A New Covenant: A Study in JeremiahSample

What does it say?

Jeremiah knew the Lord was righteous but questioned why the wicked prospered. God would forsake Judah, allowing enemies to lay waste to their land.

What does it mean?

What Jeremiah knew to be true about the Lord didn’t seem to match what he saw happening. Like Job and David before him, he questioned why people without regard for God seemed to have His blessing. The righteous were suffering from the drought sent by the Lord as a judgment on sin, while the unrighteous appeared to be unaffected. God didn’t directly answer Jeremiah’s concern. Instead, He prepared Jeremiah for the more difficult road ahead. The Lord was going to deal righteously with His faithless people and their enemies in His time and in His way. God’s compassion is not limited to His chosen people but will be extended to anyone who calls on His name.

How should I respond?

The world offers all kinds of answers to the question, “Why do things happen the way they do?” Some believe in fate – a cosmic power that controls a person’s future. Karma is an Eastern religious belief that a person’s own actions determine whether good or bad things happen to him. Others think life unfolds purely from good or bad luck. But as followers of Christ, we trust in the preeminence of God – that nothing can prevent His purposes from taking place. The events of our lives are under His control (Rom. 8:28). Ask God to help you trust Him, even in those circumstances that don’t make sense.