"O LORD, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; Everyone mocks me."--Jeremiah 20:7
Jeremiah has just been prophesying for God. And Pashhur the priest didn't like it. So head had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put into the stocks. When Jeremiah is finally let go, he tells Pashhur what will happen to him and then runs away and cries out to the Lord.
Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever felt that God had deceived you? That God had led you down the path you though you were supposed to go down, and then suddenly, you realize that you're in a lot more trouble than you thought?
To tell you the truth, that has never happened to me...yet. I feel for Jeremiah though. He was doing what God had told him to do, and yet, he was put into the stocks and mocked all day long. Not something that was fun. Yet even though he complains to God, he continues to work for God. He doesn't give up on God.
I believe that Jeremiah knew something about his predicament. I believe that he knew that because he was following God, the true God, that he would be persecuted. Think about what Jesus said to His disciples in Mark 13:9:
"But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them."Jesus knew that His disciples would be persecuted because of their belief in Him. He knew that they would go through embarrassment, trials, tribulations, and even death, because they were spreading the Good News of Jesus throughout the world.
I think that Jeremiah knew that. Maybe not that he was spreading the Gospel, but that he was working for God, the true God. And even though he may have thought that God had deceived him in that instant, I believe that he probably knew in the back of his head that God knew what He was doing.
So, do you feel deceived? Do you feel left hung out to dry? I know it's tough, but remember that God is with you and He hasn't deceived you. He may be trying to help you grow a bit. A flower must go through a tough growing process before the beauty is revealed. If the flower didn't have the soil to push through, there would be no flower. A child can't learn without struggle, so it is with us.
For us to grow spiritually, God lets things happen that make us think that maybe God has deceived us. That maybe He's left us out on the corner in the rain. But remember, God has promised that He will "never leave you, nor forsake you." He is always there. Deceived...I think not!
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