Restored by God to Serve God – September 19, 2020

The LORD says: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me . . . I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you . . . from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel.”
Jeremiah 15:19-21

Restored by God to Serve God

Jeremiah had a difficult ministry. For fifty years, he preached a message of repentance to the Jewish people, but his message mostly fell on deaf ears. He was shunned, beaten, and imprisoned. He had few friends. No one sympathized with him.

Can we blame Jeremiah for getting frustrated with God? He had done everything God had asked of him. He was a faithful witness to God’s word. In return, he had received nothing but pain and loneliness. Didn’t he deserve a better life than that? Where was God’s mercy for Jeremiah? Where was God’s deliverance?

Such frustration is understandable but hardly excusable. Jeremiah expected God to change, to give him a break. Instead, God changed Jeremiah. He led the prophet to repent and believe God’s promises about his ministry. God still had work for Jeremiah to do.

When we suffer through difficult times, we also may question God’s faithfulness and demand that he set us free.

However, let’s not forget what God has already done for us. He has been faithful to us. Jesus suffered and died for our sins, and God raised him from the dead as proof that he has dropped all charges of guilt against us. Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you are free indeed.

In this world, we will have trouble, but we can rejoice because Jesus has overcome the world. Persecution will always be a part of the Christian’s life. However, God will make us strong enough to stand up under it. God has work for us to do. Like Jeremiah, we are here to bring God’s Word to the world, even if we suffer for it.

Prayer:
Lord, your words are a delight to me and the joy of my heart. If I must suffer for them, give me your strength to be faithful to you so that I may receive the crown of life. Amen.