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God promised to provide for Jeremiah if he remained faithful to preach the word God had given him. Jeremiah did deliver a hard message that turned out to be highly unpopular, and as a result those who heard his sermon became quite angry with Jeremiah.
In what I think is a very human response, Jeremiah began to complain to God—
Your words were found, and I ate them; and Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts. I sat not in the assembly of those who make merry, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because Your powerful hand was upon me, for You had filled me with indignation. Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail and are uncertain? (Jeremiah 15:16-18 AMPC)
God had to speak a correcting word to Jeremiah—
If you return and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair, then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister; and if you separate the precious from the vile—cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness—you shall be My mouthpiece. Let them return to you—not you to the people. (v. 19)
Jeremiah got over his pity party and once again continued to faithfully deliver God’s message, despite what people thought of him or said about him. Jeremiah even remained resolute in his devotion to God when the rulers of the people abused Jeremiah or threw him into prison or threatened to kill him.
Just as God promised, as the Babylonians pressed in on Jerusalem, the people flocked back to Jeremiah to ask him to intercede before God on their behalf (21:1-2; 37:3; 42:2)
Remember that God had promised to take care of Jeremiah, assuring him of a place of quiet and safety. God also said,
Truly your release, affliction, and strengthening will be for good purposes; surely, Jeremiah, I will intercede for you with the enemy and I will cause the enemy to ask for your aid in the time of evil and in the time of affliction. (15:11)
This promise was fulfilled when Nebuzaradan—the commander of the imperial guard in Nebuchadnezzar’s army—came to Jerusalem:
Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: “Take him and look after him; don’t harm him but do for him whatever he asks.” … [Nebuzaradan] had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, “The Lord your God decreed this disaster for this place. And now the Lord has brought it about; He has done just as He said He would. All this happened because you people sinned against the Lord and did not obey Him. But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists.” (39:11-12; 40:1-2)
God never promises His servants their task will be easy, but He does promise both temporal provision and eternal rewards for His servants who remain faithful to Him and to His calling.
In my book Shepherd Leadership, I talk about a time God had to correct me when I was throwing myself a pity party.
And in my book When Sheep Bite, the entire third section contains biblical strategies to help God’s servants not give in to the very natural response of fight-or-flight, but how to tap into the supernatural response of faithfulness.
If you are a spiritual leader, I would encourage you to pick up a copy of both of these books. And keep in mind that God always provides for His servants.
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Craig T. Owens 