1. Why do the wicked prosper? (1-4)

Jeremiah asks the timeless question which good men who suffer ask: 'Why do the wicked prosper and the faithless live at ease?' These wicked and faithless people talked about God with their mouths, but they did not have God in their hearts. Still, it seemed as though God had planted them in the land, and they had taken root and were living fruitful lives. How could a just God permit such injustice?

2. God's answer (5-17)

God asked Jeremiah, 'If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses...?' Things were going to get worse, not better. God would lay waste to the whole land. He would uproot Judah and all her neighbors. But God is just. In his compassion, he would restore all who repent and learn his ways. He would even bless and establish former enemies if they repented.

Application: Lord, give me a repentant heart and patience to trust you and wait on you.
One Word: Repent and wait on God