“It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses. Every man is stupid, and without knowledge. Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols for his images are false and there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of delusion. At the time of their punishment, they shall perish.Not like these is he who is the portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance. The Lord of hosts is his name.
– Jeremiah 51:15–19
Oh, let’s just pray, according to this picture of God, and this contrast with us and with all the idols of this world, all the things we can make.
Oh God, we praise you as the one who made the earth by your power, who established the world by your wisdom. With your understanding, you stretched out the heavens. And we confess that, in contrast, we are stupid and without knowledge and without understanding.
Jeremiah 51:15–19 Reminds Us That God Has All Wisdom
Lord, you have all wisdom. You have all understanding. And we, left to ourselves, are fools. So foolish that we will try to form idols, that we think will fulfill us, and satisfy us, and lead us, and help us in ways that they can never do, in ways that only you can do, in ways that are worthless.
Oh God, we pray that you would open our eyes to your greatness, even now in a fresh way to your greatness, to your power, to your wisdom, to your understanding. And that you would help us to live in fear of you, in right awe of you, in dependence upon you, knowing that we can do nothing without you. In reverence for you, in love for you, in worship of you, God help us to turn from all idols, from all things that we would be tempted to give ultimate affection, to put ultimate trust in.
God is Our Source of Affection
God, we pray that you would be the source of our ultimate affection, that we would love you with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and that you would be the source of our ultimate trust. We would trust in you with all of our heart and not lean on our own understanding. We are stupid and without knowledge. Help us not to lean on our own understanding.
Oh God, there is no one like you, and we worship you, and we pray that you would help us to live today centered around you and you alone. In Jesus’ name, we pray, according to this picture of who you are, and this contrast with who we are, in Jeremiah 51:15–19. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
