He Can Handle It

We should all be able in relationships where we can communicate what we like and what we don’t like without fearing that doing so will cause the other person to abuse us, abandon us, or walk away. That stood out to me as I reflected on Jeremiah’s conversations with God in today’s key texts, where the prophet expresses his grief over the conditions that had befallen God’s people and the feelings he has about a God who oversaw it all and permitted it to happen. Jeremiah lays it all on the line and puts it all on the table. No wonder Jeremiah is called “the weeping prophet” because he writes from the heart, not trying to hide his agony or disappointment in God. He wasn’t afraid to have a courageous conversation with God. In essence, he says, “God I’m not so happy with you right now. While I trust your character, I’m struggling with your conduct. I don’t understand why you would allow this to happen to me, my family, or my people.” And the truth is we have moments like that where we are like Mary and Martha who said to Jesus, “Lord if you would have been here our brother would not have died.” There are seasons in life where challenges can test the core of who we are and our relationship with God. And we do ourselves a disservice when we act as if hiding our disappointment is an act of holiness. So in this message, we are going to learn that God can handle more than we often think He can, and we don’t have to hold back in our relationship with Him.