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Day 20 Jeremiah 20 20:1 Now Pashur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. 2 Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD. 3 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Pashur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, The LORD hath not called thy name Pashur, but Magormissabib. 4 For thus says the LORD, Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself, and to all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it: and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword. 5 Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city, and all the labors thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, which shall spoil them, and take them, and carry them to Babylon. 6 And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies. 7 O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocks me. 8 For since I spoke, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. 9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. 10 For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him. 11 But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten. 12 But, O LORD of hosts, that tries the righteous, and sees the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause. 13 Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers. 14 Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bore me be blessed. 15 Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad. 16 And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; 17 Because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me. 18 Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame? When circumstances are at their worst, have you ever wished you had never been born? Do you wonder why you had to go through what you did? Jeremiah has spoken the Word of the Lord, and doing so caused the king to put him in the stocks and imprison him. Even so, Jeremiah still spoke out against the king for all the evil he had done. He and his friends would go into exile in Babylon and die there. However much Jeremiah wanted to spare his life from the king’s desire on him, he found that God’s Word in him was like a burning fire shut up in his bones. When God’s hand is on your life and in your mouth, there is nothing you can do that will stop God’s work from happening. As Christians, you know when God speaks, you must act. You can try to talk your way out of it, as Moses did, when God called him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. However, it won’t work. When God calls you to do his work, you must answer the call, no matter what circumstances might come against you. When God called Jeremiah, he told him he called him from the womb. So, Jeremiah telling God he wished he had not made it out of the womb, was not an option. He was destined to go through the persecution he did as God’s prophet. You can argue with God about what he called you to do. In the end, God wins. You will see the victory when you come out the other side. Even if the other side is in heaven, and you die because of what God told you to do. Jim Elliot was a missionary, called to Ecuador to evangelize the people there with four other missionaries. They were all killed because of their testimony. Yet, after his death, the people who killed him later became Christians, and the work he started prevailed. If God calls you, he equips you. If God equips you, he will go with you. You are never alone in the work God calls you to do. Which is why Jeremiah said God’s Word was like a burning fire in his bones. God never left him. He won’t leave you either. What has God called you to do? Let’s pray: Father, let your Word sink deep in my soul and let it burn within me, as I speak your Word to those who will listen. Let my life be a lamp to a dark and weary world, shining forth your truth. Help me remember I am not alone in the work you called me to do, but you are with me every step of the way. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 8 November 2017 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay