Jesus Isn't Decaf (By Naomi Meyers)

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)