You Can Start Over!

There are times in life when you have to start over. And, starting over is not always easy. Starting over means doing the work twice. Starting over means revisiting what you did, and now having to do it again. I’m not talking about proof reading, or evaluating your current work. I’m talking starting over from scratch. The worse kind is when you have invested hours into a project and the project either fails or is destroyed and you have to do it over. For example. For example, before there was an auto-save option on word proceeding software, if you were working on a paper and the computer went out, everything you were working on would have to be retyped. Or, when you are building something out of the box and get so far only to realize you left out a major part. These are examples of instances where you have to start over because of an error you made or because of happenstance. But, what about having to start over because someone else sabotaged your project, having to start over because someone else impeded your progress, having to start over because someone else destroyed your work. This another level of frustration now. You were living life until someone (car wreck, abuse, trauma, diverse, racism) Well church you are not alone. There are many people who like you and I had to start over in life, and even with their life…Joseph…lost everything and had to start over. Moses lost everything…Jephthah...Ruth…Daniel…Jonah…Job!...

(Summarize the narrative)

You have been Preserved (v. 19 & 26)

Sometimes in life the only good news is that you survived it. When the Jehoiakim got word of the contents of the scroll he not only destroyed the work but he gave orders to have Jeremiah seized. But the bible says, “But the LORD him them.” God has a way of getting you out of the way when the enemy tries to take you out. Jeremiah’s life is always in danger, and eventually, he meets a maryter’s death, but not until God is through with him. The fact that you are still here is enough to thank God for. Maybe there’s nobody here who has had their life threatened before. Maybe there’s nobody here who has ever been in danger, never looked death in the face, never bee sick unto death, never survived an attack, never made it out a car accident, never dodged a bullet literally and figuratively, never been attacked. And that’s fine but that’s not my testimony.

It might not be ideal but you’er here. It might be difficult to face but you’re here.

Church in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010. Members showed up to worship

The Lord Still has Plans for You (v. 1 & 27)

And If you have been preserved that means that God still has plans for you.

Jeremiah still has work to do.

The enemy cannot ruin God’s plan when God’s hand is still on you.

You have the Right People (v.32)

though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Who are partner with matters

Baruch has been there with Jeremiah through a lot.

Pray for you, pray with you, walk with you, somebody who is willing to ride or die

You can Make Improvements

This time around, I’m going to make it better than what was before. See church when you have to start over, you can remember the weak points of the first effort and build upon them to make the new thing better than the old thing. Here is what the text says, “and many similar words were added to them.”