Reflections on Jeremiah 45

Jeremiah 45 (Contemporary English Version)
1. In the fourth year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah, Baruch wrote down everything I had told him.
   
2. Then later, the LORD God of Israel told me to say to Baruch:
   
3. You are moaning and blaming me, the LORD, for your troubles and sorrow, and for being so tired that you can't even rest.
   
4. But all over the earth I am tearing down what I built and pulling up what I planted.
   
5. I am bringing disaster everywhere, so don't even think about making any big plans for yourself. However, I promise that wherever you go, I will at least protect you from death. I, the LORD, have spoken.
   
   

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   Though only five verses in length, this chapter conveys an important message both to Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, and to any reader. That message is simply to be content with God's plans for life, for God alone is sufficient.
   
   In chapter 36, Jeremiah dictated a message from God for Baruch to write down. It was a message of destruction for Judah because of her sin. It was indeed a depressing message for any citizen of Judah. God, however, evidently thought Baruch's grieving over the message was excessive and wrongly motivated by personal aspirations. Hinting that Baruch thought Him unjust, God told Baruch that what He was about to demolish He had also built. It was His to do with as He chose. Next, God told Baruch to stop seeking great things for himself. God planned to spare his life "wherever you go." (45:5) This was reason to be thankful, not to grieve. He had God and he had life. That was enough.
   
   Do we find that God alone is sufficient? He spares our lives everyday and provides every day what we need. Is that not enough? If we grieve inordinately over losses in life, might we have our values misplaced? Rather than valuing the things of God, might we be placing too much value on less important things?