Bad Things Happen to Good People

 Scripture:

“So the officials took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. It belonged to Malkijah, a member of the royal family. There was no water in the cistern, but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it.”  ‭Jeremiah‬ ‭38:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Observation:

Jeremiah had been clearly and passionately delivering the word of the Lord to his people.  As a result, they didn’t turn to God, but had him thrown into an empty cistern.  He was put down into a thick layer of mud on the bottom to die.  He was eventually saved, but had to walk through this awful experience.

Application:

We tend to think that when we are obedient to the LORD that everything will go well for us and we will never have problems.  Jeremiah was one of the godliest men who ever lived.  He prophesied on the LORD’s behalf with excellence, yet ended up in a muddy cistern.  Sometimes we end up in bad situations because of the Gospel.  It is in those places that God shows up and resumes us.  Being in a muddy cistern may be because you did something right and not something wrong.  Sometimes bad things happen to really good people.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, thanks for reminding me today that things not going my way doesn’t mean that You don’t love me or that I have missed you.  Help me to not equate blessing and prosperity with serving You correctly, but to serve You with integrity, whether I see the goodness of God or I’m in an old muddy cistern.

Your Son,

Jeff