“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?—Jeremiah 32:27
Zedekiah, King of Judah, had imprisoned Jeremiah in the court of the guard which was in his palace for prophesying that the Lord would give Judah into the hand of the King of Babylon. While there in prison God instructs Jeremiah to buy MY field (I like that the Lord reminded Jeremiah that it was His land) which is in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is yours to buy it. Now Anathoth was about three miles outside of Jerusalem and already under enemy occupation...not a wise real estate investment. Jeremiah bought the property because the Lord had told him to do it.
"Then I charged Baruch (Jeremiah’s scribe)before them, saying, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: "Take these deeds, both this purchase deed which is sealed and this deed which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may last many days." For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: "Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land."'—Jeremiah 32:15
God is promising here that He would bring His people back to their inheritance. Now I cannot imagine the tennis match that is probably going on in Jeremiah’s mind. He wants to believe God, but his circumstances are overwhelmingly against this desire. What does Jeremiah do to counter his unbelief. He prays. He praises God for his faithfulness, he declares his greatness and he admits the failure of his people to obey. Here is part of his prayer.
Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
Jeremiah reminds himself of the truth...God CAN do anything...there is NOTHING too hard for Him...He is God! There are situations in my own life (and probably in yours, also) where I need to do this...I need to remember who my God is...I need to remember that He is on my side and that He truly WILL accomplish what He has purposed and planned.
Jeremiah’s faith falters a bit in verses 24 and 25 but he continues to pray...in these verses he prays for understanding.
'Look, the siege mounds! They have come to the city to take it; and the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword and famine and pestilence. What You have spoken has happened; there You see it! And You have said to me, O Lord God, "Buy the field for money, and take witnesses"!—yet the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.'"
God answers in vs 26-35 promising both judgment and restoration. Here is also where God affirms Jeremiahs declaration about Him in vs 27.
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?
I love how the Lord answers. Ha! He takes a page out of Jeremiah's book and says, [I'm] the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? Sometimes I look at situations in my own life that “seem” impossible to make right. A quote from Dr Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat comes to mind.
“And this mess is so big. And so deep and so tall, We cannot pick it up. There is no way at all!
And then in comes the cat and his machine and probably Thing one and Thing Two and they make short work of that mess. God can and will do that for this world as well as in the microcosms of our own lives. Praying that when my heart gets overwhelmed by circumstances that I, like the dad in Mark 9, cry out, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
John 13:7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this."
Romans 11:33-34 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! "FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD? OR WHO HAS BECOME HIS COUNSELOR?"
When you think your situation is impossible and need to be reminded of who the Lord is, meditate on one or two of these verses.
Genesis 18:14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son."
Job 42:2 "I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
Luke 1:37 For with God nothing will be impossible."
Luke 18:27 But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
Isaiah 46:9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,
Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,'
Daniel 2:22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.
Acts 15:18 "Known to God from eternity are all His works.
Lift up your eyes on high,
And see who has created these things,
Who brings out their host by number;
He calls them all by name,
By the greatness of His might
And the strength of His power;
Not one is missing.
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
And speak, O Israel:
"My way is hidden from the LORD,
And my just claim is passed over by my God"?
28 Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.—Isaiah 40:26-31
