“They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 1:19 NIV
Jeremiah was called to be a prophet of God in the last years of Judah before she was destroyed by Babylon. This was a very challenging time for the nation. Judah had fallen into idolatry. Social injustice was rampant. Babylon was threatening. Judah’s kings were weak and ineffective. The future was bleak.
Jeremiah was called primarily to pronounce judgment on both the people and the nation for their sin and rebellion. While his message held out some hope for a distant future, it primarily was one of judgment. Babylon would come and conquer them, taking them into exile. A message that was guaranteed to not be favorably received. Jeremiah did not want this task and sought to decline it. But God overcame his objections.
When you read this verse, you see God’s assurance to Jeremiah that “I am with you and will rescue you”. And it might seem, then, that Jeremiah would have similar experiences to Elijah, who had fire come down to consume his enemies (2 Kings 1:8-15). But that was not the case. Jeremiah spent time in prison. He was deprived in many ways. His life was anything but easy.
Being an Overcomer
But Jeremiah was never overcome. Through it all, he remained faithful to his calling and continued to deliver God’s message to Judah. He stood tall in the midst of all the challenges he faced. Because God was with him and delivered him from all of those who sought to silence him and the message God had given to him.
I believe that God’s promise to Jeremiah is just as relevant for us today. If we are faithful to God, in spite of a hostile world, we will not be overcome. Life may not be all roses and chocolates. But God will be with us and rescue us. So let us take our stand with Jeremiah and be a light shining in the darkness all around us.
