October 3

But as for you, do you seek great things for yourself? Stop seeking! For I will bring disaster on every living creature, declares the LORD, but wherever you go, I will grant your life as a spoil of war. — Jer 45:5 BSB

There is a life given to the elect when the Holy Spirit quickens their souls—a life eternal, drawn from the fullness of the Son of God. This life is personal and individual; that’s the beauty in the phrase, “your life.” “I will give your life to you as a prize.” This life, stored up in the fullness of Christ, is breathed into the soul by the Holy Spirit at the appointed time, kept alive by His almighty power, and will shine ever brighter in eternity.

But notice how this life is given to the believer: “I will give your life to you as a prize.” The word “prize” suggests something that is sought after and attacked. Just as there are beasts and birds of prey that seek to devour, there are enemies constantly on the prowl, eager to destroy this life God has kindled in the soul. How perfectly these words describe the inner life of a believer! Eternal life is given and sustained by God, preserved by His power from ever being extinguished. Yet, it is preserved through a continual miracle, like a lamp set afloat on stormy seas; or, as another image puts it, like a candle carried over a hill in a fierce wind.

So, “our life is given to us as a prize,” and the power, faithfulness, and wisdom of God are revealed in keeping this life safe from all its enemies. Just as Daniel was kept safe in the lion’s den, and the three men in the fiery furnace, so the life of God is preserved in the soul amidst lions, as David said, “My soul is among lions” (Ps. 57:4), and in the fires, “Glorify the Lord in the fires” (Isa. 24:15). The life of a believer is a constant struggle between faith and unbelief, between love and hostility, between the grace of God and the rebellion of the flesh, between the sinking spirit and the uplifting light of God’s countenance.