praise the LORD!
For he has delivered the life of the needy
from the hand of evildoers. Jeremiah 20:12
Poor Jeremiah! In the Old Testament lesson this week (Jeremiah 20:7–13) he pours out his heart at the distress he feels. People are mocking him. He has become a laughingstock all the day. No wonder Jeremiah has been called “The Weeping Prophet.”
Have you ever felt like Jeremiah? Has it ever happened that you have been mocked and belittled because you are trying to be faithful to God?
We all need food, water, clothing, and shelter. But these are not the things that people crave the most. No matter how financially blessed we may be, none of these things seem important when we are betrayed and deceived by people we thought were our friends.
Our deepest hurts and longings involve relationships. You may be hungry for a burger or crave pizza for a few moments a day, but the hurt of a lost friendship or love never goes away.
This is why it is so amazing that Jeremiah can pour out his heart at the hurts he feels because of the people around him and then in the next breath declare: “Sing to the LORD; praise the LORD! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.”
When your hopes are dashed, when friends abandon you, the reality of sin in the world becomes all too clear. It is at this time that Jeremiah reminds us that the only solution to these hurts is the love of God. He delivers your life from unkind and insensitive people. In Christ you have a friend that will never leave or forsake you. He is the one who will bring you to be with Him in the mansions of heaven. Therefore, we join Jeremiah in singing and praising the Lord.
Prayer: Lord, you know I live in a hurtful world. Grant me the comfort and peace that comes from above. Let me never stop singing and praising you for the gift of a Savior. Amen.
God’s richest blessings in Christ,
Pastor Philip Quardokus
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