Working The Word (Walking Away From Addiction Into The Sweet Arms of Jesus) The Floodplain of Jordan

By: Hanny Lynn Stearns

Fish N Loaves Ministries, Inc.

“Multiplying God’s Word Around the Globe”

September 21, 2016

The Floodplain of Jordan

Jeremiah 12:5

“If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you,
then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?

AMPC

 [But the Lord rebukes Jeremiah’s impatience, saying] If you have raced with men on foot and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? And if [you take to flight] in a land of peace where you feel secure, then what will you do [when you tread the tangled maze of jungle haunted by lions] in the swelling and flooding of the Jordan?

ERV

“Jeremiah, if running in a race against men makes you tired, how will you race against horses?
If you trip and fall in a safe place, what will you do in a dangerous place? What will you do in the thornbushes  that grow along the Jordan River?

I gave you several different versions of this verse for a reason. Whenever the Lord first started showing me this, I just didn’t understand. It actually took me a much longer time to “get it” than it should have. Sad as that is, the Lord never gave up on me. He kept showing it to me again and again. Finally, I began to understand what He was trying to say to me. Today was a good example of what I have experienced so many times before. As I was working and the time got late, I began to get hungry. It was about dinner time. I decided to take a break from my work and get a bite to eat.

After dinner I came back and looked at this verse, thinking about the many times I had failed to keep my promises to the Lord to eat a certain way. Today’s Bible study was about keeping our vows to God. The more I struggled, the more He reminded me of the importance of doing what He asked me to do and keeping what I’ve promised to Him. When the hunger rose, and I pondered the Jeremiah verse, it was like it was resonating in my heart all over again. I was tempted by the evil one to eat something I really shouldn’t eat. Only this time, I resisted him!

I stood on the word of God – saying it out loud so he could hear it. I repeated the verses that I knew would slice his evil head off and send him running. Before all of this happened, I could sense that there was evil nearby. I felt uneasy – not fearful, just uncomfortable. Later, the Lord showed me that he had come to tempt me. When I heard the suggestion in my head I didn’t think it was the Lord so I tarried on the idea. As I walked outside with my puppy the Lord showed me that it had been the tempter. I was so grateful for the word of God.

Because of spending time in the word, I had verses packed in my heart’s arsenal ready to fire at the enemy. And after that, I told him to get behind me in the name of Jesus. I know what the Lord wants me to eat. I know what the restrictions are. I know what the goal is that I am to reach. I also know what I have promised to Him, and I want to be a good and faithful servant.

The thing about the Jeremiah verse that is really significant to me is this. If I can’t handle being a little hungry when it is close to dinner time around my own house, how would I ever handle hunger when I am on the road preaching and teaching. There are times when we are ministering to people, and situations where we just can’t get to what we may need physically as soon as we would like to.

This is where I thought of the verses in Philippians…

Philippians 4:11-13

¹¹ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: ¹² I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

If we are going to be a disciple of Jesus and do the hard work He is calling us to do, we are going to have to learn to get used to being “inconvenienced.” We will not always be able to satisfy our stomach or other things the flesh might be screaming for. We can know for certain that Jesus went hungry plenty. When He was ministering to the woman at the well, He wasn’t sitting there thinking about “what’s for lunch” while the disciples took off to get food. Instead, He stayed and saved that woman from hell, and because of that, nearly the entire town where she lived got saved that day. Was it worth missing lunch? Absolutely!

So we need to be content. If we are hungry sometimes, it won’t kill us. If it did, we would just get to be with the Lord. Either way, we win. Look at this…

Philippians 1:21-25

²¹ For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²² But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. ²³ For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. ²⁴ Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. ²⁵ And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith,

Paul didn’t care if he lived or died. His main concern was doing the Lord’s work. As much as he would have preferred to be with the Lord, he was willing to lay down his own heart’s desire to press on for the Lord’s heart’s desire – to be used here to bring others into the kingdom. In the Christian life, there is no place for addiction to anything. We must be “hooked” on the Lord above all else. With His help we can get to the place where we are content, no matter what is going on. And the great news is that radical obedience brings great blessings. Those who refuse to obey miss their blessings every day. But those who are willing will be so blessed.

Yes, it can get rough. Jesus knew it. Paul knew it. I know it. You know it. But the good news is, we really can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. All we have to do is apply our faith to the word of God and watch it work for us – hallelujah!