Why is this happeneing to me?
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Let me tell you about a man.
His name of Jeremiah.
Jeremiah was born into a family of priests and served as a priest faithful for many years.
The priesthood was one of routine. Do the same thing, set the table, light the candle, say the prayer.
Then one day, God called him out of his Priestly routine into the position of a Prophet.
In his routine he was happy and comfortable, but as a prophet his dealings with God shifted from the routine into the revolutionary.
Basically things got serious.
When things got serious with God (as they always do) life suddenly got a lot more challenging:
He has massive family problems.
6 For even your brothers, the house of your father, Even they have dealt treacherously with you; Yes, they have called a multitude after you. Do not believe them, Even though they speak smooth words to you.
He was put in stocks and publicly whipped!
2 Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord.
He was attacked by a mob:
8 Now it happened, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You will surely die!
He was even threatened by the King himself!
26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them.
He was even thrown down an empty well and left with nothing, not even water to drink.
6 So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the king’s son, which was in the court of the prison, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the mire.
All this is terrible.
But here is the real sting: Jeremiah was experiencing all this hardship while the false prophets and wicked people lived happy lives.
And one day Jeremiah goes before God and asks:
“Why is all this happening to me”?
Why am i struggling to pay the bills?
Why am I hoping that somehow I can pay next months school fees?
Why am I still struggling with my health or my pain?
Why is my family going through this?
Why is my marriage just not working out?
-
God answered the Prophet in one of the most powerful ways ever.
He says something so powerful that it changed Jeremiah forever.
But it was not something new.
God has said the same to Moses, David and even Jesus used this as a foundation to one of His most important teachings.
What did God say to Jeremiah?
3 But You, O Lord, know me; You have seen me, And You have tested my heart toward You. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, And prepare them for the day of slaughter.
4 How long will the land mourn, And the herbs of every field wither? The beasts and birds are consumed, For the wickedness of those who dwell there, Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”
Gods answer:
5 “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?
IE:
If you cannot experience victory, peace and faith with slow moving men on foot - Then how will you have victory against a fast moving horse?
If you cannot experience victory, joy and hope when the land is good - How can you experience victory, joy and hope when the bank burst and the land floods?
Let me take this back:
Moses.
Moses.
29 Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.
30 “And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai.
Moses looked after sheep for 40 years!
Why do I have to look after these sheep for so long?
These sheep are useless!
If i don't take them to pastures they will not eat.
If I don't lead them to the waters they will not drink.
They are stubborn animals who fight me all day.
They are constantly wondering off and getting lost or in big trouble that I have to help them out of.
Why oh God is this happening to me?
David.
David.
Before David was king he also was a shepherd.
David tells us of some of his experiences as a young shepherd boy:
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.
When David was sitting in the shade looking out at the sheep and he suddenly heard this scream that made his blood run cold.
He looked around and saw a lion or a bear attacking the young, defenseless lambs and David had to jump to his feet and charge at these mighty beasts that could tear him limb from limb...
“Lord why is this happening to me?
Why did the lion have to come to my grazing lands?
Why did that bear wake up so early from hibernation and attack me whilst i was writing a song for you?
Jesus:
Jesus:
One day Jesus answered all these questions:
21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
Let me remind of God’s words to Jeremiah:
5 “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?
Are you seeing the picture yet?
Moses:
“Why do I have to spend 40 years looking after these stubborn sheep”?
God:
“Because I need a leader to look after my people who known how to deal and handle stubborn creatures. For this purpose I raised you up.”
David:
“Why did I have to get attacked by that lion”?
God:
“Because I need a worrier who will face down a mighty giant and protect my people. For this purpose I raised you up.”
Jeremiah:
“Why am I suffering so much for serving you”?
God:
“Because you be see Jerusalem fall and the Temple reduced to dust and all Israel will lose heart and I need a man who can stand when everything crashes down and will show my people the meaning of hope and faith. For this purpose I raised you up.”
You:
Why is this happening to me?
God:
Because I will need a person who is not exhausted by horses, nor is afraid of of the river banks bursting.
I need a person who will be able to stand and testify of my power, patience, provision, protection and providence.
I need a person who will encourage the hopeless, who will strengthen the weak, who will comfort the greaving.
I need a person who will bring wisdom to the confused, direction to the lost and love to the abandoned.
As I told Moses, as I told David, as I told Jeremiah and as I told all of my servants: For this purpose I raised you up.