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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
When Baruch, son of Neriah, wrote on a
scroll the words Jeremiah the prophet dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim,
son of Josiah, king of Judah, Jeremiah said this to Baruch:
“This is what the Lord, the God of
Israel, says to you, Baruch: You said, ‘Woe to me! The Lord has added sorrow to
my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.’ But the Lord has told
me to say to you, ‘This is what the Lord says: I will overthrow what I have
built and uproot what I have planted, throughout the earth. Should you then
seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. For I will bring disaster on
all people, declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape with
your life.’”
Jeremiah 45
This ends today’s reading
from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
You may recall the relationship that the prophet Jeremiah
had with a man named Baruch. It was a special relationship as Baruch was a
member of Jeremiah’s inner circle, a trusted confidant and friend, a servant of
the Lord.
As Jeremiah’s right hand man, the scriptures highlight
several key actions he performed for God’s prophet:
1. When Jeremiah purchased a field in Anathoth within his
home territory of Benjamin, Baruch was involved in handling the deed for the
land, following Jeremiah’s order to place the important documents in a clay jar
so that they might be preserved. Baruch did just as Jeremiah had told him to
do.
2. Sometime later, Baruch was enlisted by Jeremiah to first
write down all the words that the Lord had given His prophet on a scroll before
going to the temple and reading the scroll to the worshippers there. The king’s
officials were so frightened and concerned when they heard what Baruch read
that they told him to flee with Jeremiah and hide, being careful to reveal to
no one in regard to where they were going. The officials took the scroll to King
Jehoiakim who proceeded to burn it, such was his disregard for God. So Jeremiah
dictated to Baruch who produced a replacement scroll containing the words of
Lord.
Indeed, Baruch had stuck with Jeremiah through thick and
thin, in good times and bad. He had experienced the joys of success along with the
prophet and he suffered through the persecution and spiritual attacks as well.
We find all this and more as we look at the 45th chapter of Jeremiah and find
the Lord giving Baruch a blessed assurance:
When
Baruch, son of Neriah, wrote on a scroll the words Jeremiah the prophet
dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah,
Jeremiah said this to Baruch:
“This
is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: You said, ‘Woe to me!
The Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no
rest.’ But the Lord has told me to say to you, ‘This is what the Lord says: I
will overthrow what I have built and uproot what I have planted, throughout the
earth. Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. For I
will bring disaster on all people, declares the Lord, but wherever you go I
will let you escape with your life.’” Jeremiah 45
Baruch had endured a lot along with Jeremiah. It wasn’t easy
and the words of the prophet’s scribe reflected that. There was a lot of
emotional pain that came with persecution for standing up for the God against
those who had chosen to live in sin. By his own admission, Baruch was worn out
and in dire need of rest. Such is the case when we labor for the name of the
Lord even today in the 21st century. If you don’t believe that, then you haven’t
been paying attention to what has been happening around you as Christians seem
to be coming under attack more and more. In fact, it has become a matter of
life and death in many parts of the world we live in.
Note that the Lord is not going to tolerate the blatant
sinfulness that existed in Jeremiah’s time and He is not going to accept it
today either. Ditto for any time in the future. For the scriptures make it
clear that judgment was coming on Judah and its holy city of Jerusalem. The
Lord was bringing “disaster on all people” except for Baruch.
That was the blessed assurance God gave His faithful
servant. He would be spared when punishment fell upon his fellow Israelites and
escape with his life.
Today, God has given His people all a chance to have a
blessed assurance as well, one that is even better than the one Baruch
received.
For anyone who places their faith and hope in God’s only Son,
Jesus, as their Savior will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Thus,
when the final judgment falls at Christ’s return, all those who believed in Him
will escape with their lives, lives that will be full of light and love and
peace, free from all the afflictions of the world.
What do the words of the classic hymn proclaim?
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels, descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
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