Jeremiah was a prophet of God in a very difficult time in Judah’s history. The northern kingdom of Israel had become so totally corrupt that God wiped them out by sending in the Assyrian army. Sin was rampant. Few people were inclined to listen to the voice of God. - Jer. 11:6-8 – 6 Then the LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: ‘Hear the words of this covenant and do them. 7 For I earnestly exhorted your fathers in the day I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, until this day, rising early and exhorting, saying, “Obey My voice.” 8 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone followed the dictates of his evil heart; therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but which they have not done.’

– 18 Now the LORD gave me knowledge of it, and I know it; for You showed me their doings. 19 But I was like a docile lamb brought to the slaughter; and I did not know that they had devised schemes against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.” – 1 Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead with You; Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are those happy who deal so treacherously? 2 You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; They grow, yes, they bear fruit. You are near in their mouth But far from their mind. 3 But You, O LORD, know me; You have seen me, And You have tested my heart toward You. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, And prepare them for the day of slaughter. 4 How long will the land mourn, And the herbs of every field wither? The beasts and birds are consumed, For the wickedness of those who dwell there, Because they said, “He will not see our final end.”

I. God’s Answer [Verse 5] 5 “ If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain [a] of the Jordan?a In a sense, God is saying if you are having trouble now, how are you going to survive when things get rough? If a person becomes discouraged in a peaceful land, how are they going to deal with the thickets of life?

We ourselves live in a peaceful land. – We face no oppositions to worshiping God. Few would sincerely ridicule us for our beliefs. – And still so many Christians become discouraged. Worshiping God is not worth the effort. Telling others about salvation has become a chore that is easily put off. There is no guarantee that our peace will continue. Then what will you do? – There are countries today where it is illegal for Christians to gather to worship. Would that stop you? – There are countries where you could go to prison for converting someone to Christianity. Would you teach?

God gives commands for the people’s good – Deut. 10 – 12 “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good? God punished, again, for the people’s good - Jer 32 – 38 They shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. Following God’s laws brings blessings - James 1:25 – 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

II. God Has Promised Adversity We need those trials to develop our spirits -James 1:2-4 – 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. An athlete doesn’t become strong by evening strolls through the neighborhood. If we are going to be a strong Christian, then we need to learn to hold on to our faith no matter what Satan throws at us - I Peter 1:6-9 Heaven awaits each of us, if we can just remain steadfast! – Heb 3:6, 14 ; Heb 10:23-25

1 John 5:4,5 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our [a] faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?a Isaiah 40: Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31 But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. III. We Can Overcome

“The Race Is Before You” Jeremiah 12 5 “ If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? Hebrews 12 1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.