Jeremiah 12

Verse Of The Day: V5 “If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?”

Like the common saying, “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst!” Indeed, Jeremiah was preparing Israel for the worst, the impending destruction of their lives, because of  their sins and wickedness, unless they repent of their sins and turn to God.

1.  Running with Horses

V5 “If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? ...”

Jeremiah challenged Israel not only to train to run with their footmen but with their horses as one day they would be fighting and running with both their enemies’ footmen and horses. Similarly, Christians must daily pray, read and study God’s Word and apply them in our life so that we are always prepared for the worst including illnesses and death.

1 Peter 4:12 “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:”

2.  Crossing the Rivers

V5 “… and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?”

Jeremiah also challenged Israel to prepare to trust God for the impossible such as the crossing of the swelling Jordan River as their forefathers did many years ago when they crossed the Jordan River dry!

Joshua 3:17 “And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.”

3.  Obeying the LORD

Jeremiah 12:17 “But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.”

Indeed, there is no other way to prepare for the worst including death, except to trust and obey God, knowing that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord!

2 Corinthians 5:8 “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

Prayer Of The Week

Dearest God, please help me to prepare for the worst by trusting and obeying You.