Jeremiah 12:1

 Jeremiah 12:1 says, Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?  Jeremiah begins by acknowledging the righteousness of God, and so should we when we speak to Him in prayer.  Whatever is happening in the world is not going to change the righteousness of God.  Jeremiah did not come to God making demands, but came pleading to Him.  He had valid questions about why it seemed that the wicked prospered, and we may ask the same question today, but we cannot do so while blaming God for treating us unfairly.  Verse two adds, Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.  Jeremiah said that God had planted the people of Judah, but that they had not taken root, or grown in the ways that they should as His people.  He said they only paid lip service to God.  Many people today profess to believe God, but their actions are not consistent with their words.  Verse three declares, But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.  Jeremiah said that God knew him and his heart.  God knows us better than we even know ourselves.  Jeremiah asked God to punish the wicked.  This is never our call to make, but we must simply put our faith in the fact that one day God will punish the wicked.  Verse four asks, How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.  Jeremiah asked God how long the land would suffer because of the sins of the people of Judah.  When those who profess to be God's people turn away from His will, then we should not be surprised if the whole land suffers.  Verse five declares, 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?  God gave Jeremiah his answer by asking if he couldn't even run with the footmen then how could he run with the horses.  In other words, if Jeremiah could not hold strong in the smaller problems, then how would he be strong when the bigger ones came.  Our faith in God should be strong enough to keep us true to God in the small problems, and if we question God then, how are we going to do when the really big problems come long.  Verse six adds, For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.  Jeremiah was warned to beware of those who professed to be his brothers but rally persecuted him for what he was saying.  Verse seven declares, I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.  God told Jeremiah that He had forsaken His people because they had forsaken Him and started worshipping other gods.  God will never just arbitrarily abandon us, but if we abandon Him we should not expect to still have His protective hand on us.  Verse eight adds, Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it.  Those that were supposed to be the sheep of God's pasture had instead turned into ravenous lions, and God said He hated that.  Verse nine continues, Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour.  God's chosen people had become a group who fought against each other and destroyed each other.  If we are truly one of God's people, we cannot be fighting against each other, and we certainly cannot be fighting against God's word and hope to be successful in our relationship to Him.