Jeremiah 15:15-21 (NASB)
15 You who know, O Lord,
Remember me, take notice of me,
And take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
Do not, in view of Your patience, take me away;
Know that for Your sake I endure reproach.
16 Your words were found and I ate them,
And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;
For I have been called by Your name,
O Lord God of hosts.
17 I did not sit in the circle of merrymakers,
Nor did I exult.
Because of Your hand upon me I sat alone,
For You filled me with indignation.
18 Why has my pain been perpetual
And my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream
With water that is unreliable?
19 Therefore, thus says the Lord,
“If you return, then I will restore you—
Before Me you will stand;
And if you extract the precious from the worthless,
You will become My spokesman.
They for their part may turn to you,
But as for you, you must not turn to them.
20 “Then I will make you to this people
A fortified wall of bronze;
And though they fight against you,
They will not prevail over you;
For I am with you to save you
And deliver you,” declares the Lord.
21 “So I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked,
And I will redeem you from the grasp of the violent.”
When every door of perceived opportunity is slammed, closed, locked, and barred; we become vulnerable to a spirit of discouragement and project our despair toward the Lord. This is actually an attempt by the enemy of our souls to sow the seeds of bitterness in an attempt to produce worthless fruit.
And yet the Lord is faithful to respond to our despair, not with punishment but an opportunity for acceptance, a promise of protection and triumph.
So while we wait for the doors of opportunity to open for our destiny we must keep our speech, our attitudes, and our behavior precious (honorable and desirable) before the Lord. For in keeping the garden of our souls free of the weeds of discouragement and despair, we will find ourselves positioned as the Lord's spokesman; fortified - fit for the task ahead.
Luther.
