Jeremiah 10:11-25: a reflection

11“You shall say this to them: ‘The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth will perish from the earth, and from under the heavens.’” 12God has made the earth by his power. He has established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding has he stretched out the heavens. 13When he utters his voice, the waters in the heavens roar, and he causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He makes lightnings for the rain, and brings the wind out of his treasuries. 14Every man has become brutish and without knowledge. Every goldsmith is disappointed by his engraved image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. 15They are vanity, a work of delusion. In the time of their visitation they will perish. 16The portion of Jacob is not like these; for he is the maker of all things; and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance. The LORD of Armies is his name. 17Gather up your wares out of the land, you who live under siege. 18For the LORD says, “Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this time, and will distress them, that they may feel it.” 19Woe is me because of my injury! My wound is serious; but I said, “Truly this is my grief, and I must bear it.” 20My tent has been destroyed, and all my cords are broken. My children have gone away from me, and they are no more. There is no one to spread my tent any more, to set up my curtains. 21For the shepherds have become brutish, and have not inquired of the LORD. Therefore they have not prospered, and all their flocks have scattered. 22The voice of news, behold, it comes, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a dwelling place of jackals. 23LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man who walks to direct his steps. 24LORD, correct me, but gently; not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing. 25Pour out your wrath on the nations that don’t know you, and on the families that don’t call on your name; for they have devoured Jacob. Yes, they have devoured him, consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation.

In the midst of a hard time, Jeremiah acknowledges a humbling truth, that we cannot direct our own steps, and asks God to lead him and to correct him gently. LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself, Jeremiah prays; it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. LORD, correct me, but gently; not in your anger. Jeremiah confesses that we are not able, of ourselves, to direct our own steps rightly; our way is not finally in our own hands or our own wisdom. And so he asks God to lead him. And knowing he needs correction, he asks God to correct him, but gently, in mercy rather than anger. He acknowledges his need both of God's guidance and of God's gentle correction. This shows acknowledging that we cannot direct our own steps, and asking God to lead and gently correct us. Acknowledge that you cannot direct your own steps; ask God to lead you. Ask God to correct you, but gently, in mercy rather than in anger. We need both God's guidance and his gentle correction. Depend on God to direct your way, not on your own wisdom alone.

Notice the two things Jeremiah acknowledges and asks. First, he acknowledges a humbling truth about himself, and all of us: the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. We are not able, by our own wisdom and strength alone, to direct our own steps rightly, to chart our own way surely; we lack the wisdom, the foresight, the ability, to guide ourselves aright through life. And so, out of this acknowledgment, Jeremiah asks God to lead him. Second, knowing that he also needs correction, that he goes astray and must be set right, he asks God to correct him, but adds a plea: correct me gently, not in anger. He wants God's correction, but asks that it come in mercy rather than fierce anger. This holds a twofold humility and dependence worth learning. First, we do well to acknowledge that we cannot direct our own steps by our own wisdom, and to depend on God to lead and guide us, rather than relying on ourselves alone. And second, we do well to welcome God's correction, knowing we need it, while asking that it come to us gently, in his mercy. To acknowledge our need of God's guidance and God's correction, and to ask him for both, guidance to lead us, correction to set us right, is the way of humble dependence on God. We do well to acknowledge that we cannot direct our own steps, asking God to lead us and to correct us gently, in mercy. Acknowledge that you cannot direct your own steps; depend on God to lead you. Welcome God's correction, while asking that it come gently, in mercy. Depend on God for both guidance and gentle correction. Do not rely on your own wisdom alone to direct your way.

That is worth taking to heart, for we cannot direct our own steps, and do well to ask God to lead and gently correct us, as Jeremiah prayed. We can rely on our own wisdom to direct our way; but Jeremiah acknowledged that the way of man is not in himself, and asked God to lead and correct him gently. Depend on God. Do not rely on your own wisdom alone to direct your steps; acknowledge your need of God's guidance, and ask him to lead you and to correct you gently, in mercy. Acknowledge that you cannot direct your own steps by your own wisdom, and ask God to lead you and to correct you gently, in mercy rather than anger, as in the midst of a hard time Jeremiah acknowledged the humbling truth that we cannot direct our own steps and asked God to lead him and correct him gently, praying that he knew the way of man is not in himself and it is not in man who walks to direct his steps, and asking God to correct him gently and not in anger; for Jeremiah confesses that we are not able of ourselves to direct our own steps rightly, our way not being finally in our own hands or wisdom, and so asks God to lead him, and knowing he needs correction asks God to correct him but gently, in mercy rather than anger, acknowledging his need both of God's guidance and of God's gentle correction, which holds a twofold humility and dependence worth learning, since first we do well to acknowledge that we cannot direct our own steps by our own wisdom and to depend on God to lead and guide us rather than relying on ourselves alone, and second we do well to welcome God's correction knowing we need it while asking that it come to us gently in his mercy, so that to acknowledge our need of God's guidance and correction and to ask him for both is the way of humble dependence on God, and we do well to do so.

Lord, in the midst of a hard time, Jeremiah acknowledges a humbling truth, that we cannot direct our own steps, and asks you to lead him and to correct him gently. LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself, Jeremiah prays; it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. LORD, correct me, but gently; not in your anger. Jeremiah confesses that we are not able, of ourselves, to direct our own steps rightly; our way is not finally in our own hands or our own wisdom. And so he asks you to lead him. And knowing he needs correction, he asks you to correct him, but gently, in mercy rather than anger. He acknowledges his need both of your guidance and of your gentle correction. Show me the two things Jeremiah acknowledges and asks. First, he acknowledges a humbling truth about himself, and all of us: the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps. I am not able, by my own wisdom and strength alone, to direct my own steps rightly, to chart my own way surely; I lack the wisdom, the foresight, the ability, to guide myself aright through life. And so, out of this acknowledgment, Jeremiah asks you to lead him. Second, knowing that he also needs correction, that he goes astray and must be set right, he asks you to correct him, but adds a plea: correct me gently, not in anger. He wants your correction, but asks that it come in mercy. This holds a twofold humility and dependence worth learning. First, I do well to acknowledge that I cannot direct my own steps by my own wisdom, and to depend on you to lead and guide me. And second, I do well to welcome your correction, knowing I need it, while asking that it come gently, in your mercy. Take that to my heart. Keep me from relying on my own wisdom alone to direct my way; help me acknowledge, Lord, that I cannot direct my own steps, and ask you to lead me and to correct me gently, in mercy rather than anger, depending on you for both guidance and gentle correction.