3 Things I Learned From the Prophet Jeremiah

-Noami Hamstra

          I have been studying the book of Jeremiah recently, and today I wanted to share with you three things that I’ve learned from the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah was a prophet of God who prophesied during the reign of king Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. He prophesied to the northern kingdom of Israel and to the southern kingdom of Judah.

1. God is faithful
         

First, I learned so much about the faithfulness of God! Jeremiah was commanded to prophesy to the people of Israel and Judah. Both nations were rebellious and sinful. They worshiped the false gods of other nations. They rejected the Word of the Lord and did not obey God’s commandments. 
          God had made a covenant with the people of Israel and Judah: “And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly”(Genesis 17:2). The Lord was faithful in His covenant with His people, but His people broke their side of the covenant which was a serious offense. 
          God continually pleaded with His people to obey His Word. After the Lord punished His people through captivity and slavery, the Lord gathered them back to Himself, so that they would be His people and He would be their God. 
          I love how the Lord is continually faithful with His people even when they sin. We are just as faithless as Israel. But when we repent, the Lord faithfully leads us in the way of His righteousness.

2.  I must be obedient

          Secondly, I learned from Jeremiah to be obedient to God and confident in Christ. God commanded Jeremiah to be a prophet to the rebellious people. He said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations…But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, ‘I am only a youth; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 1:5-8 
          Jeremiah did not believe what the Lord told him would be the best for him, and he did not think he was equipped to do it. The Lord responded by saying He knew before Jeremiah was born that he would be a prophet. 
          Whatever the Lord tells us to do, we must do! We do not have to be afraid, because the Lord is with us and He knows us. He created us to serve and glorify Him in the way He ordains for us, and because of this, we can have confidence in Him.

3. I must be satisfied in Christ        

          The third thing I learned from the prophet Jeremiah is satisfaction in Christ. When the Lord brought His people back to Himself there was much rejoicing and thankfulness. They rejoiced with thankful hearts because they were in the Lord and did not need anything else! Jeremiah 30:17 says, “I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the Lord.” 
          The Lord is good to His people, and the Lord says we can be satisfied in Him. When I think about how good the Lord is to me, I become even more grateful for what I have and for what He has done for me. When we know the Lord and have the gift of salvation, we have the best thing on this earth and for all eternity.

          When I first started reading and studying Jeremiah, I did not expect to learn as much as I did. I love how I can see the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord through Jeremiah’s life. The Lord is always faithful to His people. 
          I close with this verse from Psalm 13: “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.” This verse sums up the book of Jeremiah very well. 
          Being a prophet was not easy, but Jeremiah had to trust in the steadfast love of God, and when he did, he was able to rejoice in the salvation of the Lord. This is how I want to live, and I encourage you to trust in God’s steadfast love and rejoice in the gift of salvation He has given to you if you are in Christ.  

Have you read Jeremiah? What are your thoughts? Which of these points convicted you the most?

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3 Ways to Genuinely Trust in Christ

-By Naomi Hamstra

          “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalms 20:7). I appreciate how this verse shows me where the Christian girl is supposed to put her  trust in. She is to put her trust in God. How can we genuinely trust in Christ? Here are three ways. 

1. Read the Word of God

          Hebrews 4:12 tells us how powerful the Word of God is. It says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” By reading this verse, I am reminded to trust in Christ and His Word because I know how powerful it is.

          In order to trust God, we have to trust His Word too.

          We cannot say we love God and trust Him, but believe His Word is false.  “Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him”(Proverbs 30:5) Everything that God has said is true and will always remain true, because of this great promise we can trust in His Word always!

2. Live out the Word of God

          As Christians, it is important that we not only read the Word of God but we must also be a doers of the Word. James gives us an example of what it looks like to hear the Word of God and refuse to obey it. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:22-25).

          This is a good thing to ponder. The man who does not obey the Word of God is like a man who looks at himself and does nothing when he sees that he does not look good. When we read God’s Law or hear it preached to us, we must not forget about what it commands us to do. James 1:25 tells us that if we look into His perfect law and obey it, we will be blessed in those works. If we trust in God’s Word, our desire will be to live it out, and if we obey His Word, then those works will be blessed by God. Let’s make it our goal to live out God’s Word, and therefore trust in Christ more and more!

3. Keep our eyes on Him

          The final way we can genuinely put our trust in Christ is to keep our eyes on Him. When I think of keeping our eyes on Him I think of Psalm 56:3-4. It says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” When we going through hard times, we must keep our eyes on God and trust in Him. In our best days, we must keep our eyes on Him and trust in Him. Second Corinthians 5 tells us that we do not walk by sight, but by faith. We cannot live our lives focused on ourselves, but focused on Him, trusting that He works everything for our good. 

          Proverbs 3:5-6 is a very well-known verse about trusting God, nevertheless it is very important for us to remember. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” I encourage you to trust in God always by reading His Word, living it out, and keeping your eyes always on Him!

 Do you struggle with trusting God? Which of these tips were most helpful? If you could add a 4th, what would it be? Share in the comments!

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