You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. (Jeremiah 20:7)
Over the decades as a coach and a trainer, I have been able to tell the athletes if they did certain things, they could expect certain results. For example, for those who had the goal of getting stronger, participating in a consistent weight training program would produce the desired result. For the goal of increasing speed, a systematic running and sprinting program would be the way to go. However, inasmuch as this principle is at work for the Christian who desires a closer walk with Jesus (Bible Study, Prayer, Corporate Worship, Service, etc.), often God will deliver to us something totally unexpected, perhaps even unwanted.
Today’s verse is an example of the unexpected. The prophet Jeremiah had not foreseen, nor did he expect, the trials he would have to experience and endure when God called him into his prophetic ministry. To be sure, Jeremiah’s preaching ministry did not return the results expected. His call from God was met with beatings and prison. I think you would agree, very often we find ourselves in the same situation as Jeremiah . . . experiencing the exact opposite of what we had expected God to do in our lives. Sadly, as a result of the “UNEXPECTED,” a root of bitterness can grow, robbing God of His glory and us of the good God intended.
Yet, our God is in the business of delivering the unexpected. Because God sees the beginning from the end, He knows what is best and He orchestrates events to produce His desired results, which are often, unexpected. Like Jeremiah, we did certain things and expected certain results. Unknowingly, we had put our God in a box. And once we put God in a box, we began serving the god we wanted, rather than the God who is. Here are three things we must remember if we are going to have any measure of peace and joy in this life:
- There is a God
- It is not me
- And I don’t get a vote
So, regardless of where this finds you today, remember, God is in the business of delivering the unexpected. We all need to take a lesson from the psalmist and keep these powerful words before us, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). The better we get at “being still” the better we will get at receiving the unexpected and the freedom, joy, and faithfulness it is designed to deliver.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 