By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
FRIDAY
THEME: “I KNEW YOU”: JEREMIAH, PART II
SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 31:3
“The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”
REFLECTIONS
The life of Jeremiah teaches us that everyone who makes themselves available to be used by God receives divine empowerment and strength to persevere and perform. Divine help is available to the humble and the corrigible. It is also evident that a call by God does not absolve the individual from troubles, trials, and tribulations. In reality, by aligning with God, one becomes the target of the enemy whose intents and purposes are to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). It is a deception subtly crafted by the devil that once you give your life to Jesus all troubles and problems will vanish. When people have this notion, they give up easily when things do not seem to go according to their expectations. Expect the worst from the world, but expect the unimaginable and impossible from God. In the devil is a defeat, but in God is victory.
God made Jeremiah aware of what was ahead in his calling and commissioning. Jeremiah 1:17-19 reveals, “[17]“Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, Lest I dismay you before them. [18]For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land— Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land. [19]They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to deliver you.” The fact is that people in the world hate to be told the truth. They will fight the truth instead of making sense of the truth and acting appropriately. The hostile legions will come, but the Captain of the hosts of God will be your defense and shield.
When God chooses you for a rescue mission, you often have to suffer for the people’s salvation. God sees a gem in you that He capitalizes on to save other souls. Warning to save lives comes with a cost that the messenger has to bear. Jesus suffered for our salvation (Isaiah 53). Jeremiah indeed suffered a lot. But his strength was in the promise: “They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to deliver you.” In his struggle, he lamented in Lamentations 1:12 – “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Behold and see If there is any sorrow like my sorrow, Which has been brought on me, Which the Lord has inflicted In the day of His fierce anger.” He complained, “[1]I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath. [2]He has led me and made me walk In darkness and not in light. [3]Surely He has turned His hand against me Time and time again throughout the day. [7]He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out; He has made my chain heavy.” Lamentations 3:1-3,7. He suffered not because he had sinned but for the sake of the people God intended to save. You may equally suffer to save your family members and friends.
In all this, the assurance came through – “The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” Jeremiah 31:3. It is love that draws us to Christ, and it is love that sustains our relationship with Him. Agape love is not extinguished or dampened by the suffering that one has to endure. Love for God gives the grace to endure whatever challenges, deprivations, and persecutions come in serving Him. In all his afflictions, Jeremiah experienced the love of God and therefore remarked in Lamentations 3:21-24, “[21]This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. [22]Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. [23]They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. [24]“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 515 – “The Lord is My Light”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for His presence in all your trials; thank God for His unfailing love and mercies; pray to trust God in all situations;
– Pray for those who are facing severe challenges in following Christ; pray for victory for those struggling with their faith; pray for the lives of war victims and hostages;
– Pray for individuals and families deprived of sources of income, provisions, or peaceful environment; pray for children found in broken homes;
– Pray for the nation, leaders, and citizens; pray for Christians to lift up Christ; pray for the sick and families mourning.
