Have you ever seen a small child being lifted up in the air by their parents and then gently placed on the ground as they giggle and say the word “again?” Their giggle and the word again meant they enjoyed what just happened because they trusted the parent not to drop them. Their trust is so high they giggle and laugh and cry for more.
This is the type of trust Jeremiah the prophet had in the Lord. Jeremiah may not have been laughing or giggling as he went about his ministry, but he trusted deeply in the Lord. He trusted the Lord to correct the false prophet Hananiah. Hananiah was a false prophet in Judah who told the people all the things the people wanted to hear. The bad news was his words did not come from the Lord and he deceived the people.
How do I develop the trust Jeremiah had in the Lord? In Hebrews 11:1 it says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.[1] Faith is trust. Faith is not reason or figuring things out. A small child has faith a parent won’t drop them, because a child can’t reason.
Trust begins when we cry out to the Lord in prayer for help. Lord help me to trust you. Holy Spirit open my heart to walk by faith. Lord Jesus bring your word alive so I can understand what you are saying. Our heavenly Father knows when we are sincerely seeking Him and will open doors for us to grow in trust and faith. We read in Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.[2]
Is the Lord calling you to take a step of faith and to grow in trusting Him? If you did how would that begin to change your life?
To hear the story of Jeremiah, listen here:
If you would like more teaching on Jeremiah listen here:
[1, 2] The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). (Heb 11:1, Proverbs 3:5-6). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.