Stories of Strength Through Pain in the Bibleনমুনা

Day 3 | Jeremiah

Have you ever heard the phrase “don’t shoot the messenger?” In biblical times, messengers - called prophets - often took a lot of flack for the messages God gave them to share, especially messages of warning.

Jeremiah was one of those prophets whose message wasn’t taken well. King Solomon’s actions led the kingdom of Israel to split into Israel (in the north) and Judah (in the south). Jeremiah came to warn Judah, in the south, of a similar fate: Babylon would invade and take them captive.

Jeremiah warned the people, and in response they threw him in a pit. Don’t picture a dungeon. Pits like these were dug to catch run-off from the hard-packed ground that couldn’t absorb the rain. This run-off deposited animal dung, little bones, and garbage in the pit along with rainwater. He was up to his neck in muck.

It's at that moment of hardship that Jeremiah said these words: “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”

When we face hardships, whatever they may be, we need to remember the character of God. Hagar saw it: the God who sees me. Jeremiah added to it: faithful, merciful, and loving.

God’s mercies are new every morning. They are always there to see. Look around you today and remember what God has done for you. He’ll be faithful to bring you through this hardship, too.