Jeremiah 15:16 KJV
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
The prophet lived in such perilous times. It was almost he alone who strove to live for and obey God's voice. There were plenty of others who talked a good line about spiritual things; there were plenty of others whose outward trappings made them appear to be blessed of the Lord. On the other hand, there was Jeremiah. The message he was receiving from the Lord was completely different than the feel good type of stuff being preached by the well-knowns.
Jeremiah was visibly unsuccessful.
Jeremiah was financially less prosperous and
Jeremiah was certainly not well respected.
But Jeremiah was the man who had the message from God. Under those circumstances, it would have been difficult to stay on top of things emotionally. So Jeremiah said that this was where he derived his joy and rejoicing:
From the Word of God
He had them and he consumed them. They were more than mere entertainment to him, they were his life. They were not simply something he read and preached, they were his sustenance and nourishment.
From the fact that he was called by God's name
In fact, it was because he was called by God's name that the Word of the Lord was a joy and rejoicing to him. One may use that very thing as a test of the sincerity of personal faith. A believer will love the Word of God. I cannot conceive of a true Christian who would not find God's Word pleasant to the soul. I am not saying that a Christian will always read the Bible every day. But I am saying a true Christian would never perceive the taste of God's Word as anything but joyous and nourishing to his soul.
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
The prophet lived in such perilous times. It was almost he alone who strove to live for and obey God's voice. There were plenty of others who talked a good line about spiritual things; there were plenty of others whose outward trappings made them appear to be blessed of the Lord. On the other hand, there was Jeremiah. The message he was receiving from the Lord was completely different than the feel good type of stuff being preached by the well-knowns.
Jeremiah was visibly unsuccessful.
Jeremiah was financially less prosperous and
Jeremiah was certainly not well respected.
But Jeremiah was the man who had the message from God. Under those circumstances, it would have been difficult to stay on top of things emotionally. So Jeremiah said that this was where he derived his joy and rejoicing:
From the Word of God
He had them and he consumed them. They were more than mere entertainment to him, they were his life. They were not simply something he read and preached, they were his sustenance and nourishment.
From the fact that he was called by God's name
In fact, it was because he was called by God's name that the Word of the Lord was a joy and rejoicing to him. One may use that very thing as a test of the sincerity of personal faith. A believer will love the Word of God. I cannot conceive of a true Christian who would not find God's Word pleasant to the soul. I am not saying that a Christian will always read the Bible every day. But I am saying a true Christian would never perceive the taste of God's Word as anything but joyous and nourishing to his soul.
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