October 19, 2023
Jeremiah 1:11-19
“And God said, 'Good eyes! I'm sticking with you...'”
This passage is not what I would call comforting. God is telling Jeremiah what his message is going to be and that he needs to stand firm in speaking this message. The message is going to be hard. This is part of the pulling up and tearing down that was described to him earlier in his conversation with God.
I have to imagine that Jeremiah probably felt his stomach hurt a little bit.
As I was thinking about this passage memories of difficult conversations ran through my head. Conversations that I knew I needed to have but sure didn't want to have. I always get really nervous before those meetings. I can feel it in my body. My heart beats a little faster, my palms sweat a bit, it's a palpable anxiety.
I can't even begin to imagine the feeling that Jeremiah must have had.
But, then he hears from God, “I'm sticking with you.”
This idea of the God-With-Me-God is pervasive throughout Jeremiah's story and it starts right here.
God-With-Me-God, I think has to be one of the most encouraging ideas to come out of the story of the Bible.
When Jesus enters the scene he is called, Emmanuel, God-with-us.
As I consider the differences between the Old and New Testaments that is one of the significant shifts that I notice, the move from me to us after God-With. The story of the Old Testament is marked by an understanding of the God-With-Me-God and the story of the New Testament is marked by an understanding of the God-With-Us-God. God is not different. But in the New Testament we begin to understand that God is most fully known in community.
I am pondering this question today, “Do I believe that as I draw near to others, I am in effect, drawing near to God?”
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