And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize for war in all places to which you may go.
-Jeremiah 45:5
God is the author of our life stories and sometimes the
storyline takes us places we never would have chosen to write for ourselves.
This verse is a word from God for Baruch, but it resonated
in my own heart. Baruch was a brave man. He assisted Jeremiah by writing down a
gloomy prophecy for the Israelites unless they repented. The Israelites were
done with Jeremiah’s reality checks and wouldn’t even allow Jeremiah to step
foot inside the house of the Lord. Jeremiah was ridiculed and beaten for
speaking God’s words because they were not words the Israelites wanted to hear.
So Baruch willingly
takes these unhappy words and reads them on behalf of Jeremiah. It was an ambush
and you can imagine no one invited Baruch over for tea anymore. The cost was
great and the brief chapter of Jeremiah 45 illustrates this.
Yet while Baruch felt trampled on, Jeremiah’s pain must have
been ten times greater. He had a small taste of the hardships Jeremiah faced.
Baruch’s life aspirations failed to line up with what God was doing. Perhaps
Baruch envisioned hoards of Israelites falling on their faces in repentance
after reading the scroll. But it seems from this text, he did not foresee
rejection and the disaster to come despite putting himself in this precarious
position.
Maybe Baruch doubted whether it had been a good choice to
help Jeremiah. But these words from God speak directly to the reality of
Baruch’s heart. The great things Baruch wants will not happen because they did
not align with God’s plans. But God saw what he did and promised to keep him
alive during these difficult days ahead.
While this may not sound like much, given how terrible the
days ahead would be it was like when Charlie found the golden ticket to enter
Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. God saw Baruch and would reward His
faithfulness. God would protect his life—he could rest in God’s provision. Unfortunately,
punishment for the Israelite’s sin was now unavoidable and Baruch could not
edit the story otherwise.
I’m struck by my own tendencies to want God to work in
different ways. While Baruch’s desire was good (for Israel to repent and not
experience destruction), that was not the path he would walk that day.
Embracing what is placed before us, especially when unwanted, takes faith.
There is hope for your
future, declares the Lord, and your children shall come back to their own
country.
- - Jeremiah 31:17
May I embrace the story I find myself in and trust God is at
work. May I have confidence what He is writing for my life will be for His
glory and my good.