The Lodestar

Prophet Jeremiah lived to see what he had prophesied: the devastation of the land of Judah and the destruction of the Temple in 587 B. C. Though many prophets had warned the people that the Lord would punish their disobedience with foreign invasion, none of them lived long enough to see it fulfilled. But Jeremiah was right there when the Babylonian army breached the walls of Jerusalem and poured in to kill soldiers, civilians, women and children mercilessly. That fateful day, they lost their beloved country to the enemy.

“Portion” is a legal term denoting what the father gives his children. It could be part of his land, gold, livestock, or whatever he decides. The Lord gave them the land by Joshua, who led the conquest of Canaan many centuries back (Joshua 13:1-21:45). He had apportioned the land to the 12 tribes. It came with the condition that “for the land is mine (God’s). For you are strangers and sojourners with me” (Lev 25:23). They may live in the Lord’s land as long as they obey him.

However, they forgot that the land was a gift; it was a portion from the Lord. He took it from them when they violated his will.

But many feared the Lord and lived according to his will. When the nation of Judah fell to the Babylonians, they also lost their property. Jeremiah was one of those who had to pay for the sins of the wrongful majority.

Though he lost everything, he had faith. For him, the Lord is much higher than all he had inherited: the land, gold, and cattle. His portion, or what belongs to him, is higher than all that is tangible. His portion is the Lord, who cannot be violated or burned down. Nothing can take the Lord from his life.

Though he lost everything, Jeremiah had a strong faith; he still had something to hold on to: the Lord himself. Those who put their hopes in the tangible assets of this world have lost everything that they had, but faithful people like Jeremiah, who trusted and served the Lord, have lost nothing.

Ensure your relationship with the Lord is intact in times of loss and suffering; if we lose that, we lose everything.

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