Jeremiah 28:15-16 – Weighing Every Claim

 15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Hear now, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. 16 Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the Lord.’ ”Jeremiah 28:15-16, New King James Version

"My adulthood," connects Sarah Wall, "has been a slow unveiling. And right now, the only way I know to discern what’s true is to weigh every claim against God’s thoughts."

Part of that reflective evaluation, Sarah says in keeping with Jeremiah 28:15-16, involves confronting what isn't true. In involves a realization just as perspective-setting as Jeremiah's that these false beliefs which set themselves against the knowledge of God won't last. 

A drifting attitude more in line with, "Don't worry, be happy," reminds my friend Jim Graham, doesn't steel us for the God-ordained adventure of a world at war. The maintenance of a realistic, discerning, defensive posture is critical. John Eldridge says in Love and War that if accommodation rather than healthy wariness is our default, we will misunderstand more than half of what happens to us in our relationships.

So how do we build in weighing every claim against God's thoughts? Spurgeon says combating the pretenders, and anxious thoughts in particular, can be like fighting bees with a sword. Regular prayer time helps, regular prayer time in which we actually pause before God and ask with the psalmist that He examined us rather than simply dumping our wants before Him. Disciplined time in His Word addresses such a variety of topics that it is ideal for digging out errant thought patterns which contradict what we know of His character and His Truth.

Plucky reflections on Jeremiah 28:15-16 can be particularly helpful. No, we are not likely to be able to forecast the deaths of those the enemy uses to spread a false gospel. Even so, though, we know their message has a built-in obsolescence. 

As universally accepted as it seems now, as much as it seems to press on the soul of the believer from every side, this belief that the easiest, shortest way is always God's way will be exposed. It will be justly derided for ages as His people look upon each other, crowned by His grace for persevering through the very things the world said we should not have to endure.

His grace was proven, we will tell each other, remembering enough of particular struggles to celebrate, but otherwise indifferent from Eternity's perspective whether they lasted for 70 years or for two years. Valuing the work that God does in us through trials and corrections, and knowing that He is in complete control of their implementation and removal, we rejoice. 

 We tune out Hananiahs and confront them when God says to do so because theirs is not the last word. From God's lips, even exile, even exile which lasts so long we may never be fully comfortable on Earth proves worthwhile. Abraham Lincoln said, "The struggle for today is not altogether for today." This is a reminder worth speaking aloud and often.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Enthusiasm, Even If We Have To Work At It

On Fixer Upper, a real estate renovation show, perpetually upbeat contractor Chip Gaines faces the usual list of hassles incumbent in his work with the reflection that his father's greatest gift to him was to show him that work could be fun. Conversely, as I asked my usual questions of a new acquaintance in Bible study about what he looks for in new hires, he shared separately that enthusiasm can't be trained. I can't, he said, teach you to have fun at your job. The two insights are not necessarily contradictory. Chip's father had a prolonged impact on his attitude toward work at a time when Chip's child heart was as flexible as the body of an infant who can peacefully fall asleep in postures an adult would find uncomfortable if not crippling. The cafeteria manager spoke to the rest of us who either were not presented with that inspirational outlook or who have been distracted from that by work's more aggravating aspects. For those of us who don't come b
Read more

A Hobby Or A Habit?

Chris is a firefighter's firefighter.  He is passionate about the equipment. He is passionate about the people he gets to help. He is passionate about the honor of a career in the fire service. He is passionate enough to attend a training to sharpen his skills on his vacation time. When a college kid at the same training referred to firefighting as a hobby, Chris was not passionate in affirming that kind of divided enthusiasm. Would he have my back, Chris questioned? Would he rescue someone on the second floor if doing so involved in some personal risk?   Chris didn't have a chance to ask these questions or confront this attitude during the brief training. Perhaps someone else in a more long-standing relationship with this kid will have the opportunity fo model professionalism and to extend it to confrontation where necessary. If not, the progression is predictable, and extends far beyond firefighting. Observing a similarly nonchalant attitude in a young pitcher, Michael Lew
Read more

New Year All At Once, And New Me A Little At A Time

Thank you for stopping by my blog. This is my chance to come up for air, to reflect on life's input since the last time I posted, to order it, make sense of it, and to reject some of it altogether as distracting or misinterpreted noise. This new blog is also my chance to share some of what I have learned and have grown through in a format that lets me actively seek feedback as I attempt to develop a writing voice similar to that of those narrators I admire who can convey the world they are exploring to their readers. Since my faith teaches me that knowledge either puffs me up or is graciously offered in ways that creatively serve others, I'm opting for the latter in 2017. That means I'm hoping to hear from you about specifics from my entries that bless you or confuse you. Writing, like any other skill, has talent as an ingredient, but it is improved with time, practice, and adaptation based on input from other people. This, along with my request for your help, is my effort
Read more