Following Jesus when Life Hits the Fan

Four Types of Whirlwinds (Job, 2 Kings)

[This reflection is also posted on my Our Longview blog]

Photo by NOAA on Unsplash

Years ago, on a week when I had been planning to preach from the Gospel of John, I started the service with a joking reference to the phrase “sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind” because of a small tornado that had gone through the town (Longview, WA) that week. But as I thought about it during worship, I felt led to speak topically about whirlwinds (which the weather had prompted me to dig into that week) instead. Did they still get the teaching from the Gospel of John? Yes, just not that day.

I asked the congregation if any of them had been affected by the tornado. I hadn't been in Longview when it happened, but strong swirling winds knocked down almost every tree in one neighborhood near my home in Oregon.

We so rarely experience tornados in the PNW, and all this atmospheric turbulence made me curious about how the imagery of the whirlwind is used in the Bible and if it might be instructive for us. 

After my study, I would say that there seem to be four types of whirlwinds (tornados) in the Bible, and though they are not measured on the EF (Enhanced Fujita) scale they can often be life-changing.

Have you seen any of these storms in your neighborhood?

 1.    The Whirlwind of Tragedy & Testing

As the wind picks up and the background music intensifies, let's read Job 1:8-11 together—to set the stage. Remember, Job did not know of this at the time…

And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”

Do you remember the wonderful 1972 children’s book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? If you haven’t read it, you need to do so. This was Job’s “Alexander day,” or perhaps it was Alexander who had a “Job day.”

Job 1:13-19 recounts the story of Job’s really dreadful day. The ruinous hammer blows of traumatic loss fall one after the other with no pause for Job to catch his breath, the reports punctuated only with the thrice-repeated, “While he was yet speaking….”

Photo by Nikolas Noonan on Unsplash

Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and there came a messenger to Job and said,

“The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

Let’s review the losses Job suffered and then learned about at that moment.

• The Sabeans (from the south) take 1000 Oxen, and 500 Donkeys, and kill all his servants but one (“and I alone survived”).
• The “fire of God” burned up 7000 of his sheep (“and I alone survived”).
• The Chaldeans (from the north) stole 3000 camels (“and I alone survived”).
• Finally, the whirlwind (from the east) demolished the house and killed his kids. Behind the scenes, we know that it was the devil who destroyed Job’s sons and daughters to get Job to curse God.

If we have any compassion at all then after reading this we are grieving in our hearts for our dear brother Job. If we have any awareness, then reading a passage like this prompts us to ask introspective questions like, “What do we do when things fall apart?” Or “How deep are my roots when dealing with the disappointment of circumstances?”

From the Bible, we learn how Job responded, much to the devil’s chagrin.

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. (Job 1:20-22)

Later, as his suffering only increased, Job responded with agonizing honesty,

 For he crushes    me with a tempest
      and multiplies my wounds without cause;
       he will not let me get my breath,
                 but fills me with bitterness. (Job 9:17-18) 

Centuries, if not millennia, later, Paul and Silas had a pretty difficult day in Philippi and were beaten and jailed most cruelly. In Acts 16:22-34, we read how they responded despite pain, humiliation, and being chained in the smelly darkness of the inner dungeon in Philippi. In that moment of intense and unjust agony, Paul and Silas showed that the roots of their faith were attached to the Rock. Christ was their foundation in such a powerful way that they remained steady even when the prison was shaken to pieces by an earthquake. Jesus said that when we hear and obey his words, then we too are building the “house” of our lives on the rock. 

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them
will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
And the rain fell, and the floods came,
and the winds blew and beat on that house,
but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.
And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them
will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
And the rain fell, and the floods came,
and the winds blew and beat against that house,
and it fell, and great was the fall of it. (Matthew 7:24-27)

In another one of Jesus’ teachings, he gave this spiritual PSA,

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. (Luke 21:33-34)

While none of us look forward to tragedy and testing and the mess it can make of towns and lives, we can prepare our hearts ahead of time so that tests might be passed, and tragedies will only reveal that we trust Jesus. As a result, I pray that we may be able to offer true care and comfort to those around us, and effectively transition the ministry to the next generation (2 Tim. 2:2). On that note, let me say that the second textual function of the whirlwind is one of transition.

2.    The Whirlwind of Transition (2 Kings 2)

In this world, change is the norm. There are countless transitions taking place around us all the time. Leadership change is no different. In 2 Kings 2:1 and 11, we read the narrative about one such transition. It was when Elijah was being taken up in a whirlwind as Elisha watched with dismay, for he didn’t want his mentor to leave.

v. 1 Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

v.11 And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org

In this narrative, there are a couple of things that I noticed. First, when faced with Elijah’s impending whirlwind departure, Elisha remained relationally committed to the very end. In this way, he was rather the Samwise Gamgee of the northern kingdom. While he was not in denial, neither would he be dissuaded, nor discouraged by anyone from keeping his repeated vow to Elijah, “As the Lord lives…I will not leave you” (v. 2, 4, 6). Second, instead of being full of himself and confident in his abilities, Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit (v.9) …for he knew he would need it to fill Elijah’s sandals. Third, this whirlwind began a new season of ministry for Elisha (v.11), one in which he would need to trust the Lord more than ever. Thankfully, trusting the Lord is just what we are asked to do, especially when everything around us is changing so quickly.

This brings me to the third biblical function of the whirlwind—judgment.

3.    The Whirlwind of Judgment (God)

People say stupid things… they regularly make bad arguments, they frequently fail to encourage others, and like Job’s “friends,” they occasionally misrepresent God. Times of acute disease, disaster, and destruction are no different. What is one of the first unhelpful and unkind things that religious people say when disaster strikes? They find a person or group to blame as the designated and deserving recipient of God’s righteous judgment.

Why don’t we ever learn the lesson of Job? There is no clear connection between righteousness and worldly wealth, comfort, and power.

It is important to note at this point that God’s cycle of reward and recompense is not
necessarily contained in this life. The sooner we learn this the more frustration we can be spared and the less likely we will say hurtful things to already hurting people.

Remember that comment that launched me down this metaphorical path? It is from Hosea 8:7 and was spoken against the northern kingdom of Israel

For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.
The standing grain has no heads; it shall yield no flour;
if it were to yield, strangers would devour it.

The metaphor of a whirlwind used for the coming of God’s judgment is found at least seven times in the prophetic writings, including twice in Isaiah (66:15; 5:28). It often happens at the hands of other nations. God promised that he would use other nations to discipline Israel, but then those nations would also be judged for their sins.

These judgments described are more national than personal[1], which is appropriate since nations must be judged in this life. They are not eternal and can’t be judged in the next life. Here are several examples:

• Israel’s sin was judged by Assyria, which was then judged by Babylon
• Judah was also judged by Babylon
• Babylon was later judged by Persia, who was judged by Greece, who was judged by Rome, who was judged by Visigoths, and Vandals, who were eventually defeated by the Byzantines (Eastern Roman Empire) which would be caught between Crusaders and Ottomans…and the cycle continued for nations must be judged in this life.

In Psalm 77:1-10, there is a lament that sounds so much like Job’s lament, I am going to use it to segue into my last point. During his season of trouble, the psalmist declared the anguish of his soul to the Lord, and then in v. 10-11 he began to intentionally remember what God had done for them in the past. This faith-inspiring review culminated in a poetic description of the judgment of God on the oppressor (Egypt) and the liberation of Israel in the exodus. Once again, we encounter the whirlwind metaphor, for it is used in verse 18 to describe a theophanic storm as God’s delivering power was manifested in the Exodus, which in turn reveals something wonderful about the Lord himself.

4.    The Whirlwind of Revelation (and answered prayer)

In what is arguably the longest divine monologue in the Bible—four whole chapters (Job 38-41)—which was appropriately spoken from a whirlwind.[2] “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said…” (Job 38:1 & 40:6). Is it possible that something as fearsome as a tornado can reveal something about the Lord? This moment in Job’s life was revelatory indeed. Job had been crying out for an audience with God, and now he had one. “Dress like a man I will question you, and you will make it known to me.” (Job 38:3 & 40:7)

What is the conclusion of the matter? The lesson is that we, like Job, really don’t know what we are talking about. Our ideas about God fall so far short that we cannot know him if he doesn’t reveal himself to us. And knowledge of God is too much for us to process. God reveals himself and, like Job, we are overwhelmed, and our heads begin to spin! We learn that he is God, and we are not…and that is an exceptionally good thing! And as far as his plans go, God’s end for us is far better than our beginning, even when we don’t see it yet.

I once read a quote attributed to Malcolm Muggeridge that is very fitting, “Every happening, great and small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message.”

So what can we learn from our local “parable of the whirlwind”? I am sure that you might have your own list of lessons. Here are some of mine…

• Circumstances will test our faith, so our roots need to be deep, and our houses must be solidly built on the rock by hearing and obeying Jesus’ words.
• Promises can be kept even in times of transition.
• God will judge unjust nations.
• Sometimes God speaks most clearly during the storm.
• I don’t have the full picture of what God is doing.
• God is God, and we are not. [For this I am grateful]

“Since the earliest days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, gratitude has been the defining characteristic of how the people of God abide in the loving community of the Trinity. God provides, and we, at our very best, respond with praise and thanksgiving.” (Slow Church, Smith & Pattison, 177)

The following is a short poem I wrote many years ago that seems to fit this context...

                 A Supernatural Wind

A great, vehement, tempestuous, boisterous wind,
A wind too strong
For us,
Will come
Testing, building, forcing trust,
Sifting and purifying.

Will we be wheat revealed,
Or chaff removed like so much whirling dust?

Will we even now,
Before the Supernatural Wind,
Bend,
In willing worship, a dance of joyful obedience, or
Break,
In stubborn resistance, denial? 

                     © Greg K. Dueker

Asking the Right Question

So, when we face either the literal or metaphorical whirlwinds of life, it is important to ask the right question. Instead of immediately whining with the overused “Why me?” lament, or its cousin, “Why them?” it is more productive to ask the Lord to help you discern what type of whirlwind you are facing. Whether this occurrence or season is a whirlwind of tragedy and testing, of transition, divine judgment (of systems), or revelation. It makes a difference in our ability to respond appropriately. Also, applying Joseph’s hard-bought wisdom (Gen. 50:20-21) brings us a helpful kingdom perspective.

Prayer

Precious Father, Gracious Lord, Life-giving Spirit, please let us hear your voice calling our hearts back to you, and may we respond to your amazing love with love. May our mouths be filled with gratitude, even in storms and droughts that you use to strengthen us and to drive our roots deep. And may our hands and feet be blessed to participate in your mission this week!

---

[1] Prov. 1:27 is the closest to something personal—it is descriptive of Wisdom’s warning.

[2] This was interrupted only by Job’s three-verse answer in 40:3-5.

Is Anyone Among You…? (A Reflection on James 5)

Photo by Adele Payman on Unsplash

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. (James 5:7-10)

Patience is hard for Americans. We want everything immediately because our lifestyle is characterized by hurry. At some point, technology stopped making our lives better and just raised the expectations for how much work we could accomplish in a day. In terms of spiritual formation, we would like to get there today, without continuing to wait and walk through the cycle of seasons—plowing, planting, watering, and reaping. We would like to shortcut the process in our lives and want others to do the same. It is extremely easy to grumble about the lack of maturity in others as a way of distracting ourselves from self-reflection. We have little patience for the failings of others, and so they (and we) have learned to cover them up or withdraw from the community. 

However, we are on this journey together—something that James realized long ago. We are relational creatures made in the image of a relational God. So, we should not be surprised at the “Is anyone” questions in James’ epistle. 

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

James 5:13-16, 19-20 

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.

Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 

And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.

And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. 

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working… My brothers, 

if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

As a seminary professor, I love to interact with students and hold it a high honor when they share something of their story with me. In the last couple of years, in a spiritual formation class, I have asked students to do an exercise entitled, Where Am I and How Did I Get Here? Our Journey with God. While I do not intend it to dredge up the pain and failure of the past, it does do that and exposes it to the light of God’s love.

I am amazed by two things: first, the level of brokenness many students bring with them from their families of origin, and second, their willingness to share their stories with me and others. I just finished reading this year’s batch, and they reminded me of the passages above from James 5 and of Paul’s statement in Romans 12:14-15,

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.                                 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Well, the truth is that there are many “anyone” people—not just around us, but among us, who might share their stories if we would listen without rejecting them or grumbling about them.

The list here in James 5 is not exhaustive but representative, so whether anyone is suffering, cheerful, sick, or wandering, the Spirit encourages us to help them draw nearer to Jesus rather than allow them to think they must shrink back in shame. What other "anyones" might we find in our midst? Those who suffer at the hands of others—the abused, the abandoned, the betrayed, the shamed, the falsely accused, the tormented, the lonely, the misunderstood, the unappreciated, the invisible ones. There are also those who, by their actions or inactions, are the cause of their own suffering and that of others. Compassionate comfort and correction should always be offered to others with great care to follow Christ’s example of not snuffing out the smoldering wick or breaking the bruised reed (Matt. 12:20). Jesus’ desire is to bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free (Psa. 34:18; 147:3; Isa 57:15, 61:1) which, more often than we know, includes us and those near to us. And in Christ, by the Holy Spirit, this work is done. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, used an affectively descriptive name for God and offered the hope of healing.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Pastors and Christian leaders are no exception. Even in James' representative list—suffering, cheerful, sick, or wandering—only one in four examples might be desirable. We need to have our brothers and sisters come alongside us in our joy and in our pain, in our certainty, and in our doubt, no less than anyone else. If it seems that nobody cares, then check one of the first posts on this blog that touches on Psalm 142, A Cupbearer is a Brother (or Sister) in Arms.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

I would suggest that our spiritual formation/maturity is not about our curating an external “appearance of godliness” but about our enthusiastic response to the love of God that has been poured into our hearts by the indwelling presence of the Spirit (Rom. 5:5). Our repentance is not merely external/behavioral but internal/relational in that it is a return to the Father, Son, and Spirit who loves us completely. 

Is anyone among you… thankful? Yep, I am too.

Hearts Guarded by Peace (A reflection on Philippians 4 and Isaiah 31)

Philippians 4:5b—8, 13

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

These are very well-known verses. However, it does us good to be reminded of God’s nearness and power on our behalf. These are anxious days, and so many people suffer from various forms of anxiety, some to the point of needing medication and other therapies. However, in this passage, we have a great weapon against the fears, anxieties, and ineffective coping behaviors that we might face. This passage says that we are neither alone nor separated from God by any distance. The Lord is “near” or “at hand,” and that should calm us down. We can talk to him about everything…and remember how much we have to be thankful for. In a post on Col. 4, I talked about thanksgiving/gratitude functioning like a vaccination against, and an antidote for, PTSD. No matter what we face, if we focus on what we can be thankful for, we will come out better than if we just get mad. Today I want to also add that v. 8 contains a positive replacement for all the worries and other concerns that might want to overwhelm us. There are so many wonderful things for us to think about, but they make for poor ratings on a news show. In the end, news media is geared to produce anxiety, and prayerfully practicing the presence of God guards against it.

Photo by Jeremy Bezanger on Unsplash

The question is, will I turn to the Lord in prayer when faced with a moment of anxiety and fear or will I run somewhere else? Isaiah 30-31 warns Judah about how they should respond to a real threat. Isaiah was dealing with Judah’s desire to run to Egypt for help against the invading Assyrians. 

Though written some 25 centuries ago, the words of Isaiah 31:1-3 are still powerful!

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help
    and rely on horses,
who trust in chariots because they are many
    and in horsemen because they are very strong,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel
    or consult the Lord!
And yet he is wise and brings disaster;
    he does not call back his words,
but will arise against the house of the evildoers
    and against the helpers of those who work iniquity.
The Egyptians are man, and not God,
    and their horses are flesh, and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,
    the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall,
    and they will all perish together.

While we have more advanced technology today, the principle is the same. Will we relationally return to the Lord, resting/trusting in him for direction, correction, and protection, or will we try to find a different way? Why would we turn away from the Lord for a merely human solution? Sadly, we, like Judah, are stubborn and unwilling to admit that we need God’s help.

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
    in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
But you were unwilling, (30:15)

Gustave Dore (1832-1883),
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Even so, though we suffer for our stubbornness, God in his love still works on our behalf.

Verse 8 says that when we cast away our idols (false trusts) and return to the Lord,

“And the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of man;
    and a sword, not of man, shall devour him…”

We know from history (2 Kings 19:35) that the Assyrian army (185,000 soldiers) was destroyed in a single night.

O Lord God, Holy Father, Son, and Spirit, I cry out to you now and renounce the false trusts that lobby for my heart’s attention. You are near, and that makes all the difference. Let me sense your nearness amid the challenges I face today, and may I see your might at work in marvelous ways. I don’t want to settle for human solutions like horses and Egypt and the false confidence they bring. Please restore an attitude of quietness and trust in my heart that will strengthen me to stand and bear witness to your steadfast love for an anxious generation. Blessed be your name, Jesus, for you are strong to save, even today!

Triumphant Thankfulness (A SOAP Journal from Exodus15 and Romans 1)

In addition to regular articles, I regularly post some simple SOAP journals that were produced during a regular small group gathering to read, journal, pray, and encourage one another. These are not exhaustively studied as they are generally the work of 20 minutes of reading, 20 minutes of writing, and 20 minutes of sharing with each other what we have written. Whether we are Christian leaders or new believers, this collective approach to Bible journaling is encouraging.

If you are not familiar with the term, we used the SOAP acronym as a simple devotional guide... standing for:

• Scripture—what verse or short section caught my attention today? 
  
• Observation—what can I briefly notice that the passage specifically says?
• Application—what will I do differently as a result of having read this today?
• Prayer—what will I ask the Triune God to do for, in, and through me today?

Where God Looks (Isaiah 66:1-5)

Photo by Cristian Newman on Unsplash

Thus says the Lord:

“Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
    and what is the place of my rest?
All these things my hand has made,
    and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
    he who is humble and contrite in spirit 
    and trembles at my word. (vv.1-2)

As humans, we tend to be impressed by great buildings and monuments to our accomplishments. Here, God says that even the greatest building (the Temple) cannot compare to what he has made in the act of creation. Anything we have built is ultimately dependent upon what God has done anyway. The encouraging part is in verse 2 when God reveals what captures his attention and what brings him near.

But this is the one to whom I will look:
    he who is humble and contrite in spirit
    and trembles at my word.

God is paradoxically drawn to those who are “humble and contrite in spirit” for life in God’s love is not about our impressing him with our "great" accomplishments but about our humble yet eager response to his presence with us. Do we tremble at his word? Are we quick to respond, or are we like those who reject both God’s word and God’s people?

Photo by Fa Barboza on Unsplash

Hear the word of the Lord,
    you who tremble at his word:
“Your brothers who hate you
    and cast you out for my name's sake
have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified,
    that we may see your joy’;
    but it is they who shall be put to shame. (v.5)

While in this life, the humble may be rejected and mocked by influencers and instructors, they will not be rejected nor distanced from the Lord, and in the end, the Lord will render to the mockers and trolls their recompense (v.6) while the humble will be filled with joy!

This passage reminds me of an incident from the ministry of Jesus that is recorded for us in John 9. It tells us about the fallout from a miracle...of a time when Jesus healed a man who had been born blind. After the healing, because its timing violated the Pharisees' interpretation of the sabbath rules, the man was repeatedly questioned by the Pharisees. Finally, they "cast him out" when his insightful responses hit too close to home. Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there. Jesus heard about it and went to find the formerly blind man who had been banished by the religious leaders. It was then that the man’s eyes were opened to believe in Jesus—he was able to see spiritually as well as physically! It is in the hard times that Jesus invites us to believe in him, to trust him enough to cast our cares/anxieties on him, and he will exalt us as he draws us close!

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Today, as I humble my heart before the Lord, I will remember that he is near and that he is for me. He sees my situation; he loves me anyway. He does not require or desire sacrifices but only a humble heart that longs to obey. When I read the Bible today, I will lean into the tremble, the challenge, and the wonder of what God has said!

O Lord, you know my weaknesses and my failures, and yet as I am humble before your presence and your word, you look to me like I am a great building. You do not come to me because I am sanctified and lifted up, but the opposite. You sanctify me and lift me up because you have come near, because you have brought it to pass. Thank you for your love and the transformation you bring! Cause me to care more for the humble and contrite in spirit than for the supposedly great works of human pride. 

"What Do You See?" A Pastoral Reflection on Jeremiah 1.

Photo: Greg K Dueker

I teach students preparing for Christian ministry. Some share that they struggle with the lack of opportunity in the church for younger leaders, and it causes them to doubt their calling. At the same time, I see other more experienced pastors and ministry leaders who are struggling with their own long-term ministry resiliency. So many sense a calling, even having some kind of "vision" for how they will participate in the work of the kingdom, at the beginning of their ministry, but then they seem to lose clarity and confidence over the years. The last couple of years (2020-21) have been especially hard on ministry students and established pastors alike. So many of us have been in survival mode. However, in seasons of difficulty, when other needs and noises are stripped away, we may hear God reassuring us of his invitation and empowerment, if we will listen! He has not stopped working. 

At the beginning of the prophetic book of Jeremiah, we have a record of how God first called, then confirmed, and encouraged the young priest Jeremiah to step out of his comfort zone into a world-shaking prophetic ministry. As I read this passage afresh, this week, I was moved to consider how it might be applied in our contexts today.

Let's take a look at Jeremiah 1:11-14 together in light of ministry in difficult times...

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 

                           “Jeremiah, what do you see?”

                                            And I said, “I see an almond branch.” 

    Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well,                                                                                                             for I am watching over my word to perform it.” (v. 11-12)

Blooming Almond Trees
Photo by Steffen Lemmerzahl on Unsplash

This first vision comes after the Lord has spoken that he had put his word in Jeremiah (v.4-10). It almost has the feel of a trial run or a practice swing before something more complicated comes. Not only was it a simple vision, but the Lord gave Jeremiah immediate feedback. Is it not that way with the gifts and calling of the Lord, that first, when we are asked to be faithful in a little, before we are entrusted with much?  

Once it has been established that Jeremiah had both seen and spoken the vision correctly, we see that the Lord is “watching over his word” …to bring to pass what he has said. Has the Lord given us a vision that we are supposed to share with others? A message of repentance calling his wandering children home to the God who loves them? A message of hope that God is working through the very difficulties that we are facing? I am convinced that we all have a part to play if we will lovingly trust and obey. 

Do you wonder why God started Jeremiah off with a vision of an almond branch? Well, it is a homophone that sounds like the word for watching. The almond is also the first tree to bloom in that part of the world and is referred to as the "wake-up tree". This is powerful as a metaphor for the prophetic role. However, doesn’t this remind you of something else that was inside the ark of the covenant? Is it possible that the vision of the almond branch might have reminded Jeremiah of Aaron’s staff that budded in Numbers 17:8? That staff was a sign that God had chosen Aaron and his sons for the priesthood (as opposed to Korah, Dathan, and Abiram et al) and should have encouraged Jeremiah, the uncertain young priest, that God’s choice to use him to speak a wake-up call to the people was settled.

The word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, facing away from the north.” Then the Lord said to me, “Out of the north disaster shall be let loose upon all the inhabitants of the land. (v. 13-14)

Photo by 🇮🇳Saif Ali on Unsplash

The second vision God gave to Jeremiah was also pretty straightforward. It was a simple, "See the vision and report what you see" type of assignment. As a teacher, I can appreciate the Lord's pedagogy here. Jeremiah was being given the prophetic equivalent of baseball’s Spring Training before he would have to preach these messages to the public. In the process, the Lord dealt with any possible fear or dismay that might have discouraged Jeremiah.

As we try to recover from more than a year of viral conflicts and Covid-19 challenges, and we wonder about the future of our ministry and calling and whether we have the strength to press forward, I hope that we can all find a bit of hope in the commissioning of Jeremiah. He was called to a task that required resiliency. He would be attacked, both verbally and physically, and yet he was commissioned to speak the truth to the people. He was not alone in this mission, and neither are we.

And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you. (v. 18-19)

When I think through this narrative of a young and somewhat reluctant prophet, there are many ways that it resonates with me… though I am no longer young. I think that as Jeremiah leaned into the call of God, he must have been moved by more than duty. He must have been responding to the amazing love of God! My mother’s favorite Bible verse, which she regularly slipped into letters and cards over the years, was,

I have loved you with an everlasting love;
    therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. (Jer. 31:3)

Now that she is no longer able to send such encouragement, that verse means more to me than ever. Jeremiah certainly was privy to the affective-relational heart of God's message, but too often we lose sight of love in our pursuit of success and the subsequent boasting related to our efforts and programs. Yet the Lord calls us back to what is most important...

Thus says the Lord: 

    “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom,

      let not the mighty man boast in his might,

      let not the rich man boast in his riches, but 

      let him who boasts boast in this,

                            that he understands and knows me,

                            that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love,

                                                                                 justice, and

                                                                                 righteousness in the earth.       

   For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (9:23-24)

So I am encouraged by passages like these to see my calling and my success in terms of faithfulness in response to his steadfast love rather than in more crassly economic measurements. 

As the Lord speaks into our lives by the Spirit through his Word, what is it that we see? What will we speak about? When we speak does it sound like Jesus? Will we be moved to respond relationally to God's wonderful love? I hope so. In such love, there is great resiliency.

By the way, there is one other place where God asked, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” (Jer. 24:3-7ff). If you want to do a little homework, ask yourself how the context of that final passage relates to what we have experienced in recent months, and how it might speak to the way that we respond to the current ministry challenges we are facing. How does it contrast self-reliance with surrender? I will leave those answers up to you. But feel free to chime in through the comment section with your helpful suggestions!