EVERYONE MOCKS ME

BY STEVE NIEMEIER

The story of Jeremiah is one of many different emotional swings.  From the time that the Lord told Jeremiah that He knew him before he was formed in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5) until his death, Jeremiah was one who proclaimed the Word of God to a perverse and stiff-necked people.  Yes he tried to get out of proclaiming God's word by stating that he was just a youth, however, God put it very bluntly to Jeremiah, “Do not say, 'I am a youth,' for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.” (Jeremiah 1:7).  No doubt after hearing the explanation of what was going to happen to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 1:13-16) Jeremiah was less than excited to hear God say, “Therefore, prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you.” (Jeremiah 1:17).

Little did Jeremiah know that the Lord would tell him not to take a wife and that he would not have sons or daughters in this place (Jeremiah 16:1-2).  In fact Jeremiah was so unpopular that he became very discouraged.  Who wouldn't?  Preachers today become discouraged when one or two members fail to come to the services, can you imagine just about the entire congregation not attending?  That is what Jeremiah was facing, people would hear and then not heed!  Jeremiah 20:7-18 is a passage in which we see Jeremaih at wits end.  He is so frustrated that he states “I will not make mention of Him” in reference to the name of God.  He wanted to quit!  He had had it!

How about us today?  Are we ready to quit?  Has frustration set in?  It is amazing that in our society today preachers, elders, deacons, class teachers, song leaders, members just quit because they get frustrated.  Some folks believe they have served and now that they are over 50 it is time for someone else to do it.  Why it is terrible, oh brother so and so or sister so and so just don't listen, they don't attend regularly and certainly don't give as they should, they don't study like they should, they are not bringing their children up like they should, etc., etc.  Why, the congregation as a whole just seems like a bunch of “odd wads.”  Yes, no doubt that some congregations have more “odd wads” per square inch than others, but very few if any congregations have as many “stiff-necked odd wads” as Jeremiah had to deal with.  Thus we can begin to understand his frustration, even though it is hard to imagine serving over 40 years in one geographical area and not having the “increase” so many are looking for today.

His frustration comes through in the 20th chapter of Jeremiah but also we see his faithfulness come through when he states in verse 9 “But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back and I could not.”  Wow!  What a statement!  No matter how much he was frustrated, the Word of God was burning inside of him and he could not contain himself ---he had to share it--- even though many were mocking him!  My fellow brother or sister in Christ, let us rekindle this same burning inside us and be so overcome with the Word of God that we just have this same burning inside us and be so overcome with the Word of God that we just have to tell someone of the Good News of His Son Jesus Christ and the hope that we have (I Peter 3:15) no matter what age we are and no matter how much someone might mock us!