Jeremiah 12 starts as a complaint to God from Jeremiah. Jeremiah is questioning God because the wicked people around him prosper and are happy. Jeremiah tells God to look at his heart and to punish the corrupt people in the land so that it may return from a mournful state. “Lord, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy? You have planted them, and they have taken root and prospered. Your name is on their lips, but you are far from their hearts. But as for me, Lord, you know my heart. You see me and test my thoughts. Drag these people away like sheep to be butchered! Set them aside to be slaughtered!”
Jeremiah 12:1-3 NLT

I empathize with Jeremiah. I have often questioned whether doing the righteous thing was worth it. Sometimes life seems more accessible and beneficial when doing something against God’s character. I’ve witnessed people doing wrong, miss manages money, and more, yet they always seemed to get further ahead or do better than me. I’ve been jealous, thinking I should do the wrong thing. Yet, Jeremiah knew, and I know that God’s justice ultimately comes.

We naturally demand fair play and cry for justice against those who take advantage of others. But when we call for justice, we must realize that we would be in big trouble if God gave each of us what we truly deserve. God responded to Jeremiah with questions of his own that forced Jeremiah and me to look inwardly. “If racing against mere men makes you tired, how will you race against horses? If you stumble and fall on open ground, what will you do in the thickets near the Jordan Jeremiah 12:5 NLT Life can be complicated despite our love and obedience to God, but we must realize that not all of God’s answers to prayer are nice or easy to handle. Sometimes our comparison to others can make us feel righteous or superior when we do not deserve God’s grace any more than anyone else.

Do you feel superior or more righteous than another? God’s love extends to every square inch of the globe and those on it.