A Crucial Word For August 2019

Before I throw some disjointed, yet thought provoking, phrases at you this morning; I want to just say that evil is not something I spend a lot of time worrying about.

However many people do.  

And so this reminder of God’s amazing ability to bring order out of chaos.

The quotes come from Eugene Peterson’s book: Run With The Horses.  

This book is a fascinating read.  I highly recommend it.

Peterson begins his book by talking about the importance of living our lives with a purpose way beyond what we believe we are capable of. 

1 The Message of Jeremiah …..

Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations - that's what I had in mind for you." 

6 But I said, "Hold it, Master God! Look at me. I don't know anything. I'm only a boy!" (Jere. 1)

He proceeds to write about the Prophet Jeremiah who, though-out his ministry lived beyond what he ever imagined he was capable of doing.

In the Chapter, from which I share the quotes below, Peterson is talking about the second vision God gave Jeremiah.  The boiling pot ( Jere, 1:14-16).   A pot of scalding hot water to be poured upon Judea to wash the land clean of evil.

I pulled these quote out of the context of Peterson's message;  because I think they are important for the world we all live in today.

A good reminder of why we must keep constantly before us — like Jeremiah did — that the truth of God’s activity, and wisdom, are in the mix of the messiness  today.

“Uninstructed and untrained we let evil seep through the atmosphere and through our emotions like a fog, obscuring the sharp outlines of reality and absorbing everything in its ominous, soggy gray.”

“..evil has limits.…”

“It is certainly true that there is evil in the world — a great deal of it.”

“…evil is not everything, and it is not everywhere….”

“The evil that has its paralyzing grip on everyone is not a wild, uncontrollable evil; it is a carefully commanded judgment, with God as the commander. The boiling pot reduces evil to a location and a use.”

“We cannot afford to be naive about evil…..”

(page 55)

“If we forget that the newspapers are footnotes to Scripture and not the other way around, we will finally be afraid to get out of bed in the morning.”  (page 56)

“We underestimate God and we overestimate evil.  We don’t see what God is doing and conclude that he is doing nothing..”

“…..live with a keen edge of hope and never be intimidated by evil.”

“…trust what we do not see.”

  (page 57)

A crucial word  for  August 2019

1 The Message of Jeremiah …..

Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations - that's what I had in mind for you." 

6 But I said, "Hold it, Master God! Look at me. I don't know anything. I'm only a boy!" 

7 God told me, "Don't say, 'I'm only a boy.' I'll tell you where to go and you'll go there. I'll tell you what to say and you'll say it.

 8 Don't be afraid of a soul. I'll be right there, looking after you." God's Decree. 

9 God reached out, touched my mouth, and said, "Look! I've just put my words in your mouth - hand-delivered! 10 See what I've done? I've given you a job to do among nations and governments -

18 "Stand at attention while I prepare you for your work. I'm making you as impregnable as a castle, Immovable as a steel post, solid as a concrete block wall. You're a one-man defense system against this culture, Against Judah's kings and princes, against the priests and local leaders. 

19 They'll fight you, but they won't even scratch you. I'll back you up every inch of the way." God's Decree.

(Jeremiah 1 The Message)