Focus (August 8)

Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper?  Why do all the faithless live at ease?
                                     Jeremiah 12:1b NIV

Jeremiah discusses with the Lord one mystery of worldly life, the mystery of suffering, of distribution and abundance, that has persisted for centuries.  Life is a condition of contrasts and by reading that the wicked, faithless people are prospering and living in ease, it is a small step to consider that the blameless and faithful people are living with much suffering in painful poverty.

The book of Job explored the mystery of human suffering and problems of abundance.  Job did not know why he was suffering, but in his suffering, he would not, and did not, curse God.  Job had abundant faith despite his great loss.

God created a perfect world.  Unfortunately, man fractured that perfection early on.  Since that fracture, we dwell in a fallen world with many problems.  One of the problems is that our focus often lies outside of the will of God.

Despite our lack of focus, God is still focused on us.  Jeremiah is advised in 12:5 and 6.  Jeremiah did not realize that God's focus was not on the wicked, but rather on Jeremiah.

Jeremiah had a difficult task of prophesying to an unrepentant nation.  Jeremiah was asking God in a sense, HOW can I get out of this task; whereas Jeremiah should have been asking WHAT can I get out of this?

We, in our lives of joys, challenges, and trials; should be asking God what  we can get out of every joy, challenge, and trial. 

God wants us to grow in Spirit, in Faith and in Love of Him.  Again, God wants us to learn an awesome respect for him, in other words, fear for him as well.  For we are to fear and love God.

Rather than focus on a contrast between us and others, we might grow if we focus on our relationship with God and other Christians.  Such a shift in focus would allow God's love to show and perhaps be a light to the world.

If we focus on the "why" the wicked and faithless prosper, we can become reminiscent of grumbling Israel on the exodus from the promised land.  Focus instead on what God has done through Jesus' death and resurrection.

Do you, in general, think life is fair or unfair?

Where do you focus, what do you do, when you perceive an unfair event or situation.

Pray to understand and have the faith to accept "Thy will be done."  It is not your, my or our will that is being done.



In Christ,

David P