Like a Fire Shut Up In My Bones
I have been hanging out in Jeremiah 20 for the past couple days.
“7 O Lord, you deceived me, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. 8 Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. 9 But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”
When Jeremiah is talking about the Lord deceiving him, I think he is talking about how when he committed to follow the Lord, he had no idea it was going to be like this - having to proclaim the wrath of God among His people in a time where false prophets were telling the people left and right that God will bring peace. But that part about the Word of God being a fire shut up in his bones…I feel you, brother Jeremiah. I love Jeremiah’s desperation to know and obey God and I have been praying for Jesus to “overpower” me and “prevail” in my heart as well.
On the way home from a ranch last night, I had to drive almost two hours out in the country and i knew there were lots of deer and such that often leap onto cars at night and suck the blood from-no, actually, they just jump on the cars, but I asked the Lord to protect me and He then told me, “I am going to show you I am protecting you”. Knowing this meant I was probably going to hit something yet knowing He keeps his promises, I proceeded to drive another 2 minutes before I hit someone’s family dog. Family dog, Lord??? Yeah, family dog. I slammed on my breaks super super had and ended up hitting the large, old dog. Had I swerved I would have hit oncoming traffic. The Lord takes care of me, for sure. Thanks be to God for His faithfulness!
Yikes. Sorry you had to learn this way, but I guess you are still alive and that is what counts. Maybe you’ll be able to risk bigger in other areas, having seen yourself be physically protected this way? Could have been worse.. like if you had hit the Abominable Snowman wearing a non-matching spandex outfit, because then it would have splattered mismatched colors all over your car and you would have had to drive around like that… double yikes..
Comment by Catherine — August 7, 2006 @ 9:50 pm