WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2007
JEREMIAH 15:15-21

LORD, REMEMBER ME

15 O LORD, You know; Remember me and visit me, And take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In Your enduring patience, do not take me away. Know that for Your sake I have suffered rebuke. 16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts.17 I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers, Nor did I rejoice; I sat alone because of Your hand, For You have filled me with indignation. 18 Why is my pain perpetual And my wound incurable, Which refuses to be healed? Will You surely be to me like an unreliable stream, As waters that fail? 19 Therefore thus says the LORD: “ If you return, Then I will bring you back; You shall stand before Me; If you take out the precious from the vile, You shall be as My mouth. Let them return to you, But you must not return to them. 20 And I will make you to this people a fortified bronze wall; And they will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you; For I am with you to save you And deliver you,” says the LORD. 21 “ I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the grip of the terrible.” Jeremiah 15:15-21 (NKJV)

STOP!  Before you begin to read the following, turn to your Bible and read the first 14 verses of this Chapter. If you don’t have a Bible handy, just click here and it will take you there.

Now that you have read those verses, it is kind of threatening, isn’t it? These words were given by the Prophet to those who chose not to follow God. The hearers had been told of God and possibly at one time believed. Now they had rejected God and chosen to go their own way.

In our text, Jeremiah is praying for deliverance from those unbelievers who are persecuting him. Even though Jeremiah has suffered rebuke by the people, he still returns to the God he has proclaimed. Not only does he return, but he recalls Words from God that he says he eats. By that he means that he takes those words inside of himself so that they become a very part of him. Because of this he can say, Lord, remember me.

Jeremiah was isolated. The people did not want to hear his message, so they left him alone. Now the Lord tells Jeremiah that if he will quit being impatient and return to being the Prophet that he was called to be, that He, God, will be with him. Here God gives two important directives:  When you go to the people, don’t allow yourself to become one of them, but help them to become one with you. God promises help and support to those who are persecuted for proclaiming His Word. He does NOT promise freedom from it.

The world has not changed since the days of Jeremiah. The world is still filled with those who reject God and seek to lure others away from the Love of Christ. Jeremiah had the Hope that came from the promise of a Messiah. In this Holy Week, we are reminded again and again that the Promise was fulfilled in the death of Jesus on the Cross.

Your mission and my mission is still the same as the mission of Jeremiah -- To proclaim God’s Word to those who have not heard or have heard and walked away. The persecution is still there, as Satan will do anything he can to draw people away from Christ. The promise of help and support from God is still there. All we need do is pray: LORD, REMEMBER ME!

WE PRAY: LORD, when I feel alone, frustrated, and confused, give my heart a gentle tug to remind me that you are always with me. When I begin to stray from your Word, get my attention so that I will return to you. I am weak, even so, LORD, REMEMBER ME. AMEN.

A SUGGESTION FOR LIVING THE DEVOTION

Are you worried about someone because the words they use or the activities they take part in are not pleasing to God? If so, pray daily that God would give you the right words and opportunity to help that person lead a more God pleasing life.