I Am With You

They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you. Jeremiah 1: 19 NRSV

Jeremiah is one of the most interesting of the prophets. He was called by God to prophecy when he was very young. He was born into one of the ruling classes and had all kinds of connections to the palace and the people. He preached gloom and doom to his contemporaries but no one listened to him.

Well, that isn't exactly true. They actually did listen. Then they tried to get him to shut up. And I used those words on purpose because they really did their best to silence his message. They were not kind about it. They did not want to hear what he had to say. Perhaps they believed him or perhaps not. God gives the impression that God knows they aren't going to do anything God instructs through Jeremiah. I suppose God is giving them plenty of warning. They then won't feel like God didn't inform them before bad things began to happen to them.

So, Jeremiah prophecies and the leaders do several ugly things to silence him.

But God is with Jeremiah this whole time. God has warned him that everyone will fight what is being proclaimed. God still affirms his call to prophecy and promises to deliver him in the end.

Have you ever felt like God has given you something to say but no one will listen to you?

How did that feel?

Were people ugly to you because of what you said? What was your response?

Did you feel like God was with you this whole time?

God, sometimes you give us nudges or make something in us seem so important that we must share it with others. Stay with us when people refuse to listen or do something mean to us because of what you have asked us to do or say. Help us to know you are with us. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Copyright 2010 Amelia G. Sims