17th.: This is Hard
For the past several years (i.e. the past fifteen chapters),
God had Jeremiah warn the Israelites to return to the God.
But these people just would not want to listen.
More than that, the Jews gave Jeremiah all kinds of flak over God's messages.
This wore out Jeremiah.
So he prayed,
“O Lord, thou knows. Remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors.
Take me not away in thy longsuffering. Know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.
Thy words were found, and I did eat them. And thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart,
for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts. I sat not in the assembly of the mockers,
nor rejoiced. I sat alone, because of thy hand. For thou has filled me with indignation.
Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed
Will you be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?” (Jer. 15:15-18).
Jeremiah was glad to hear God’s word (Jer. 15:16).
He was willing to have no friends (Jer. 15:17), because of God’s word.
Nevertheless, the constant friction with the people of Judah drained him (Jer. 15:15c, Jer.15:18).
Jeremiah wanted some sort of reassurance from God (v15a-b, v18c).
God’s response to Jeremiah can be summarized by saying,
“If you will hang in there with me, ‘I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked.’” (Jer. 15:19-21).
Sometimes we just need to share these problems with the Lord, and to be willing to tough out the difficult times.
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you … for my sake.“ –Jesus (Mt. 5:11)