Salvation Summaries

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

Jeremiah had a rough life as a prophet. For many years, he had to deliver messages of warning to the people of Judah, but Judah didn’t want to hear them. They had abandoned God to worship false gods. They had become evil, corrupt and wicked. They had exploited orphans and widows, and denied the rights of the poor.

Through Jeremiah, God pleaded with them…Come back to Me for I am merciful. Acknowledge your guilt. Admit your wrongs. Confess your sins. Cleanse your heart. And if you do, I will guide you. I will give you knowledge and understanding. I will give you rest for your souls.

But Judah refused to repent, and then, they turned against Jeremiah. They mocked him, flogged him, imprisoned him, and sought to kill him. His few friends turned against him. He was alone.

Because of this, Jeremiah became discouraged and depressed. He complained to God that his life was filled with trouble, sorrow and shame. He, like Job, had reached a low point. He was in a state of utter despair, and even questioned why he had been born. 

But despite all of this, Jeremiah didn’t give up. He remembered that God is powerful, and could protect him from his enemies. He realized that God knows the thoughts of everyone, and thus knew what Jeremiah was thinking and going through.

So Jeremiah made a decision – he resolved to do what God wanted him to do, whether he wanted to or not, and whether it would be easy or not. Yes, in the midst of pain and suffering, of anguish and despair, Jeremiah chose to plow ahead with a sense of purpose and determination.

You might be in a similar situation. You might be feeling discouraged or depressed. You might not understand why you have so many problems, or why they are getting worse. You’re at the end of your rope, and don’t see how you can go on.

If so, don’t despair. God knows exactly what you are going through. He knows your thoughts, your anguish and your pain. God, who knew you before you were born, has a purpose for you too, though He also doesn’t guarantee it will be easy.

So you must not give up, but instead, give in to Him. Cry out to Him about your present circumstances, and then, when you are done voicing your complaints, surrender everything – your concerns, your anxiety, your depression, your life – to Him. Tell Him to take it all, and then trust Him. Realize that through Jesus, our powerful and mighty God loves you more than you will ever know. He loves you! And then, like Jeremiah, you can persevere in this trial, and the trials ahead. In the storms of life, God will be your anchor, but you must let him.

Isaiah 55:8-9 ⁸ “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. ⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Romans 8:38-39 ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayer

Dear God.

I’m at a low point in my life. I’m anxious, and depressed. I’m hurting emotionally, mentally, and now physically. I’m suffering, and it’s hard. Each day is a struggle. I need relief, and it’s not coming. Help me.

But now, when I think about what Jeremiah went through, and how You helped him persevere, I realize that You can do the same for me.

So right now, I’m handing everything over to You. You take my anxiety. You take my depression. You take my struggles and daily problems, and deal with them as You see fit. And I, each day, will draw upon Your strength and wisdom to get through the day, knowing that You are with me, and that You love me, and that You have a purpose for my life. Thank you.

Amen.