Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
“Woe to me, my mother, that you have borne me as a man of strife and a man of contention to all the land. My sorrow is beyond healing, my heart is faint within me…For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken; I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored? Your words were found and I ate them, your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts. I did not sit in the circle of merrymakers, nor did I exult. Because you hand was upon me I sat alone, for You filled me with indignation. Why has my pain been perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry”?
– Jeremiah 15:10, 8:18-22, 15:16-18
Devotion
Jeremiah was an unusual prophet. He was very tender-hearted, thus he felt his message at a very deep level. His heart was desperately sick over the spiritual condition of his people. Because of his calling to be the mouthpiece of God, Jeremiah was constantly caught between two deep driving forces: 1) He was compelled to faithfully pour forth the difficult words of God to his people; yet 2) he deeply desired the affection and friendship of his people, which he was continually denied because of his God-given message. Thus Jeremiah often felt abandoned by both God and man. He made sacrifices, especially in terms of his friendships, in order to remain faithful to his calling. Yet, this resulted in loneliness and great emotional pain. The record of Jeremiah’s life tells us that he remained faithful to God in spite of his tremendous struggles with his calling.
The Big Question
It is encouraging to see that God can use a man like Jeremiah to do great work Him. God can use any of us, if we yield our lives to His purposes. Yes, living out God’s plans may be difficult and may stretch us to our limits; but God will be faithful to carry us through whatever He calls us to do. Are you holding back on yielding fully to God because you are afraid that you are not capable of fulfilling His calling? What lessons can you learn from the life of Jeremiah?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence reflecting on what God has revealed to you today.