The passage

1When Baruch son of Neriah wrote on a scroll the words Jeremiah the prophet dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, Jeremiah said this to Baruch: 3You said, ‘Woe to me! The Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.’ 5Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.’ ”

Also referenced today

The shape of the message

1. Baruch’s overlooked faithfulness and God’s personal word
2. God’s notice of unseen servants and the difference between visibility and significance
3. Discouragement in faithful service and what crisis reveals
4. The heart issue: self-focused ambition exposed by God’s question
5. God’s better reward: life as a prize rather than fame and position
6. Motives examined: seeking greatness for God’s glory, not personal distinction

Questions to hold while you listen

• Where are you tempted to confuse visibility with significance, and how does Baruch’s role challenge that?
• When you feel discouraged, what tends to dominate your thoughts—God’s assignment or your disappointment?
• What “great thing” are you currently seeking, and how can you tell whether it is for God’s glory or for yourself?
• How does the promise “I will give your life to you as a prize” reshape what you expect God to give you?
• What would faithfulness look like this week if nobody notices your sacrifice or someone else gets the credit?

Notes

This week

Ask yourself the question God asked Baruch—“Do you seek great things for yourself?”—and write down one place you have been chasing recognition or credit. Choose one specific act of service you will do anyway, even if it is unseen and unthanked, aiming at God’s glory rather than your name.