I’m Suffering. It Is My Own Doing?

“Her nobles send their servants for water; they come to the cisterns; they find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are ashamed and confounded and cover their heads. Because of the ground that is dismayed, since there is no rain on the land, the farmers are ashamed; they cover their heads” Jeremiah 14: 3, 4.

This passage describes a severe drought in Judah caused by national disobedience. It resulted in empty water vessels, failed harvests, and widespread misery.

The Price of Unfaithfulness

Jeremiah the prophet, intercedes, acknowledging Judah’s sins, but God rejects this superficial repentance. He rejected their offerings and declared that sword, famine, and plague would punish their unfaithfulness. To read the passage for context, click here.

These people have unmet needs, hunger, lack because of their sins. God would gladly turn things around and send rain if they would only repent, turn from their wicked ways, stop wandering and learn self-restraint.

The same is true for us today, but we are opposed and resistant to this message. We don’t want to hear that our suffering is the result of our own sowing to the flesh (Galatians 6: 7, 8), of treading the broad path (Mathew 7: 13, 14) and of saving our lives (Mathew 16: 25).

Yet, according to the word of God this is very often why we suffer. But we don’t want to accept the truth, turn and be healed (Mathew 13: 15). Instead, we insist on believing that it’s just the “sin principle”. That there’s no correlation between our sin and our woeful circumstances.

But these people who were judged with “sword, famine, pestilence”(Jeremiah 14: 12), were righteous in appearance. In chapter 12: 2 we learn of these people “are near in their mouth and far from their heart“.

Suffering: Is It My Own Doing

These were not pagans and unbelievers. They were God’s people, called by His name. When we are suffering from unmet need, hunger, lack, the first thing we should ask ourselves is “God, is this my doing? Am I bringing this on myself by my sin?”

However, I want to emphasize the point that this is not always the case. And may not even be the most important reason we suffer. But it is one that is often overlooked in our times. To read another post related to I’m Suffering. Is It My Own Doing? see Self-Denial and Abundant Life: The Link.