Jeremiah 12 Devotions by Stephen Taylor

Jeremiah 12:5

“If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?”

This is part of God’s response to Jeremiah’s complaint. Jeremiah is upset that the wicked seem to prosper; he is impatient with the LORD and the slowness of His justice. It seems as if Jeremiah might be a little deflated, even feeling a little defeated. So, God gives him and us a sober reminder: things are gonna get tougher before they get better.

What the LORD is saying to Jeremiah here is that what he had faced was gonna get worse and that the things that are coming against him now will grow stronger and more dangerous. We too face a growing threat, one not so much of flesh as it is of spirit. For our war is truly not against man but against the evils of this world that oppose Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. We, like Jeremiah, will face battles at times, some stronger than others and some longer than others, but that does not change where our help, our strength, and our hope come from. For it comes from above, and Who is above is greater than who is below!

I feel like we have lived in the “safe country” mentioned above, that America is relatively safe compared to the rest of the world. We don’t face the same persecutions and threats others face around the world, but we do still face a spiritual battle each day. But what are we gonna do when we find ourselves in the thickets by the Jordan? The thicket stands for a wild and dangerous place, beasts roaming around ready to devour, looters hiding in the bushes waiting for a victim, scarcity of provisions and constant danger all around. Those days are coming; the closer we get to the end, and the closer Christ is to coming back, the harder things are going to get.

So, if we want to survive the thicket, we must learn to stand firm in the safe country. Today, how can we grow in the Spirit to help firm up our foundation in the Lord? Help us, please, Holy Spirit!

Ephesians 6:11,12- Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

God bless! I love you all, but His love is our shield and only sure defense! Glory, honor, and praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!