Borrowed Light

That Fire in Your Bones

January 8, 2016Mike Leake

Cursed be the day on which I was born! The day when my mother bore me, let it not be blessed! Cursed be the ma who brought the news to my father, ‘A son is born to you,’ making him very glad…Why did I come out of the womb to see toil and sorrow, and spend my days in shame? –Jeremiah 20:14-15, 18

Wow, that dude is having a really bad day. What must the prophet be going through to make him say something like this?

Mocked by the people he is trying to help? Check.

Seeing the death of loved ones, and this by their own ignorance? Check.

Being put in stocks by a priest? Check.

Intense suffering with the promise of more difficulties to come? Check.

Now all of these things have Jeremiah cursing the day he was born. His life has been marked by sorrow and shame. But I’m convinced that none of these are really the thing that has him so down. I think it’s what he says here:

O LORD, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, “Violence and destruction!” For the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. (Jeremiah 20:7-9 ESV)

Jeremiah wants to keep his mouth shut. He knows by doing so his suffering will be diminished. God has called him to speak really uncomfortable words and it has gotten him put in stocks. And so he wants to just keep quiet but the Lord won’t let him. The suffering of silence and unfaithfulness is worse than the suffering of speech.

Now, I’ll confess, there have been some Monday’s or Thursday’s where I’ve dreamed about having a job doing something else. Anything. I’d even take a job which required walking behind elephants with a shovel and a bag.

And my suffering is nothing like what Jeremiah experienced. I haven’t seen anything yet. But I’ve seen enough to at least feel a little bit of what the prophet is experiencing. You know if you are silent that this fire in your bones will be burn you from the inside out. But you also know if you speak that things might not go so well. It seems in these moments like the best thing is just to walk away. The best solution would have been to just never have been born. Then you wouldn’t have this great burden upon your shoulders.

That’s what it feels like sometimes to be a pastor.

I’m sharing this for two reasons.

First, for those who aren’t pastors. Now before I get to the point of application let me tell you that I’m slightly sick of articles like the one I’m writing here. We pastors shouldn’t be whining and pretending like we have unique suffering. Yes, we have suffering unique to pastors, but isn’t this true of each job. When I had to clean toilets at Chick-fil-A I considered that a unique form of suffering.

Having said that, there really is a massive burden placed upon pastors. We really do feel at times like Jeremiah. So, pray for your pastor. Pray that his ministry among you will be a joy. Pray that this fire in his bones will not lead to persecution but to a joyous reception of what God is doing in our midst. Pray too that if it does lead to suffering that the suffering of silence will outweigh the suffering of persecution—in other words, that he will boldly proclaim God’s Word no matter what it means.

Secondly, to pastors. You aren’t alone. And just because you feel this way it doesn’t mean you aren’t being faithful. You might not even need to change a thing. Perhaps God has given you a season just like Jeremiah.

Take heart, our suffering is not in vain. God is doing something through us weak vessels. Our suffering is preparing for us something unique in glory. Keep pressing on. Don’t try to quench that fire in your bones to avoid suffering. Ministry is tough but its worth it. You don’t want to lose that fire, no matter what pain it might cause.

Jesus is worth it.

—

Image source: here

Today in Blogworld 01.08.16

January 8, 2016Mike Leake

Best Albums of 2015

Steve McCoy is my source for finding new music. He doesn’t disappoint with this 2015 list.

Top 10 YouTubes of 2015

I told you I was dreadfully behind on posting stuff to Today in Blogworld. Nonetheless, enjoy this list of the best vids from 2015.

How C.S. Lewis Made Christianity Seem Like Common Sense

I’m reading a book on Lewis and Tolkien right now (this one), so this article was of particular interest to me.

5 Books I Didn’t Read in 2015

Barnabas Piper doing what he does well—sarcasm.

Here is an otter eating upside down:

Should I Smash My Jeremiah 29:11 Coffee Mug?

January 7, 2016Mike Leake 2 Comments

When I graduated high school I remember getting key chains, coffee mugs, and probably even socks with Jeremiah 29:11 stamped on there somewhere. It’s a verse which we love to grab ahold of whenever the future isn’t so clear. What a terrific promise:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)

There is only one major problem with making this my life verse; namely, context. A good rule for faithful Bible study is to always make sure to place a text in its context. If you rip it out of its context you are not being faithful to God’s intention for that text. To accurately interpret what Jeremiah says our interpretation needs to make sense to the original audience.

In its context Jeremiah 29 is speaking to those who were carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon (see 29:4). That “you” in verse 11 is not to an individual it is to an entire nation. God is saying that though they will experience 70 years in exile (see 29:10) that he will eventually redeem the people of Israel. But some of those who heard Jeremiah 29:11 died in exile. This was a promise to a nation.

And so does this mean that I cannot apply it to my own life? Does Jeremiah 29:11 have no meaning to the 21st century believer? Do I smash my Jeremiah 29:11 coffee mug?

Not so fast.

When we talk about placing a text in its context we aren’t just saying to place it in its immediate context. We must place the Scripture into three contexts. As an example Randal Pelton, in his book Preaching With Accuracy, labels the three contexts as the textbi (textual big idea), conbi (contextual big idea), and canbi (canonical big idea). Others have referred to the three horizons of biblical interpretation.

So what does this mean (in simple English, please) for Jeremiah 29:11?

In the immediate context Jeremiah 29:11 is an encouragement to exiled believers. It is an encouragement that though they are going through the furnace God’s intention for this people is to give them a hope and a future.

This fits with the overall theme of Jeremiah. (The conbi, if you will). Jeremiah is writing to let his people know about the terrible times of the exile. But he is also writing to let them know that exile isn’t the end of the story. God is going to provide a new covenant with His people, and he is going to even do it through these exiled people.

How does he do it? Or to ask that another way, how does Jeremiah 29:11 fit into the overall message and thrust of Scripture?

It is true that the near application applies to the exiled people from Jerusalem to Babylon. But there is a greater truth in this passage than just that. God is radically dedicated to the future of His people. He will do whatever it takes (even exile) to create for Himself passionate worshippers. And he’ll ultimately create these passionate worshippers through the new covenant which comes through His Son, Jesus. The “future” and the “hope” that Jeremiah is talking about is found in the rescue that the Lord Jesus has provided.

So, don’t smash that coffee mug just yet. Sure, its not a promise that you’ll get that job promotion because God wants you to have a totally awesome future (as in, 10 years from now). But it is a promise that if you are in Christ, God is radically dedicated to your eternal good. The plans He has for you are great and wonderful. So wonderful that all the suffering you are going through now will be light and momentary in light of what God has in store for you.

As you swivel that Jeremiah 29:11 coffee mug in your hands and ponder the future—don’t claim this as a promise for your job promotion. It isn’t saying that. It’s saying something far greater. Keep the coffee mug but use it to exult in Jesus and the future that He has purchased for you.