The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
By J.B. Hixson, Ph.D.
04/24/2022
One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are first ripe; and the other basket had very bad figs which could not be eaten, they were so bad. Then the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “Figs, the good figs, very good; and the bad, very bad, which cannot be eaten, they are so bad.” (Jeremiah 24:2–3)
Have you ever had an argument with a child? If so, you know it can be quite entertaining, yet frustrating at the same time. This is because children don’t always argue from logic. (Neither do most adults, but that’s a subject for another devotional!) When our children were younger, I recall many times when a casual discussion quickly deteriorated into an argument about the most ridiculous things. Arguing with young kids is challenging because they seldom fight fairly. Often, the parent becomes exasperated and ends up exclaiming something like, “Okay! You’re right! Baby cows DO eat in cafeterias. And yes. That’s why they call them CALFeterias. You win!”
I remember having a discussion in the car many years ago with our daughter who was eight years old at the time. She made one of those classic, “It’s not fair!” exclamations, to which I promptly responded by launching into an equally classic tirade declaring, “Guess what? Life’s not fair! You don’t know how good you’ve got it, little girl! Lots of kids would love to live in this family!” If you are a parent, you know exactly the kind of tirade I am talking about. I do not remember who ultimately won the argument, but based on my parenting track record, I suspect it was my daughter.
Later that night, as I replayed the conversation in my mind, I remember thinking that perhaps I also fail to realize how good I have it in this life sometimes. Do you ever catch yourself grumbling? Do you ever find yourself complaining about little things that ultimately do not matter all that much? In other words, do you ever find yourself acting like a child? The Israelites sure did. It seems like they grumbled all the time. God consistently rebuked them for their ungrateful attitudes and reminded them that they had it pretty good. Let’s face it, so do we. God is good. Think of all the amazing things God has done for us. Think of His protection, and provision, and love. Think of our eternal salvation! That alone should be enough to fill our hearts with overwhelming gratitude. Life with God is very, very good.
In Jeremiah 24, the prophet paints a contrast between the good, the bad, and the ugly. No, I am not referring to the spaghetti western from the 1960’s that launched Clint Eastwood’s career. I am talking about Jeremiah’s analogy of good figs versus bad, ugly figs. The prophet explained that life with God, like ripe figs that practically fall off the tree, is very, very good. However, life without God, he said, is like rotten, ugly figs. Life without God is not good at all. God’s presence in the lives of the Israelites was an immeasurable blessing, especially when compared to the alternative. The same is true for us today. When we begin to get discontent and start grumbling about minor inconveniences, maybe we should think about the alternative.
Imagine life without God. Imagine having no one to watch over you, or lead you, or guide you. Imagine having nowhere to turn in times of distress. Imagine facing life’s obstacles alone. If you are a Christian, imagine life apart from the indwelling Holy Spirit who comforts and encourages you. Life with God is a blessing indeed! Do you realize how fortunate we are to be called a child of God? “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1) I think a lot of people would love to be a part of God’s family, don’t you?
If you do not already know the Lord, let me invite you to let go of the bad, ugly outlook on life and embrace the good life with Christ. Trust in the One who died and rose again for your sins. When you trust in Him to forgive your sins and give you the free gift of eternal life, you become part of the family of God—and there is no better family on earth!
04/24/2022
One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are first ripe; and the other basket had very bad figs which could not be eaten, they were so bad. Then the Lord said to me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “Figs, the good figs, very good; and the bad, very bad, which cannot be eaten, they are so bad.” (Jeremiah 24:2–3)
Have you ever had an argument with a child? If so, you know it can be quite entertaining, yet frustrating at the same time. This is because children don’t always argue from logic. (Neither do most adults, but that’s a subject for another devotional!) When our children were younger, I recall many times when a casual discussion quickly deteriorated into an argument about the most ridiculous things. Arguing with young kids is challenging because they seldom fight fairly. Often, the parent becomes exasperated and ends up exclaiming something like, “Okay! You’re right! Baby cows DO eat in cafeterias. And yes. That’s why they call them CALFeterias. You win!”
I remember having a discussion in the car many years ago with our daughter who was eight years old at the time. She made one of those classic, “It’s not fair!” exclamations, to which I promptly responded by launching into an equally classic tirade declaring, “Guess what? Life’s not fair! You don’t know how good you’ve got it, little girl! Lots of kids would love to live in this family!” If you are a parent, you know exactly the kind of tirade I am talking about. I do not remember who ultimately won the argument, but based on my parenting track record, I suspect it was my daughter.
Later that night, as I replayed the conversation in my mind, I remember thinking that perhaps I also fail to realize how good I have it in this life sometimes. Do you ever catch yourself grumbling? Do you ever find yourself complaining about little things that ultimately do not matter all that much? In other words, do you ever find yourself acting like a child? The Israelites sure did. It seems like they grumbled all the time. God consistently rebuked them for their ungrateful attitudes and reminded them that they had it pretty good. Let’s face it, so do we. God is good. Think of all the amazing things God has done for us. Think of His protection, and provision, and love. Think of our eternal salvation! That alone should be enough to fill our hearts with overwhelming gratitude. Life with God is very, very good.
In Jeremiah 24, the prophet paints a contrast between the good, the bad, and the ugly. No, I am not referring to the spaghetti western from the 1960’s that launched Clint Eastwood’s career. I am talking about Jeremiah’s analogy of good figs versus bad, ugly figs. The prophet explained that life with God, like ripe figs that practically fall off the tree, is very, very good. However, life without God, he said, is like rotten, ugly figs. Life without God is not good at all. God’s presence in the lives of the Israelites was an immeasurable blessing, especially when compared to the alternative. The same is true for us today. When we begin to get discontent and start grumbling about minor inconveniences, maybe we should think about the alternative.
Imagine life without God. Imagine having no one to watch over you, or lead you, or guide you. Imagine having nowhere to turn in times of distress. Imagine facing life’s obstacles alone. If you are a Christian, imagine life apart from the indwelling Holy Spirit who comforts and encourages you. Life with God is a blessing indeed! Do you realize how fortunate we are to be called a child of God? “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1) I think a lot of people would love to be a part of God’s family, don’t you?
If you do not already know the Lord, let me invite you to let go of the bad, ugly outlook on life and embrace the good life with Christ. Trust in the One who died and rose again for your sins. When you trust in Him to forgive your sins and give you the free gift of eternal life, you become part of the family of God—and there is no better family on earth!
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