Rise Above Discouragement
Jeremiah 20:1-13
In every believer’s life, there is discouragement and doubt. Just being a follower of Jesus Christ will not make you exempt from troubles. Even though one may be obedient to God, he may face discouragement and grow weary. This lesson will show that believers can be confident of the Lord’s presence and power when trouble comes.
Jeremiah 20:1-6 points out that we can expect discouragement. The prophet was beaten and put in stocks for preaching an unpopular message. When he was released, he refused to change his message. Although Jeremiah continued his ministry (vv. 3-6), privately he was discouraged (vv. 7-10). Often we see only the public faces of our church leaders; we may not be able to perceive that they are struggling with discouragement.
In Jeremiah 20:7, the word “deceived” does not mean that God deceived Jeremiah. F.B. Huey explains that “God warned him that the people would resist his words (1:8, 19; 12:5). But in his hurt and confusion, Jeremiah lashed out at God and accused him of forcing him to be a prophet against his will.” Even in Jeremiah’s hurt, however, he never stopped serving the Lord.
We can be confident that no matter what happens to us, the Lord will always be there for us. Though the focal passage of this lesson stops with verse 13, there is a change of tone beginning in verse 14. Some scholars believe verses 7-13 and verses 14-18 were separate confessions spoken at two different times. But Huey makes this observation: “Although it cannot be proved that verses 14-18 originally followed verse 13, it is not unusual for deep depression to follow on the heels of a mood of exaltation. Anyone who has experienced fluctuating moods in the midst of a difficult situation knows it is possible for people to praise God one moment and despair the next” (“Jeremiah, Lamentations,” vol. 16 in The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1993, pages 194-95). Huey goes on to say: “However, it is significant that no further complaints are found in the rest of the book. By means of hardships he experienced during this period, Jeremiah finally became the ‘iron pillar and bronze wall’ (1:18) that enabled him to stand against the whole land and not be overcome by his enemies” (p. 196).
The lessons we can learn from our study are: 1) We can, and should, express our honest feelings to God in prayer. 2) We should seek ways to encourage our church leaders. 3) Remembering our call from God can help us keep going when we feel like giving up our ministry (v. 9).
Dinkins– Lessons in the BSL series for the summer quarter are being written by David Dinkins, pastor of First Baptist Church, Kingstree, and former director of missions.