Have you ever worked on some project, something that was very good and would help a lot of people, only to have others turn against you, verbally tearing you to shreds? Some of us have had that experience. It leaves you very disillusioned. If what you were doing was for the Lord, then you might even question your faith a bit. This is where we find the prophet Jeremiah in today’s Scripture. As we study this passage, we will see the Lord’s encouragement to one of His most faithful servants.
Jeremiah lived from around 650 - 570 BC, and had one of the most difficult ministries possible, preaching to the apostate people of the southern Kingdom of Judah, right prior and during when the Babylonian Empire overran the country. He faced harsh opposition from both the political and religious leaders of the country. Jeremiah was overwhelmed by the hostility from the people he was trying to save, and as we read in our Scripture and throughout his whole book, he poured out his inner turmoil before God. All of the words of his preaching to the people, urging them to return to faith in Yahweh, and the consequences if they didn’t, made him a target of hatred and persecution. Similarly, when we seek to follow what the Lord has told us to do, especially if it is bringing His message of repentance and salvation through Jesus to others, we face hostility from the unsaved.
Faced with this treatment, Jeremiah prayed to the Lord, and he asked Him four things (vs. 15). The first was for God to remember him. Jeremiah wanted God to take note of his suffering and his faithfulness to Him. He also asked God to “visit” him. This was requesting comfort, strength, and assurance of God’s nearness. Next, he asked God to take vengeance on his enemies. This was not a sinful vengeance, but a righteous vindication. Finally, Jeremiah asked that God not “take me away”. He was pleading for the preservation of his life in the middle of threats. He reminded God that the persecutions he suffered were the direct result of faithfully proclaiming God’s Word.
Jeremiah continued by stating how important God’s Word was to him (vs. 16). God's Word was as important to him as food. The prophet internalized them deeply. He devoured God's Word, and it was the joy and heart’s delight for him. It was like a fire within him (Jeremiah 20:8-9). We should be like the prophet, and have such a devotion to the Bible, letting it shape our life.
Yet the same Word that delighted Jeremiah, also isolated him socially. He sat alone because of God’s hand upon him (vs. 17). His separation from worldly attitudes was costly. Jeremiah felt abandoned (vs. 18). He even compared God to an “unreliable stream”, something that should always bring refreshing, but sometimes fails to. That is how deep his anguish was.
God then gave His response to Jeremiah. The prophet had begun to falter under the immense pressure and persecution he faced, so God called him to return and renew his wholehearted devotion (vs. 19). He was to separate the precious from the vile - to reject discouragement, doubt, and any sinful attitudes, and to continue to speak what is pure and true, proclaiming God’s Word without compromise. God wasn’t rebuking Jeremiah, just encouraging him to stand firm.
God promised Jeremiah that he would stand like a fortified wall of bronze, unbreakable under pressure (vs. 20-21). He promised that his enemies may fight him, but will not prevail, and that He Himself would deliver him. God is faithful to those who remain faithful to Him, even in seasons of intense opposition.
As we see through the life of Jeremiah, sometimes suffering is not due to personal failure, but because we stand for the Lord’s truth in a time of rebellion against God. Faithful ministry often brings reproach. But like Jeremiah, we may need to be spiritually renewed. Holiness is essential for effective ministry. We need to be “eating” God’s Word. It will sustain us even when outward circumstances collapse. There are times when we may feel abandoned, but remember, God never forsakes His own!
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