So often, I am tempted to despair over what feels like an unwinnable situation: a personal hurt, a professional setback, a family crisis.

Isn’t it the case that when we feel despair, our first move is often to want to quit? Or to believe the lie of the enemy that all is lost, God has forsaken us, or that we don’t matter?

Maybe I’m the only one who feels this way…but I don’t think so.

Let’s allow the Hebrew prophets to address us.

One of the consistent claims of the Hebrew prophets (like Jeremiah) is that, despite appearances, God is, in fact, in charge.

He does have a plan for the world, which includes us, which therefore means:

To live rightly as people of faith, we must bring the claims of this world before the claims of God and His truth.

That is, like chef at a restaurant, we offer up what’s “in our kitchen” to our God, the “Great Inspector.”

As in:

Your job may make the claim you don’t matter or your work is meaningless.

God’s claim is that He has good works prepared for you.

Which claim is true?

Your broken heart claims that you are unloved and alone.

God claims He will never leave you or forsake you.

Which claim is true?

Your body claims that things are hopeless.

God claims that there remains a greater hope for His child.

Which claim is true?

Which claim leads to peace?

Christian living means bringing the claims of this world, the claims of our culture, before the claims of Christ, and allow Christ’s claims to sit in judgment on the lesser, false claims that want to rob us of joy and peace. The Inspector’s claim matters more than ours.

In other words, to quote Dr. Mike Pasquierello of Asbury Seminary, “we speak because we have been spoken.”

We are not accidents; God has spoken us into existence, and therefore, we can speak His word into the moments of our existence.

We speak because we have been spoken.

We speak God’s claims about us, because He has spoken them about us already.

Would you take whatever claim your heart or mind or body is making and bring it before the claims of God’s word to you in Christ?

You can pray:

Heavenly Father,

Help me, right now, to remember that you are in charge.

I trust you with my life, feelings, and body.

Would you move in my life in a powerful way?

I love you.

In the name of Jesus,

Amen.

We’ll see you Sunday as we finish our look at the book of Jeremiah and hear about what’s next!

Morgan Stephens
Lead Pastor