February 25: I am with you, says the Lord

 By Arden Ratcliff

Jeremiah 1:11-19

¹¹The word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” ¹²Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.” ¹³The word of the LORD came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, tilted away from the north.”

¹⁴Then the LORD said to me: Out of the north disaster shall break out on all the inhabitants of the land. ¹⁵For now I am calling all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, says the LORD; and they shall come and all of them shall set their thrones at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its surrounding walls and against all the cities of Judah. ¹⁶And I will utter my judgments against them, for all their wickedness in forsaking me; they have made offerings to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. ¹⁷But you, gird up your loins; stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not break down before them, or I will break you before them. ¹⁸And I for my part have made you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall, against the whole land — against the kings of Judah, its princes, its priests, and the people of the land. ¹⁹They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the LORD, to deliver you.

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This passage from the beginning of the book of Jeremiah really highlights what it means to be a prophet.  When God first calls Jeremiah to be God’s prophet, Jeremiah resists.  He claims he’s too young to fulfill such a duty.  But God insists, and Jeremiah accepts his role in God’s plan.

In this passage, God instructs Jeremiah to stand up to the kingdoms of the world.  Jeremiah is to put on his metaphorical armor and brace himself for the conflicts that are to come.  God promises that Jeremiah will be safe as he speaks truth to power, because God is with him and will strengthen him against all enemies.

Verse 19 ends on a really positive note: “They shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you.”  It is reminiscent of a later verse, from Romans: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”  This final statement of support from God is extremely reassuring; I feel that if I were Jeremiah, I too would be ready to face all adversity after a statement of support like that.

If this were the third act of an action movie, God would make this rousing speech to Jeremiah, and Jeremiah would ride off, prophesying to all he saw, overcome all obstacles, and ride home a triumphant hero.

If this were a movie, it certainly wouldn’t include a scene 19 chapters later, where Jeremiah is so miserable and depressed that he prays:

 “O Lord, you have enticed me,
   and I was enticed;
you have overpowered me,
   and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughing-stock all day long;
   everyone mocks me.
For whenever I speak, I must cry out,
   I must shout, ‘Violence and destruction!’
For the word of the Lord has become for me
   a reproach and derision all day long.”

And yet, that is exactly what happens in Jeremiah 20:7-8.  Those words of support and praise might have been enough to make Jeremiah set out on his prophesying journey, but they were not enough to keep him from doubting and questioning himself along the way. 

How often do we feel like Jeremiah in chapter 20?  Beat down, lost, deceived, like a laughingstock.  We all have periods in our lives where it feels like nothing is going right and we seem so far away from the people we want to be.  In those moments, we must remember the words of God: “I have made you today a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall, against the whole land…. I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you.”

God does not abandon Jeremiah, even when he questions everything that God is asking him to do and accuses God of tricking him into agreeing to be a prophet.  God is with him til the end, strengthening him, fortifying him, delivering him. 

And God will do the same for us.  When we are alone and frightened and lost, God is right there with us, strengthening us into iron pillars to withstand everything the world can throw at us. 

For if our God is for us, then who can stand against us?