish;
her people lament on the ground,
    and the cry of Jerusalem goes up.
3 Her nobles send their servants for water;
    they come to the cisterns;
they find no water;
    they return with their vessels empty;
they are ashamed and confounded
    and cover their heads.
4 Because of the ground that is dismayed,
    since there is no rain on the land,
the farmers are ashamed;
    they cover their heads.
5 Even the doe in the field forsakes her newborn fawn
    because there is no grass.
6 The wild donkeys stand on the bare heights;
    they pant for air like jackals;
their eyes fail
    because there is no vegetation.

7 Though our iniquities testify against us,
    act, O LORD, for your name's sake;
for our backslidings are many;
    we have sinned against you.
8 O you hope of Israel,
    its savior in time of trouble,
why should you be like a stranger in the land,
    like a traveler who turns aside to tarry for a night?
9 Why should you be like a man confused,
    like a mighty warrior who cannot save?
Yet you, O LORD, are in the midst of us,
    and we are called by your name;
    do not leave us.”

10 Thus says the LORD concerning this people:
“They have loved to wander thus;
    they have not restrained their feet;
therefore the LORD does not accept them;
    now he will remember their iniquity
    and punish their sins.”

11 The LORD said to me: “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”

Lying Prophets

13 Then I said: “Ah, Lord God, behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.’” 14 And the LORD said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. 15 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name although I did not send them, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not come upon this land’: By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. 16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword, with none to bury them—them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters. For I will pour out their evil upon them.

17 You shall say to them this word:
‘Let my eyes run down with tears night and day,
    and let them not cease,
for the virgin daughter of my people is shattered with a great wound,
    with a very grievous blow.
18 If I go out into the field,
    behold, those pierced by the sword!
And if I enter the city,
    behold, the diseases of famine!
For both prophet and priest ply their trade through the land
    and have no knowledge.’”

19 Have you utterly rejected Judah?
    Does your soul loathe Zion?
Why have you struck us down
    so that there is no healing for us?
We looked for peace, but no good came;
    for a time of healing, but behold, terror.
20 We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD,
    and the iniquity of our fathers,
    for we have sinned against you.
21 Do not spurn us, for your name's sake;
    do not dishonor your glorious throne;
    remember and do not break your covenant with us.
22 Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain?
    Or can the heavens give showers?
Are you not he, O LORD our God?
    We set our hope on you,
    for you do all these things.

I grew up by the ocean in beautiful Veracruz by the Gulf of Mexico. During summer, it's hot. I mean HOT, temperatures so unbearable that it's just better to drink lots of water and stay inside. Throughout the season, rain and a cool wind is always a wish.

Drought brings suffering, and Jeremiah 14 describes how drought impacted the people of Judah. Every level of society was afflicted: nobles, servants, farmers, even wild animals. The cracked, dry ground was so hard that it was impossible to plod or plant (verses 3-6). Additionally, more problems arose including the sword, famine, and pestilence (verse 12).

This chapter reminded me of my own dry seasons. All my life I've wanted to follow God. Yet, personal droughts occur when I allow control, insecurities, or fear of failure to rule my heart. Often, my motives and actions are full of the pestilence of pride and self-sufficiency. Some droughts have felt like a severe famine, particularly when my own family members were murdered.

What do you do when you experience such atrocities, calamities? Jeremiah challenged God – for God's sake do something!

Can you relate? During pain, loneliness, loss, or bondage to sin, do you ever feel that He isn't around? I assure you He's present, all-powerful. He's everywhere and can do all things. He's omnipresent and omnipotent.

My problem isn't that God is absent or impotent. The problem is that I'm recalcitrant. I've stubbornly refused to trust and obey God. When God seems like a distant stranger, it's worth asking who the real stranger is. Who moved? The answer is always me.

James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." God longs for us to know Him, to grow in intimacy with Him. When we sin, He desires that we repent, trust His mercy for forgiveness, and accept His grace and redemption.

By the end of the chapter, Jeremiah had exhausted his arguments and tears. He was left with one thing to do – pray, offering full confession and a plea for mercy for the sake of God's glory.

It is you, O Lord; therefore, we hope in You, for You are the one who has done all these things (Jeremiah 14:22).

1. What drought, famine, or pestilence are you experiencing today?

2. When was the last time you asked: "What is God up to?" Or, "Why He doesn't do something about . . . .?"

3. Why do you think, at times, God seems distant, or even absent in your life?

4. What sin are you having a difficult time repenting of and accepting God's rain of grace?

WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY

JEREMIAH 10-14 (APR 18-22)

Read Jeremiah 10:12-16.

What do these verses say about God? About His power? About His knowledge?

Why is God not like the "idols" the people were creating? Talk about all the differences between God and the man-made idols.

Activity: Using sidewalk chalk or paper and crayons, go outside and draw pictures or list words of all the things God has created. Remember that He created you. What is special about who you are? Thank God for specific things that He did in making you unique. Read Psalm 139.