#DailyDevotion Bring Your Complaint To The LORD
Jeremiah 1515LORD, You understand.Remember me, come to help me, and take vengeance on those who pursue me. You are very patient; don’t let me be snatched away. You know that for Your sake I’ve been insulted. 16When Your words were found, I devoured them, and Your Word became a joy to me and delighted my heart because I bear Your name, LORD, God of armies. 17I didn’t keep company with people who laugh and have fun. A I sat alone because Your hand had taken hold of me and You had filled me with indignation. 18Why is there no end to my pain, no cure for my wound that refuses to heal? Are You actually like a deceitful brook to me, water that fails?
There are a number of people who complain to the LORD in the Old Testament. Job is probably the well known of them. Second to Job is Jeremiah. Jeremiah has one whole book in the Old Testament called Lamentations consisting solely of his complaint to the LORD. But what we will see is there is a difference from complaint or lament and plain old grumbling like the Israelites did in the wilderness with Moses. With the Israelites they complained without faith. They did not appeal to the promises or word of God when they complained. They did not believe the LORD would do anything about their condition.
Let us look though at the complaint or lament of Jeremiah in these words. He begins here with the LORD knowing or understanding what he is going through. It’s not as if he thinks God is not paying attention. Not only does the LORD know because he knows everything, but he knows what Jeremiah is going through personally.
Because of the LORD’s remembrance of Jeremiah, Jeremiah commands the LORD to do three things here, Remember, Help and take Vengeance. Remembering is a big thing. It calls upon the LORD to not only to remember you exist but that you exist in a covenantal relationship. Part of that relationship is to be of help to those who trust in him. Those who trust in the LORD trust that the LORD will fulfill his word and get vengeance on those who harm his people. As Paul says in quoting Deuteronomy, Romans 1219 “Don’t take revenge, dear friends, but let God punish, because the Bible says: ‘I alone have the right to avenge. I will pay back,’ says the Lord.”
Jeremiah then goes into his complaint. It seems as if God is too patient with his enemies. He is not rescuing Jeremiah quick enough. Jeremiah complains he’s done everything he is supposed to do. Even though Jeremiah took joy in the LORD’s word, had the LORD’s name and wasn’t foolish, the LORD had laid his hand upon them and had him sit in the dust. He questions whether the LORD had actually deceived him.
The good news here is like Jeremiah you can take your complaint to the LORD. You can remind the LORD of his promises because of Jesus Christ has done for you on the cross and his promise he will never leave you or forsake you. He will not shake you off when you complain about your situation when you remind him of what he has promised to do for you. Latch onto him and don’t let go.
Heavenly Father, open our mouths and put upon our lips complaints of trusting in you when we feel we have been abandoned, bearing the cross you have laid on us so we may more greatly trust in your promises. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Very good. The Dr. asked me about my Military Sexual Trauma. She was the Anerhiologisr. I said as long as it wasn’t SSGT Terry Tucker who woke me up that I I would be safe.