I will not seek for my own benefit, but to be in agreement with God

From: June 13-19, 2006 Study: # 448

Topic: “I will not seek for my own benefit, but to be in agreement with God” Jeremiah 45: 1-5 When we get tired of struggling with our own strength in this path we sometimes dare to say that God is unfair. What God wants to do with our lives as part of His plan, will always be accomplished in His perfect will and not in our own ways. We must be diligent to be in God’s plans doing His will, avoiding challenging or obstructing in any way. We can see many neglect and turn away from having communion with the Lord as the years go by and they even get to the point where they no longer are interested in God. They only mention God when things get rough, when sickness and difficult days arrive. It so happens that they believe everything is going to be alright, but in this life nothing is permanent, the only one who is permanent is God. In this world nothing is permanent. God plants, takes away and does how He deems necessary. There is no human being that can say he can control and arrange absolutely anything here in this world. When God calls some become conceited and start to think they will always succeed even though they assume attitudes contrary to God’s will. Sometimes we make personal plans and we fill ourselves with our own selfish ideas thinking that great success will come. But those are our own plans and not God’s plan for us. This happened to Baruch, and from him we must learn to take care of ourselves. It is sad to see that many instead of dedicating there selves entirely to God’s Kingdom, they fall into complaining. And the reason of their complaints is because they have been seeking their own benefit and not for what is of Jesus Christ. Philippians 2: 4, 21 We must not seek for our own benefit because when will end seeking what does not belong to us. We must understand that we serve a God who is greater than anything else that may impress us in this world. We must truly see what a Christian life really is and refuse to seek for personal compliments. The prophet Jeremiah was speaking to the people who were taken into captivity and each day he warned them what was going to happen to them. Jeremiah had Baruch as his assistant. Baruch was supposed to feel and live the same as the prophet was living, but unfortunately it was not that way. We must learn from this biblical story to never neglect the vision and direction of God’s call. There is no human capacity that can from ourselves, God is who gives us all the capacity and according to this we are used. We must not feel proud of ourselves. Baruch was the grandson of Jerusalem’s general and he worked as a scribe in Israel and offered his services to the prophet Jeremiah. It seems that he had a little more influence than Jeremiah. As we read through the Bible we can see that Baruch was an ambitious man and ambition is not good when we are servants of God. One seeks to obtain what is never going to be for us. These ambitions seem good but God will give each one what corresponds. We cannot do more or less but only what we have to do. Mathew 6: 27 The best thing to do is to continue in what God has entrusted us and persevere. Jehovah had seen and heard Baruch in the same way he sees each move we make in all of our lives. Baruch only added more preoccupation, more burdens, and more work on Jeremiah. Instead of Jeremiah being able to rely on Baruch, it was the opposite. Jehovah reads what is inside our hearts. We started walking through this path but the time comes when we must define ourselves clearly. Maybe Baruch was frustrated because his dream of a high position collapsed. He forgot that God is the only one who can plant or pull out in us. He has the absolute right to build and pull out according to His heart. Baruch was seeking for the greatness of Judah and Jerusalem, in that way he will get his own greatness.

God has given each one of us our own manna for each day, not what belongs to others. We must not try to do where it is not needed. We should not speak what is unknown to us. We must learn not to seek what doesn’t correspond to us. The best thing for mankind is to comply with the task that God has given us even if it doesn’t seem to be much. If we stop complying with the task of our lives then problems will arise. Maybe Baruch thought he was to become a prophet in those days. When we don’t know what path to follow we try to demonstrate God’s glory when God’s judgment is upon us. Baruch wanted to do something when Jehovah had left and Judah was in full judgment. Baruch was only seeking for his own benefit. Humbleness must be in real saints and it should be in our minds when the devil comes to seduce us. There was judgment, the glory of Jehovah was not present, and the temple had been destroyed. The best thing in life is to be guided by the Lord. God had judgment and Baruch wanted to demonstrate that he was a servant of God. What will deliver the righteous when God sends judgment upon the nations is humbleness, let us be a humble church before God. Those who are not humble will go down hill on the Day of Judgment. When judgment is upon the earth, it’s on this earth. Judgment will come wherever we are, but if we remain humble we will be preserved and this judgment will not touch us. Sometimes we think God has been unfair with us. God gives us something to do and we think it belongs to us. What God has given us is not because of our own human capacity but because He is pleased to give it to us. When judgment and circumstances come, we must continue believing in God. When we have to suffer we must go through it. We can live through many difficult situations, but we must preserve our lives with humbleness, this is what will deliver us. We must be careful not to complain because God hears us. God wants to guide us and even though His treatment is not easy, but they are good for us. Jehovah chose us so that whatever we must go through we will walk will humbleness and with no rebellion. A church with complaints is very dangerous. It is a privilege that God has chosen us. Whatever comes, God will take care of us. Sometimes when we are afflicted we say that we don’t deserve it. The best thing to do is to keep quiet and lower our heads. Baruch was seeking for greatness when he was in complete captivity. He had to understand that the people were wrong. By nature men are willing, they are always thinking in what is best, but they don’t like to pray. There are things that God doesn’t want for us in certain times because they are not right for us. Baruch had forgotten that no one could touch him because God was looking after him. God is who delivers us and cares for us. We can be going through any situation but nothing will destroy us. Our lives will not perish and God takes care of those who are humble. The best thing we can do is to be humble, be silent, knowing that God will protect us from any danger and will give us our lives so we will not remain defeated. He takes care of those who are meek and humble. Amen.