While many have correctly likened my ministry to Jeremiah's because in many ways the two are very similar; yet, there are some glaring dissimilarities between both ministry and messenger. Not only is there an age and gender difference where the messenger is concerned, there are differences in the ministries themselves, the most significant difference is in the temperament of assignments. God reprimanded Jeremiah because of his youthful immaturity and lack of faith:
Jeremiah 15:18 Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? will you be altogether to me as a liar, and as waters that fail?
Jeremiah had caused a separation between himself and God because he had basically called God a liar; to which God replied:
Jeremiah 15:19 Therefore thus said the LORD, If you return, then will I bring you again, and you shall stand before me: and if you take forth the precious from the vile, you shall be as my mouth: let them return to you; but return not you to them.
God was essentially telling Jeremiah to stop questioning His power and authority, as if He were not able to do exactly as He had vowed. In other words, stop being faithless: And that's where Jeremiah's and my ministry deviate. I have never called God a liar. In fact I've gotten myself into a lot of trouble in this city because of my refusal to change or withdraw the message. God addresses that aspect of Jeremiah's assignment, in the latter part of verse 19, by instructing him to keep his ministry pure by not changing the message to suit the people. As for my current situation, I understand that because all things in this world are temporal; "This too shall pass."
Always in considering Jesus's suffering, I would never approach God, as though my suffering could even begin to compare. Even in thinking on Jesus's lifespan, do I consider myself absolutely unworthy. Come next month, God will have allowed me to see sixty years of life on earth; while Jesus, for our sakes, was only afforded Thirty-Three. Even so, I don't question God’s ways, I simply say "Thank You LORD." Still, I have to cut Jeremiah some slack: he was very young, and too, Jesus’s time had not yet come.
Certainly, in having to deal with man's constant attacks, without cause, I have had some moments where I have cried out, even as Jesus cried out saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” But, I never left God; and I pray that I never will.
There's one other thing that I wanted to address concerning Jeremiah's ministry, he actually did pray for the people: He prayed for the remnant that was being exiled after their city was destroyed.
Jeremiah 15:18 Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? will you be altogether to me as a liar, and as waters that fail?
Jeremiah had caused a separation between himself and God because he had basically called God a liar; to which God replied:
Jeremiah 15:19 Therefore thus said the LORD, If you return, then will I bring you again, and you shall stand before me: and if you take forth the precious from the vile, you shall be as my mouth: let them return to you; but return not you to them.
God was essentially telling Jeremiah to stop questioning His power and authority, as if He were not able to do exactly as He had vowed. In other words, stop being faithless: And that's where Jeremiah's and my ministry deviate. I have never called God a liar. In fact I've gotten myself into a lot of trouble in this city because of my refusal to change or withdraw the message. God addresses that aspect of Jeremiah's assignment, in the latter part of verse 19, by instructing him to keep his ministry pure by not changing the message to suit the people. As for my current situation, I understand that because all things in this world are temporal; "This too shall pass."
Always in considering Jesus's suffering, I would never approach God, as though my suffering could even begin to compare. Even in thinking on Jesus's lifespan, do I consider myself absolutely unworthy. Come next month, God will have allowed me to see sixty years of life on earth; while Jesus, for our sakes, was only afforded Thirty-Three. Even so, I don't question God’s ways, I simply say "Thank You LORD." Still, I have to cut Jeremiah some slack: he was very young, and too, Jesus’s time had not yet come.
Certainly, in having to deal with man's constant attacks, without cause, I have had some moments where I have cried out, even as Jesus cried out saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” But, I never left God; and I pray that I never will.
There's one other thing that I wanted to address concerning Jeremiah's ministry, he actually did pray for the people: He prayed for the remnant that was being exiled after their city was destroyed.
Whatever God says shall come to pass.
AS IT IS WRITTEN
.
AS IT IS WRITTEN
.
