Jeremiah’s work
- Jeremiah began prophesying when Josiah was king and prophesied for about 50 years.
- Jeremiah 1:10 – The majority of Jeremiah’s work was relaying negative messages from God. This certainly must have been tiring for Jeremiah to constantly warn and prophesy doom with only a few positive messages sprinkled in.
Jeremiah’s struggles
- Jeremiah 15:16-17 – Jeremiah would have to work alone.
- Jeremiah 18:18, 22; 11:19 – Enemies devised schemes against Jeremiah, some of which he was ignorant of.
- Jeremiah 20:7; 12:6 – Jeremiah was mocked and laughed at – even by his own family!
- Jeremiah 38:6; 37:15-16; 20:2 – Jeremiah was put into the bottom of a dry well. He was imprisoned, beaten, and put in stocks.
- Jeremiah 4:10; 15:8; 20:14-18 – How did Jeremiah respond? He wished he had not been born to see such awful things.
- Jeremiah 6:10; 9:2 – Jeremiah expressed skepticism. He wanted to quit!
- Jeremiah 12:1 – When Jeremiah struggled with moments of weakness, he talked to God.
- Jeremiah 20:7-9 – Jeremiah wanted to quit but could not.
How Jeremiah rose above his struggles
- Jeremiah 10:6-7; 16:19; 20:11 – In the end, Jeremiah praised God!
- Psalms 73:1-5, 13-17 – David despaired of the evil done to the righteous and the prosperity of the wicked. But then he saw the end that was coming for the wicked.
Application for us
Take your concerns to God and don’t give up!