Plans

08.17.14

Jeremiah 25.8, 9, &11 8 Therefore the Lord Almighty says this… 9 “I will summon … my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring [him] against this land and its inhabitants …11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and [you] will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” – Jeremiah (NIV)

I’m not sure how long our current trend will last. Sometimes it seems like it’s gonna go on forever; and sometimes it seems like it could all end tomorrow. Jeremiah the prophet was tasked with the task of giving the bad news to his nation. They didn’t believe him. And they hated him for it. He said the trend was going to come to a close; that it was going to end, and for seventy years there would be no Israel, no Judah, and no nation. They would all move to Babylon and serve a pagan king.

To the Jews, this was a complete pile of nonsense; they thought they were too big to fail – after all they had God on their side – see, His Name is painted on the side of their Temple. They thought the current trend was going to last forever.

Today, there is peace, but today there are plans. Today the sun came up in its normal way, and my lawn got watered, and I read my Bible, and tossed a coupla prayers heavenward; but there are plans for all of this to come to an end. Babylon had plans to ruin Judah’s party and Jeremiah preached it.

There is no such thing as too big to fail and God is on our side. We are not immune from failure and God is on no one’s side. Think about it – it’s true. Life on earth would be dramatically different if God chose sides; but He doesn’t. God says, you’re either with Me or against Me. If there are sides to be compared it’s God, and then everybody else.

Well, what about the Church? What about His promises? What about these plans afoot to undermine and destroy the US? Where is God in all of that!? God is right where He’s always been and where He’ll always be: on His throne ruling the nations bringing righteousness into the world and keeping whatever ‘plans’ there are, right on time with His plan.

Pretty quick in our reading Jeremiah quotes the following: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29.11-13) But first the exile, the captivity, and seventy years to think it over.

America is America – she is not Israel nor is the Church within her Israel. And there are plans being formulated against America to cause her to suffer. And amidst her suffering will suffer the Church (just bring to mind the Christians laying slaughtered on the hillsides in Iraq). But here is the clarion call to each of us: Be faithful, persevere, and trust in God just like our money says. I’m not sure how long our current trend will last. Sometimes it seems like it’s gonna go on forever; and sometimes it seems like it could all end tomorrow.

Lord, whether now or later, in the midst of the plans, find me faithful. Amen