Rebuke with Reassurance

I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible. Jeremiah 15:2

The Lord usually balances rebuke with reassurance. In Jeremiah 15:20 He promised once again to make Jeremiah a “fortified wall” and give him victory over all his enemies (1:18, 19). Jeremiah had to learn to walk by faith, which meant obeying God’s Word no matter how he felt, what he saw, or what others might do to him. God never promised Jeremiah an easy job, but He did promise him all that he needed to do His work faithfully.

God’s chosen servants can become discouraged and endanger their own ministries—that’s not unusual. Every servant of God is human and subject to the weaknesses of human nature. Moses became discouraged and wanted to die (Numbers. 11:10–15); Joshua was ready to quit and leave the Promised Land (Joshua 7:6–11); Elijah even abandoned his place of duty and hoped to die (1 Kings. 19). Have you identified what tends to cause you to get discouraged? The emotions can be powerful, but they are not irresistible or absolute. Discouragement is always an opportunity to clarify where our confidence and strength rests. Like Jeremiah’s ups and downs, our own experiences remind us to walk by faith, rather than by feelings. But, thank God for His promises.