Read: Jeremiah 20:7-13
Praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy. (v. 13)
In a 2011 stand-up routine, comedian Mike Birbiglia said, “To be a comedian you have to go on stage those first few years and bomb. If it weren’t for denial, you would just think, ‘Human beings don’t like me.’” In fact, human beings did not like Jeremiah. As God’s prophet, Jeremiah had to say whatever God told him to say. God told him to say stuff people did not want to hear. They beat him, spit on him, threw him down a well, threw him in prison, and threatened his life. Jeremiah shook his fist and said, “O Lord, you have deceived me” (v. 7)!
Many Christians are tempted to draw the same conclusion. We embrace the faith, hoping to experience Christ’s presence, peace, and purpose. We expect good things from our good Lord. But a commitment to Christ brings no guarantee of an easy life. When trouble or tragedy strike, or when our convictions bring us conflict, we are tempted to say, “You deceived me, Lord!”
Yet true faith also brings an incomparable degree of security. This security is born not of popularity or material prosperity, but of the knowledge that the creator and ruler of the universe is on our side. When the Lord saved Jeremiah, the prophet testified, “The Lord is with me like a mighty warrior” (v. 11 NIV). Like a mighty warrior, our Lord conquered death. Surely he is able to save us from all our trouble. —Ben Van Arragon
As you pray, entrust your trouble to your trustworthy Lord and Savior.
About the Author
Ben Van Arragon is the Minister of Worship and Leadership at Plymouth Heights Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He preaches and teaches the Bible in church, online, and anywhere else he has the opportunity.
