Out Our Way: Time to get in shape - Jeremiah 18:1-12

Out our way, a winter of laziness and bad habits makes us unprepared for spring. Doc and I didn't ride much one winter season and, that spring, we found we had both gotten fat and lazy. I curried Doc and then sought to saddle him up, but found that his girth had increased to the point the cinch would barely fit.   

Ah, but he was not the only one who was out of shape. Seeing he was finally saddled, I started to step up - and found my own gut was bigger and was getting in the way as I tried to raise my foot into the stirrup. And when I finally did manage to get my foot secure and tried to step up, I found I had to use the horn and pull myself up, for I simply had grown so fat, that I couldn't swing up as I had easily done all the summer and fall before. Adding insult to injury, as I stepped up, ole Doc turned his head and gave me that look that seemed to say, "One at a time, Fatso!"  

Well, no question, we both needed to get back into shape if we were going to go with Charlie up on the Tiger Ridge and work cattle. Fat and lazy horses and cowhands are pretty useless for ranch work. Fat and lazy nations - especially those called to serve the Lord - are equally useless for the work of the Kingdom.

The nation of Judah had become fat and lazy over the years, letting self replace God in nearly all things. Instead of being a light to the pagans, they had very nearly blended in with the darkness. So, God sent prophets like Jeremiah to warn them to get back in shape. He used the illustration of a potter throwing a pot on his wheel. If, as he fashioned the pot out of the clay it would not hold its shape, he would undo his work and start over. Like a lump of clay a potter attempts to mold into a useful pot, if the clay does not hold its shape, the potter will smash it down and start over. So, God warned Judah, what would the Lord do with Judah if they continued to be "fat and lazy" Very plainly, He said, " If ... I announce that a nation or a kingdom is to be built up and planted, and it does evil in My sight and does not obey Me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it." [Jer. 18:9]. Indeed, He warned them that He was indeed bringing disaster upon them if they refused to turn away from the paganism that had taken over their culture and continued to seek the darkness instead of the Light. Sadly, they did not listen but "in their stubbornness" raced to self-destruction as a culture and a people. 

The Babylonians came amongst them around 600 BC, burning, destroying and looting. Even the Holy Temple of Solomon was destroyed, and Judah ceased to be a free nation for nearly 3,000 years. They would not become a free and independent nation again until 1948 AD. Is there a lesson here for us in this?

"By their fruits you will know them" says the Lord. [Matthew 7:16] And what fruit do we see in our midst? The ancient gods of the pagans have largely been replaced by secular "gods" of power, control, and self-centeredness. New idols have arisen, and while they might not call themselves religious, these modern pagans preach the same thing: "Might makes right." "The ends justify the means." And, above all, "I will worship no god but self."

This is nothing new, and as I like to remind myself and others, as George Antayana noted, "If we will not learn from history we are doomed to repeat it." If we refuse to learn from ancient Israel in the days of the Prophets, perhaps we will learn for more recent history. Consider the French Revolution that so many applauded as mobs took to the street, rioting, looting and destroying in the name of "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity." Sounded great except none of that happened. The leaders of the movement like Robespierre turned out to be as bad, if not worse, than the aristocrats they beheaded. But the mob took over and even Robespierre lost his head, as did many others. Anarchy led to more riots, looting and destruction until the people finally had had enough. In desperation the people appointed a dictator who eventually appointed himself Emperor and sought to conquer most of Europe, causing large scale suffering and destruction ending with France itself being nearly destroyed.

Like modern false prophets of self worship, Robespierre called for the destruction of religion as did Napoleon, and later as did Marx, Lenin, Hitler, Stalin, etc, etc. In the end, they only succeeded in destroying the nation. It was the same in Jeremiah and Isaiah's day, and may well be the same in our own if we continue to be "fat and lazy".  

It is time to "get into shape." To turn away from the self-centered idolatry that has always been the "gospel" of the "priests" and "false prophets." But will we listen? Or will we, like so many before , just give in and say, "It is no use. We will continue with our own plans; each of us will follow the stubbornness of (our) evil heart." (Jeremiah 18:12).

It was hard work to get rid of that "spare tire" both Doc and I had allowed to flourish over the winter of laziness. We both were tempted to say," It's no use, we will continue to be fat and lazy" But we worked it off over the weeks and eventually got back in shape. Can we do any less for the Kingdom now?

Be blessed and be a blessing! 

Brother John

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The Rev. John Bruington is the retired pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Havre. He now lives in Colorado, but continues to write "Out Our Way."