“I will save you from the hands of the wicked
and deliver you from the grasp of the cruel.”
The later part of this chapter is a discussion between Jeremiah and the Lord. Jeremiah expressed how he had received the Lord’s message with joy, that he bore God’s name, and he never hung out with revelers. But, in spite of his faithful service, his life was hard. And it made him wonder if God had turned away from him. God rebuked Jeremiah for his doubt and reiterated his commission to him. And then promised him that he would save him from the hands of all those who sought to destroy him.
Jeremiah’s ministry to Judah was never easy. He suffered greatly as a prophet forecasting doom to a nation that didn’t want to hear it. His message went largely unheard, and he ended up among the remnant left behind when Babylon deported many others. Only to end up in Egypt. His ministry seemed to be a failure. And it was filled with opposition and suffering.
But Jeremiah’s ministry was not a failure. He was faithful to the one who had called him. And God delivered him from evil men and brought him safely into his presence. Our success in serving God is not measured by the human response to it. Peter’s success at Pentecost, where 3000 were saved, was no greater in God’s eyes than Jeremiah’s. Both were faithful in the work God had given them to do. And that is what matters.
Don’t be discouraged if it seems your faithful service to the Lord is going nowhere. Remember Jeremiah. And continue to serve faithfully, leaving the results to God.
