19 O my soul, my soul!
I am pained in my very heart!
My heart makes a noise in me;
I cannot hold my peace,
Because you have heard, O my soul,
The sound of the trumpet,
The alarm of war.
20 Destruction upon destruction is cried,
For the whole land is plundered.
Suddenly my tents are plundered,
And my curtains in a moment.
21 How long will I see the standard,
And hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 "For My people are foolish,
They have not known Me.
They are silly children,
And they have no understanding.
They are wise to do evil,
But to do good they have no knowledge."—Jeremiah 5:19-22
Oh Father...give me by Your gracious Spirit, a heart like Jeremiah’s! A heart that faithfully speaks Your truth in love and weeps for the wayward and the lost.
Such a beautiful picture. Jeremiah preached to the hard-hearted...he preached to those who did the right things outwardly but had hearts that were far from God. In 42 years of preaching he had no converts. He was despised, persecuted and tortured for his ministry ...AND YET...Jeremiah wept and grieved for those people to whom he preached...people who turned away from their God and his message.
Warren Wiersbe says this of Jeremiah: "he was bold before men and heart-broken before God". Beloved, dwell in mercy and love...draw near to God in brokenness for those He has placed in your path. Pray for them, weep for them, preach to them and leave the results in the hands of our faithful God.
