“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.” —Jeremiah 15:16

In The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo protests to Gandalf saying, “I am not made for perilous quests. I wish I had never seen the Ring! Why did it come to me? Why was I chosen?” Gandalf replies, “Such questions cannot be answered. You may be sure that it was not for any merit that others do not possess; not for power or wisdom, at any rate. But you have been chosen and you must therefore use such strength and heart and wits as you have.”

Like Frodo, the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah was required to walk a lonely road in his calling. It’s been said that “loneliness” is a feeling of separation, isolation, or distance in human relations. It implies emotional pain, an empty feeling, and a yearning to feel understood and accepted by someone. In this sense, Jeremiah could be considered the poster child for loneliness.

Jeremiah belonged to a priestly family, which had long been ousted from the religious and royal establishment. He was called at birth to serve as a prophet during the most tragic era of his nation’s history. He began his prophetic ministry at about 17-years of age. He grieved with great inner turmoil over his people succumbing to idolatry and dwelling in a false sense of security due to a culture of lying prophets and deceptive pastors (Jeremiah 23). On top of being ridiculed throughout his public ministry, he was forbidden of the Lord to take a wife and have children (Jeremiah 16:2).

Prophesying from the thirteenth year of Josiah’s reign (627 b.c.) until shortly after the fall of Jerusalem in 587 b.c., Jeremiah’s 40-year ministry was marked by opponents’ attempts to silence him by means of arrests, trials, beatings, imprisonments, and even assassination plots (e.g., Jeremiah 26:10–19; 36:26; 37:11–38:6). Throughout the book, this “weeping prophet” lamented to God, questioned his calling at times, and even begged the Lord to bring down fiery judgment on his opposition (e.g., Jeremiah 11:19–20; 20:10–12). Jeremiah witnessed the destruction of his own town. Undoubtedly, he saw the flames that engulfed the walls of Jerusalem’s temple and demolished his homeland, as Nebuchadnezzar swept his people into exile.

There is nothing romantic about Jeremiah’s story—not from the world’s perspective, or even a “ministry success” model by today’s ecclesiastical standards.

As a ministry leader, Jeremiah never amassed scores of followers. He didn’t see souls repenting and lives being restored as a result of his preaching. He didn’t build a state of the art worship facility, fill it up with droves, and preach fluffy “feel good” sermons every week. The Lord called him to stand at the gate of a stubbornly idolatrous empire, confronting the countless false prophets of his day (Jeremiah 7:2, 17:19, 23:9-40, 27-29). Was Jeremiah successful? Certainly not in terms of ministry metrics used by pundits in our generation. Definitely not in terms of what many view as the “American Dream.”

Yet, Jeremiah inspires us with his faithfulness. In spite of all that he suffered, this “prophet of loneliness” never quit. His resolve to be obedient to his calling is both convicting and challenging. Jeremiah’s single pursuit in life was to listen to what God said about knowing Him (Jeremiah 9:24; cf. Philippians 3:10; John 17:3) and to act upon it, period. Not allusions about success. Not masquerades about having it all together. Not status or achievement, awards or popularity, admiration or following, just simple faithfulness and obedience to the one true God. He found strength in God’s Word and being reminded that he was “called” by the Maker of this universe (Jeremiah 15:16).

Instead of gushing over what success looks like, what if we spent more time thinking about what faithfulness looks like? Rather than focusing on all that is making us feel lonely, what if we focused more on the Faithful One, who said, “I will never leave you or forsake you”? Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.

I am not what I make; I am who you have made me to be
I am not what I’ve done; I am loved unconditionally
I am not loved by the measure of love that I bring
I am not who I know; I am known by the king of all kings

Jesus, you are enough
Jesus, you are enough for me
With nothing; I still have everything
Jesus, you are enough for me

—“Enough” by Elias Dummer

PRAYER

God, like Jeremiah, you have formed each of us in the womb and given us a specific calling in life. You know the plans you have for us, and You are familiar with all the trappings in the world that make us feel lonely. You also know how to fill us up with Your presence to counter that loneliness. Teach us what it looks like to walk in faithfulness with You each day. It is in knowing you and being in fellowship with You that we find that You are truly enough. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Reflection, Small Group or Family Discussion:

1. What is the biggest lie you have ever believed for a period of time?
2. How was Jeremiah treated because of the message he brought from God, and what promise did God make to him? (Jeremiah 15:10-11)
3. What did God assure Jeremiah even as He asked him to take an unpopular course? (Jeremiah 15:20-21)
4. Why do false prophets often receive more honor from their audience than faithful prophets?
5. How can you prepare yourself to discern the lying words of people who falsely claim to represent the truth? What steps could you take to prepare yourself to deliver or defend God’s Word, regardless of how it is received?

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The post Staying Faithful to God in Lonely Times appeared first on Jimmy Larche.

Text: Lamentations 3:17-32

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

To me there are few things more beautiful than a ‘blue smoke’ sunrise over the crest of the Great Smoky Mountains. The morning blanket of smoky haze gives the region an almost magical enchantment. The Cherokee Indians considered the mountains to be a sacred place and referred to the area as “Shaconage” (Sha-Kon-O-Hey): land of the blue smoke. European settlers later took inspiration from the Cherokee language when they named the Great Smoky Mountains and the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains. Waking up under the blanket of this great blue smoke gives a sense of surreality to the rest of the day.

In the book of Lamentations, Jeremiah talked about waking up each day under the blanket of God’s tender mercies. Though he was an eyewitness to the downfall of his homeland, and as he walks through the streets and alleys of Jerusalem and sees nothing but pain, suffering, and destruction in the wake of the Babylonian invasion, he was still remarkably able to pause for a moment to recall the steadfast love of the Lord and the greatness of His faithfulness. This recollection gave the weeping prophet unimaginable hope in such bleak and dire circumstances (Lamentations 3:22-24).

Jeremiah had been journaling about the depressing events of his time. He had seen the kind of death that only the worst of humanity can bring. Yet suddenly, in the middle of this dreary account, Jeremiah has his own ‘Shaconage’ moment as his thoughts take a startling turn back to the very depths of God’s character.

The Hebrew word translated here ‘mercies’ is used 248 times in the Old Testament. It is a sweeping, all-inclusive term to describe God’s love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, forgiveness, and compassion. Though his people are indeed being punished for their sins as God had warned them about beforehand, Jeremiah remembers that God’s mercies are new each day—that no matter how painful the consequences of sin may be, confession always brings about renewal and restoration. Better days are sure to come.

It is under this thick blanket of God’s mercies that Jeremiah finds comfort and hope.

Hope doesn’t take away the hurt, but it does point us in the right direction when we are hurting.

How could anyone cry out, “Great is your faithfulness!” in the middle of such affliction? The answer is that Jeremiah recalled to mind the steadfast love of the Lord. He knew that God could turn tragedy into triumph and he pointed his faith in the right direction.

How about you, my friend? Where have you seen disaster in your world? Where has your faith been shaken? Where have you experienced heartbreak or loss in your life? Whether our affliction is brought on by our own sinful choices or accounts beyond our control, just like Jeremiah, we can turn our eyes upward and see the triumph of Christ rising like morning haze over the jagged mountaintops.

Because the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, we can say in our difficulty, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will hope in him.” God’s enduring love and constant mercies are not only new every morning, they are new every moment. Think about that beloved, as you take the time to abide in Him this week.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, great is your faithfulness. Your compassions, they fail not. Morning by morning, new mercies we see. We embrace your unfailing love for us—especially how that love was demonstrated toward us on Calvary’s cross, where your beloved Son, Jesus, gave His life as the ransom for our transgressions. He bore our sins upon his own body so that we could be restored to a rightful relationship with you and be comforted under the blanket of your mercy. Lord, fill us with your Holy Spirit and cause us to walk triumphantly in the steadfastness of your love. You are our portion, our Hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Hope doesn’t take away the hurt, but it does point us in the right direction when we are hurting. Tweet this

Questions for Reflection and/or Family Discussion:

1. What is the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen? What makes a sunrise so captivating to us? In what other ways does creation speak to us?
2. When have you felt like God was afflicting you? What did that season produce in your life?
3. In what ways do reflection, confession, and repentance play a role in our seasons of affliction?
4. How have you experienced the faithfulness of God and the steadfastness of His love?
5. What can you do this week to recognize and celebrate the mercies of God every morning?

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The post His Mercies Are New Every Morning appeared first on Jimmy Larche.