Jesus Isn't Decaf (By Naomi Meyers)

It was a horrific end to a terrific day. A day that held such promise. His feet had barely touched the floor as he hurried through the palace, practically floating on a cloud of euphoria. He had been invited to dine with the king and queen at a special banquet. The guest list came from the queen and included only two names. King Ahasuerus. Haman. What an honor! Of all the people in service under the king, Queen Esther had chosen him. What a privilege! 

What a bragging point! Before he even arrived at the banquet, Haman was imagining how he would regale the event to his family and friends. It was the best news he’d had since his promotion from puny to pompous some time back. This would certainly secure his place in the top echelon of society. So great would be his social status that he’d have only to snap his fingers and someone would come running to do his bidding. He’d need more servants, of course. Celebrities don’t do things for themselves. He’d be too busy anyway, fulfilling whatever it was the queen desired. 

The fulfillment of the Queen’s desire turned out to be easy. She wanted dinner company again the following day. Again the list was short, containing the same names. King Ahasuerus and Haman. The king had agreed on Haman’s behalf. As if he’d ever decline. He wouldn’t. This second invitation could mean only one thing. He had found favor with the queen as well as the king. It was more than any man could ask. 

 Mind swimming with excited, arrogant tales to share with all and sundry, Haman rushed through the palace doors and headed for the gate. He had to get home. There was both bragging and celebrating to do! He hurried past groups of soldiers and clusters of servants. They all stopped their current task to bow in his presence as the king had commanded. Haman barely noticed. He usually loved it, reveled in it, encouraged it. Except today. Today his news usurped it. Today nothing could stop him, slow him down, snap him from his state of bliss. Nothing except a steely-eyed, ill-bred miscreant standing unbending near the king’s gate. His nemesis. Mordecai.

Like a well-placed pin in an airborne balloon, the sight of Mordecai standing arrow straight as he approached sucked the exaltation right out of Haman’s soul. The joy of all his blessings evaporating in the raging anger stirred by the one person who refused to appropriately exalt him. That Jew! Disrespecting his position and authority. Blatantly disobeying a direct order from the king. It was not to be borne. And even though he’d already set in motion the wheels of revenge, the day of slaughter seemed so far off. Every time he saw the insolent Mordecai, his hate and rage burned hotter. His hands clenched into fists. His mind imagined his sword piercing the heart of his enemy. Taking a deep breath, he restrained himself. He’d deal with Mordecai. Viciously. Permanently. Someday. 

Today was not that day. Today he had something else to do. Today, he reminded himself, there was something new to brag about. Stifling the suffocating wrath burning a hole in his soul, Haman forced his feet to turn toward home. At home he was greeted appropriately. His wife respected him. His children obeyed him. His friends esteemed him. So great was their respect they were willing to listen to him recount ad nauseam his magnificent wealth. Stores of gold and silver. Multiple sons. Promotions from the king. Advancements above other officials and servants. And finally, the piece de resistance, Queen Esther had taken notice of him. He had dined with her that very day and would do so again the next. Who else in the kingdom could say the same? 

It should have been enough. The wealth of his pockets, the prolific offspring, the honors and promotions, the special invitations. It should have been enough to make Haman content. He should have been happy with the things he had, the awards he’d won, the family that filled his home. Haman should have looked at his life and felt a sense of joy and contentment. He didn’t.  In spite of being blessed with everything one could desire at that time in history, Haman was quite possibly the least happy man on earth. Why? Because he placed his happiness, his determination of enough, in the obeisance of one man. Mordecai. (Esther 3-5)

Given Haman’s obvious desire to have more, do more, be more, it is difficult to believe that Mordecai’s humble bow would have been enough to slake his thirst for more position and power, more acknowledgments and accolades. It stands to reason he would have looked for something more. Something better. Something else. Another promotion. Another pay raise. Another woman. Another house. Another battle. Why? Because Haman’s desires were entirely earth-based. His concept of enough was completely exterior to the need he was desperately trying to fill in his soul. Nothing would ever be enough because the emptiness of his soul could never be filled outside of God. In spite of all his earthly wealth, Haman couldn’t be content because his happiness, his enough, was in something that could never be enough. 

 We are often in the same position. Pushed and pressed by society to live up to their standards of success, we find ourselves working and striving and hoping for things that will never be enough. There is no such thing as enough when your focus rests on money, possessions, power, or popularity. They only make you want more. More followers, more views, more likes. They will keep you racing on an exhausted search for something you will never find, because you will never find enough unless you find your enough in God. 

Ask Mordecai. Yes. I know. He isn’t exactly overflowing with elation. But he isn’t whimpering in obeisance before Haman either. When Mordecai clothes himself in mourning, it isn’t to gain personal attention or sympathy. No. His mourning is for his people and for the egregious sin being perpetrated against them. Yet no matter how deep his mourning, no matter how immense his concern, Mordecai still believed his God was enough. Enough to send a rescue. Enough to send a reprieve. Maybe it would be Esther. But even if she chose not to accept the challenge, Mordecai knows that he knows that he knows his God is enough for this current situation. God isn’t going to fail His people. He will raise up a rescue. Mordecai’s faith far outdistanced his grief because God was his enough. Not people. Not power. Not prestige. God alone. (Esther 4)

In a world continually struggling and striving, pressing and pushing you to be the next big thing, have the loudest voice, earn the corner office, make the biggest paycheck, in what is your enough? An elusive dream? A distant hope? A fond desire? Would the realization of those things bring contentment? Would they be enough to make you satisfied? Or would they leave you lacking, searching, wanting more? Is your enough strictly earthly or can it be found in things eternal? Is God enough for you? Is Jesus worth more than everything, worth more than anything? Is relationship with  Jesus Christ, truly knowing Him, enough? 

Like Haman, we’ve all spent a significant portion of our lives racing down side roads and searching every crack and crevice for the next thing to fill the crater of emptiness in our souls. We’ve found a million things. Great things. Exciting things. They were never enough. They never will be. Nothing will ever be enough until we find our enough in God alone. When we do, we will find He is everything we need. Our joy, our hope, our confidence, our strength. Our faith will rest in the blessed assurance that God is on our side and He is more than enough. Enough for today’s trials. Enough for tomorrow’s triumphs. Enough to keep us for time and eternity. Yes, friend, our God is more than enough. (Luke 1:35; Hebrews 13:6; II Corinthians 12:9; Isaiah 40:29; Nehemiah 8:10; II Chronicles 20:20; Psalm 121)

Barely audible murmurs of affirmation came from the congregation as they reverently listened to the lyrical words of their king’s prayer. Solomon was eloquent. Dropping to his knees before the Lord, he raised his hands toward Heaven and spoke words so beautifully poetic they stirred the hearts of his people like never before. Words of awe at God’s power and greatness. Words of gratitude for His faithfulness and love. Words of hope and petition for the continued presence of God among His people. Words so deeply moving they could not refrain from speaking out in confirmation. 

The prayer was achingly honest. Solomon clearly knew the people well. He knew that somewhere in the following generations there would be failures and faults, people would act rashly, take an ill-advised path, choose sin over righteousness. He knew that punishment would be incurred because of their poor choices. Drought. Famine. Pestilence. War. Captivity. He also knew God. The covenant keeping God of steadfast faithfulness and love. The One who is always ready to forgive. The One who promised to return to His people when they leave their wanderings behind and return to Him. The God who promised to be their God if they would actively choose to be His people.  And, at that moment, they did. 

Caught up in the euphoria of the breathtaking build, the enchanting words of the poet’s prayer, the awe-filled wonder of the smoke-filled house, the people could think of nothing they wanted more. Nothing they could ever want more. For that moment. Gathered wide-eyed in the observing congregation, overcome by the gripping emotion and moving words of the moment, their hearts resounded with words of consecration. They would follow God. Forever. 

Apparently, “forever” is not as long as one would think. It would not be so many decades after the people stood in the glory and presence of God that they would fall away. All of them. They would abandon the law of the Lord. Completely. And punishment would come. In spades. Shishak, the king of Egypt, his armies, his friends, his neighbors–countless throngs–came up against them armed for battle. They overtook the fortified cities and marched right up to Jerusalem’s doorstep.  It was terrifying. Defeat was certain. And King Rehoboam, their leader,  was in hiding. (II Chronicles 12:1-5)  

Sequestered away in a disconcerted group with the princes, Rehoboam was struggling to comprehend where he’d lost control. His kingdom had been strong and successful. They had been enjoying a peaceful and secure existence. God had clearly blessed his reign. Until now. Now things had fallen apart. Things were uncertain. The outlook was bleak. Death loomed on the horizon. Yet still, try as he might, Rehoboam couldn’t put his finger on the cause of their distress. 

The prophet Shemiah didn’t have that problem. He knew what the obtuse king appeared to not understand. God had told him. And he was on his way to share the knowledge, to offer the olive branch of hope and help to the terrified king. Entering their hiding place, he illuminated their understanding with words from God’s own lips, “You abandoned Me, so I abandoned you.” It was self-explanatory, really. Punishment follows sin. (II Chronicles 12:5-7)

Somewhere in the back of their woe-stricken minds, the words of Solomon prayed before the congregation echoed again. “Humble yourselves. Seek God. Turn from your sin.” Words of wisdom from the man who asked God for that very thing. Words God would later echo back to Solomon in the most solemn of vows. God’s words. For God’s people. (II Chronicles 6:1-7:22)

  Centuries later God is still speaking the same words. He is still issuing the same invitation. In the middle of our own vortex of droughts and disasters, wars and famines, diseases and pestilence, God offers the same promise. “If my people, the people who have consciously chosen me to be their God, will come before me in utter humility, admit their abject guilt, urgently seek me in prayer and permanently turn away from the sin in which they are so deeply entangled, then, and only then, I will hear and help and heal.” It is God’s promise for God’s people. (II Chronicles 7:11-14) 

Unfortunately the familiarity of the passage has softened its severity. In our modern day of self-service, it is often seen as a quick fix for unpleasant situations in our lives. It isn’t. This is not a sprinkles and unicorns promise. This is not a word to be taken lightly. This is not a vow of eternal rainbows and sunshine in exchange for an offhand prayer of repentance followed by a few days of good behavior. This is not a set of directions for manipulating God into rescuing us from our sinful, self-inflicted punishment so we can go on about our lives. This is not a fast fix for our years of slipping and sliding down the path of least resistance. No. This is a call to repentance. Not for the first time, but for the last time.  

And it is a call to the church. Today’s church. You see, the whole passage, the entire promise is predicated on people who have already vowed over and over again to follow God. To be His people. To allow Him to be their God. It is handed out to people who were crystal clear on His requirements for living. They knew His laws, His commands. They didn’t always follow them. Sometimes they cut corners, changed parameters, altered requirements, and remained purposely obtuse. Too often, the people called to be saints were busy wasting time engaging in silly business. Just like us.

Somewhere along the line, the church has gotten distracted. Our vision has become clouded with the offers of the world. Our hearing has become tuned to the siren song of self. We have strayed. We are not the stalwart, faithful, God-fearing people we were in times past. We do not live as though we believe the Scripture is the infallible, immutable Word of God. We have allowed caveats and side roads. We have blithely subscribed to “Jesus lite,” a form of godliness that is anything but godly, lacking the power and presence of God Himself. (II Timothy 3:5; II Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 24:35; Hebrews 13:8; II Chronicles 20:33) 

We have to change. The silly business has to stop. We were not called to be insipid, vapid, uninterested saints standing mutely while our society races headlong for destruction. We are called to be saints on a heavenly mission. A rescue mission. A mission to reveal God’s righteousness through our faith. It will not be easy. It will call for the speaking of hard realities. It will require the unashamed championing of God’s truth in a world all too happy to make up their own alleged truths. It will necessitate an end to the acceptance of excuses for sin, exchanges of fact for fiction, and endless blanket approval of questionable acts. It will demand an earnest humble repentance, a fervent seeking of God’s face, and an undeviated turn from sin to righteousness. It is time for the saints to stop engaging in silly business. (Romans 1; Isaiah 5:20; Malachi 3:7; Zechariah 1:3; Isaiah 44:22)

Surrounded as we are by the crescendoing echoes of all the things Solomon thought to list in his prayer, it would seem God is vigorously attempting to rally His saints. Raise them from their stupor. Revive them again. Renew their strength to continue His mission and go forward in His name. No compromise. No complacency. No silly business. (Psalm 85:6-8; Habakkuk 3:2; Zephaniah 1:12; Psalm 119:67,75; II Corinthians 12:8-10; Ephesians 5:14-21)

The finished project was stunning. Gorgeous. Breathtaking. Awe-inspiring. It was impossible to pass by and not stop to study yet another bit of architecture one had previously overlooked. Intricate carvings. Carefully cut stones. Glistening golden doors. Lines of bronze bowls for washing. An enormous basin balanced on the backs of twelve outward-facing oxen shimmered with thousands of gallons of water for priestly washing. One could stand for hours yet still fail to take in every amazing detail. So much was there to see, so much over which to marvel. 

It had been years in the making.  Not for lack of effort. Workmen were plentiful. Stonecutters, masons, carpenters, metal workers. Nor were they waiting for products to arrive. Materials were stacked up in every conceivable storage area. Millions of pounds of gold, silver, bronze and iron. Immeasurable amounts of cedar and stone. Neither strength nor supply was the cause of the long years from start to finish. Striving for perfection was. 

Anything less than perfection could never be considered an option for this project. Nothing could be done in half measures. No corners could be cut. No substandard materials could be used. There was no room for error.  It had to be magnificent, breathtaking. Why? Because God would dwell there. Among them. They were His people. He was their God. (Exodus 6:7)

Without exception, this temple must reflect the perfection of the One for whom it was built. Gloriously resplendent. Majestic. Superseding every other temple ever built. This house must resonate with the awe and power and glory of the One the heavens nor heavens of heavens can contain. The God who inhabits eternity. The Alpha. The Omega. Beginning of all. Sustainer of all. End of all. (II Chronicles 2:6; Isaiah 57:15; Revelation 22:13; Colossians 1:16)  

The process had felt infinite, but the final project was absolutely worth it. Worth back-breaking days of hewing precious stones out of rocks. Worth hand-cramping hours of carving and etching in wood and metal. Worth every finger plumbing stitch in the linen curtain. Worth every casting and recasting of golden lampstands and lamps, flowers and tongs, snuffers and basins, incense dishes and firepans. It was all worth it–every scratch and cut, ache and pain was worth the unmitigated joy of being able to give something back to the God who had delivered them, rescued them, fought for them, and walked with them through hell or high water. 

As the leaders and elders and people assembled for dedication day, they must surely have stood with bated breath to see God’s reaction. Would He love it? Hate it? Honor it? Ignore it? Had they done it correctly? As hard as they tried to follow the pattern exactly, had they somehow missed one tiny nail, one-minute flaw? When they dedicated His house, handed Him back all the things He had provided for them to build this extraordinary building, would God bless it with the glory of His presence?

Standing in silence on Mount Moriah at the place where David had sacrificed offerings of personal expense on Ornan’s threshing floor, the people waited to see what would happen.  They watched as the priests filed out to stand in perfect lines. Each one fully consecrated. Each clothed in linen. Each holding an instrument in their hands. Cymbals, harps, lyres and trumpets. Each voice prepared to swell with song. Once perfectly assembled, they split the silence with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. And it was enough. Their sacrificial efforts of building and sewing and metalwork were enough. Their praise was enough. God answered. The glory of the Lord filled the house of God. They could ask for nothing better. Neither can we. (I Kings 6-8; I Chronicles 21-22; II Chronicles 2-5)

Centuries later this gorgeous specimen of architectural genius would lie in ruins. The timbers would rot. The precious stones would be scavenged. The gold would be stolen. Bandits would make off with all the valuable pieces. But they’d be missing the most important bit. They’d be missing the presence and glory of God. Because God’s house, the place He lives and dwells and reigns, has nothing to do with an ornate building, padded pews, an enormous crowd, or a gifted band. God’s temple, His house, is in the hearts of His people. Those who know and believe in the depths of their soul that they are God’s temple and allow His Spirit to infiltrate every part of their lives. The ones who delight to do His will. The ones who follow His plan, His pattern, exactly as He says. (Psalm 40:8; Matthew 6:10; John 14:23; I Corinthians 3:16-17)

See, we aren’t so different from Solomon and the people building that temple so long ago. King David, Solomon’s father, handed him a pattern to follow in the building. Its parameters were not up for debate. There could be no deviation when it became difficult. No modification when the work was tedious. No quitting when it became tiresome. It had to be exact. Just as the pattern indicated. (I Chronicles 28:11-19) 

Ours must be as well. The temple of God cannot be shared with other gods. It cannot be corrupted with impurities of sin and greed and lust. It cannot be altered by re-interpretations, modifications, or eliminations. God’s words, His commands, His directives stand. They never change. Sin is always sin and it cannot coexist with the Spirit of God that dwells in His temple. If sin is there, if you make allowance for just one thing that doesn’t conform to the pattern set forth in His word, the glory of God, the essence of His presence, will lift from your temple. Not one of us wants that. (I Corinthians 4:20, 6:18-20; Psalm 66:18; Exodus 20:3-5; Deuteronomy 4:2; Malachi 3:6; Luke 21:33)

It makes obedience to God imperative. Always. Even when it is uncomfortable. Even when everyone else is avoiding it. Even when we are pressed, stressed and exhausted. But there is no excuse for disobedience. No acceptable reason for failure to follow the pattern explicitly laid out for us. No reasonable explanation to fail to do the right we know to do. But the choice is ours. It always is. If you want the blessing of the power and glory and presence of God to saturate every part of your being, if you want to stand firm no matter what comes your way, you’ll have to build your life according to the pattern. (James 4:17; I Samuel 15:22; John 14:15; I John 5:2-3; Joshua 24:15; Matthew 7:24-25)

I so want this. I want the words of my mouth, the prayers of my lips, the desires of my heart to be saturated with the presence of God. I want to revel in His power, be awed by His glory.  I want to live my life according to His pattern. Always. I hope you do too. I hope you long for the presence of God to fall down and infiltrate even the most remote parts of your soul. I hope the desire to see His power at work in your life permeates your heart. I hope you live in such complete obedience to Him that you daily revel in His glory. May you live according to His pattern. (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Hebrews 12:1; Proverbs 3:1-35; Romans 12:1-2)

Growing up, we were avid church camp attendees. Church in general, actually. Twice on Sunday. Wednesday night. Youth service. Prayer meetings. Revival. Camp. We rarely missed one. It would seem I would have more standout memories of sermons heard and lessons learned there. Unfortunately, my memory is faulty and time has faded many of the ones that still manage to surface. Except one. There is one I have remembered, will likely always remember, as clearly as the day it occurred. 

The days of another camp meeting were drawing to a close. We had worked hard, played hard, prayed hard. We were tired. Still we dragged our tired selves into the pews for one of the final services.  We sang. We prayed. We praised. I have no idea who the speaker was. I simply remember what he did. Stepping to the podium, he opened his Bible and read a text. I don’t remember which one. Then, looking out over the audience, he declared, “Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is rest.” With those succinct words, he closed his Bible and dismissed the service. Never before and not once since have I heard from the pulpit such acute truth.

It embedded itself in my soul, occasionally crossing my mind. Admittedly, it often surfaces when an overzealous minister’s eloquence outlives the church pews’ relative comfort. Until last week. Last week it came rushing back again. Because I needed to hear it. I needed to do it. I needed rest. I’ve been exhausted and overwhelmed by the raging horde of extra things to do. Winter is coming, adding to the everyday household tasks the extra chores of preparation for the season demands. The split wood needs stacked in the woodshed. The hay bales need collected from the front field. The garden boxes need to be finished and filled with soil in preparation for next year’s planting. The apples are nearly ready to harvest and preserve. The last section of the porch needs painted and sealed. There’s a building project to oversee and a family member in need of attention and attendance. You get the idea. 

Unable to focus my spiraling brain into forming coherent thoughts for penning, I turned my attention to the book we are currently studying in our ladies’ Bible study. Opening to the upcoming chapter, God spoke directly to me. He had exact instructions for this week’s message. For me, definitely. For you, maybe. They could be summed up in just one word. Rest. Physical. Emotional. Mental. Spiritual. Stop wrestling with yourself and all the things and rest in God. I am trying. 

Trying to do what is reasonable every day, but not work myself into exhaustion. Trying to leave all the social upheaval, personal affronts, and stresses of life in God’s hands. Trying to rest my soul in the shadow of the Almighty, shamelessly hiding in the cleft of the Rock until the storms of life are past. Trying to rest, rejuvenate, revive because there is another spiritual battle coming, another moment of temptation looming, another taxing chore to stack on top of the pile, and I want to be ready. Strong. Healthy. Equipped. In every way. (Psalm 37:7-9; Psalm 91:1-2; Psalm 27:5; Psalm 28:7)

So this week, I’m resting. There are fewer words here. Fewer flowery adjectives. Less eloquence. More raw reality. Perhaps you need a rest as well. Perhaps your life is hurtling past you at an alarming rate, the “to-do” basket always full, the “completed” basket always empty. Perhaps you find yourself exhausted, overwhelmed, frustrated, and anxious. If so, I hope you hear the words God spoke to Elijah in the Old Testament, the disciples in the New Testament, and to me just last week. Rest. Trust God. And rest assured that God will renew your strength for all the things that lie ahead. (Mark 6:7-13,30-31; Psalm 103:14; Isaiah 40:29, 31; I Kings 19:5-9; Psalm 23:3; I Chronicles 16:11) 

He had never doubted the difficulty of the job. How could he? Offers that begin with, “Before you were even born,” tend to come with expectations and caveats that would topple even the strongest of men. This was not going to be an easy gig.  A prophet’s life never was. There would be unpleasant places to go. There would be hard words to say. There would be people who, finding God’s words distasteful, would scorn him, mock him, arrest him. Persecution was certain. Death was possible. There was no confusion about how this would go. (Jeremiah 1:5)

When God first called, Jeremiah tried to excuse himself from the task. He was young. He didn’t have words of wisdom. He wasn’t articulate, didn’t command attention, couldn’t guarantee a result. The elders would ignore him, reject his declarations. Following suit, the people would reject him. His words would be dismissed. His warnings would be denied.  He would become a laughing stock, a thorn in their side, an object of hate and scorn. He wasn’t really interested in the job. (Jeremiah 1:6)

God wasn’t having the excuses. Not one of them. His work will not be thwarted by meager human faults. Jeremiah didn’t need age or words or a map of where to go. God had him covered. “Go where I send you. Speak the words I give you. Be bold and trust Me to be with you and deliver you when the people get out of hand.” (Jeremiah 1:7-8). Essentially, shake in your sandals, let your voice crack with fear, but don’t back down. The God who knew him before he was formed, consecrated him before he was born, appointed him as a prophet without so much as a memo to Jeremiah, also promised to deliver him. There was no excuse not to accept the call. (Jeremiah 1:8-19)

The wildest imaginations derived from the most hellish nightmares could not have prepared him for the job. It was worse than he imagined. Far beyond anything his mind had conjured up. The level of faithlessness to which the people had sunk was appalling. Their love of idols–from wood and stone to sin and self–was abhorrent. Their abject refusal to repent of their wicked debasement was alarming. Even more disturbing was the obvious fact that they simply didn’t care. They didn’t want to turn back to God. They were content in their sin, believing the lie that God would not punish their evil ways. From where Jeremiah stood, they deserved every single disastrous prediction God commanded him to speak. (Jeremiah 2:1-8:17)

And speak them he did. Every. Single. One. Words hard to speak. Stern reminders of broken covenants. Harsh edicts of famine, war and pestilence. Predictions of terror and destruction. Thundering sounds of God’s righteous anger. All followed by the echo of God’s generous offer of redemption. Gentle nudgings toward repentance and returning. Pleading offers of gracious restoration, mercy, and love. Words that fell on hearts so hardened they refused to return, repent, reconcile to their God. It was the hardest thing he’d ever done. (Jeremiah 2-15)

The emotional see-saw took its toll on Jeremiah. His heart yearned to see his people turn back to God. Time and again he found himself frustrated and despondent. Overwhelmed with grief. Deeply saddened as his words continually fell on deaf ears. Discouraged as he realized his work was clearly in vain. Evil was obviously winning the war. His people cursed and abused him, causing him to question his very existence. Exhausted from attempting to make the people listen and sorrowful over the state of their souls, Jeremiah admits that relentlessly standing alone for God has cost him. And the price is about to go up. (Jeremiah 8:18-9:2; 12:1-4; 15:10-18)

 Issued on the heels of Jeremiah’s most recent disheartened struggle comes a shocking command from God. Not a command for the community. A command for Jeremiah. One that boldly underscores what he has known from the beginning. Being a prophet of God is not a cakewalk. In words leaving no room for misunderstanding, God forbids Jeremiah from marrying. He is to remain alone. No wife. No children. No one to share his cares and concerns. No social interaction. Only isolation. Seclusion. Solitude. Aloneness. (Jeremiah 16:1-9)

As God’s words fell on Jeremiah’s ear, he surely must have reacted. The command seemed so unfair. He’d dedicated his life to God’s work. He was already shunned and outcast, bullied and harassed. Why would God take from him the ability to have companionship, someone to be in his corner, show support, offer comfort? Why was he, the obedient prophet of God, unallowed to have the joy of sons and daughters? He’d done everything God had ever asked of him, spoken every word God had commanded, gone every place God had told him to go! Why was he being punished by the very God he chose to follow? The God whose nature is love? The One who loves to give good gifts to his children? (Psalm 33:5; Psalm 84:11)

Whether or not Jeremiah asked those questions or meekly accepted the command, it is reasonable to believe he was disappointed in God’s command. Who wouldn’t be? The passage reads like insult added to injury. It doesn’t reverberate with love, resound with mercy, or echo with grace. It seems like God’s wrath has been turned on His servant. Until you read on. Until you read what is coming down the road. The sin of the people will finally catch up with them. The punishment they have been avoiding is soon to arrive. 

It will be terrifically unpleasant. Plague. Famine. War. Death. One by one the people will fall. Weak and strong. Small and great. Young and old. No one will escape. Parents will watch the death of their children. Husbands will see the death of their wives. Wives will suffer the loss of their husbands. Horror will overtake them because they have forsaken God, rejected His laws, and followed the stubborn evil of their own hearts. Everyone will hurt and suffer and mourn. Everyone except Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 16:1-13)

Why? Because no matter how his human heart felt about that command, when God said, “No, child,” Jeremiah answered, “Yes, Lord.” He didn’t have to do so. At any point Jeremiah could have fallen in among his countrymen, forsaken God and followed the desires of his own heart. He could have married, had sons and daughters, given himself over to fully engaging in the social norms of his day. He had the choice. But when he came to the crossroads, Jeremiah saw in God’s command what we so often ignore when He speaks to us, the saving grace of “No”.

We hate that word. Abhor it. Despise it. The very thought of being told, “No,” puts our backs up. We view it as a punishment. We see it as an injustice. We label it unfair. Because we can’t see what is coming down the road. We can’t see how badly that college will affect us. We don’t comprehend how that job will change us. We can’t understand how that specific group of friends will alter our view of God and righteousness. We have no way of knowing how poorly that relationship will end. But God knows all things, past, present, future, and His grace compels Him to say, “No.” Whether we like it or not. Whether we throw a tantrum or not. Whether we choose to obey it or not. The saving grace of God reaches out to preserve us from all evil with a simple word. “No.” (Psalm 139:1-24; Isaiah 55:8-9; Hebrews 13:8; Hebrews 4:13)

The final choice is up to you. Obedience. You don’t have to choose it. You have the option of going your own way, making choices based on your own wilful heart. But there’s risk there. As the warnings of Jeremiah 17 tell us, the one who puts their trust in other people, in things, or in themselves will be cursed. No good will come to them. Eventually the evil of their hearts will be visited on their lives, because the heart of man is full of deceit, treachery, and sin. Its choices are selfish and based on earthly gratification. Eternity is nowhere in its view. But God’s view is both earthly and eternal. God knows every step of your future on earth and walks with you into eternity. He is intent on preserving your soul. He promises blessings to those who place their lives in His care and trust Him alone to lead and guide their paths. So the question remains, do you trust Him? (Jeremiah 17:9-13; I Samuel 15:22; Mark 7:21-23; Proverbs 28:26; Psalm 121:7)

Do you trust God to work in your best interest when you can’t understand, can’t see the plan, can’t sketch out the future? Do you believe God is working on your behalf when things don’t go your way, the relationship ends, the promotion doesn’t come through, the loan is denied? Do you trust God to preserve your soul from all evil in every circumstance? Do you fully believe from the depths of your being that God works all things–the good, the bad, the mediocre–together for His glory and your good? And, when you hear God whisper, “No, child,” do you recognize the sound of saving grace? (Psalm 121; Romans 8:28; Philippians 2:13; I Corinthians 12:1)