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Daily Devotions

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 
Day 
Day 164

"Let me talk with You about Your Judgments"

Text: Jeremiah 12:1

TALKING TO GOD CANDIDLY

Jeremiah maintained a very close relationship with the Lord. He was able to speak to the LORD candidly about what he felt deep down. (Another prophet who spoke to God about the prosperity of the wicked was Habakkuk.)

“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?
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.”
Jeremiah 12:1-2

1. “Righteous are You”

a) Jeremiah made sure that his understanding of God was correct.
b) God is essentially righteous.
c) His deeds stem from His righteousness.

2. “When I plead with You”

a) Jeremiah was speaking to God in prayer.
b) He was going to raise some issues with God.

3. “Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments”

a) Jeremiah would like to speak to God about His judgments.
b) Some of them were puzzling to the prophet.

4. “Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?”

a) There were two issues he wanted to raise up to the LORD.
b) The issue of prosperity.
i) He noted that some of the wicked were prosperous.
ii) Why should they be so prosperous?
iii) Why had God not judged them for their wickedness?
c) The issue of happiness.
i) There were some who were treacherous.
ii) Yet, they seemed to lead a happy life.
iii) Why had God allowed them such happiness?

5. “You have planted them, yes, they have taken root; they grow, yes, they bear fruit”

a) Ultimately God is involved.
b) God seems to have planted them.
i) They take root.
ii) They grow.
iii) They even bear fruit!
c) This was an irksome thought!

6. “You are near in their mouth but far from their mind”

a) Jeremiah informs God about the wicked who were both rich and happy.
b) They speak of God in their mouth.
c) But in reality, God was far from their mind.
d) He believes that God knows all these things too.
i) Why were the wicked able to bear fruit?
ii) The “fruit” here is a reference to “wealth”.
e) Jeremiah was perplexed and had to bring all these concerns to God in prayer!