These verses in 20:7-18 take the form of a complaint, very much like the many lament psalms in which the psalmists complain to God. Complaints like this point to something unique about the relationship these people, in this case Jeremiah, had with God. There is a childlike boldness here that arises from a firm trust in God’s love and commitment to them. These complaints do not arise from lack of faith but are, rather, one of the greatest expressions of faith. They arise when their circumstances seem to contradict God’s promises. In this case Jeremiah complains that he is compelled by God to speak warnings of events that do not seem to be transpiring. So, Jeremiah is being mocked and persecuted. This complaint is filled with conflicting feelings. At one moment Jeremiah feels deceived and let down by God and in the next he falls back to his faith-confidence in God’s faithfulness. It is good to know that God’s best people struggled like this and it is good to read their honest outpourings. All Jeremiah’s prophecies were fulfilled to the letter eventually. God proved faithful in the end. But the process was drawn out and very difficult for Jeremiah to bear. We should remember these parts of the Bible and the struggles of these great saints of God. We will inevitably feel let down by God at times, but God knows what he is doing, and he will prove faithful in the end.
Are there things you are struggling with at the moment? Express your complaint to God.
Read Jeremiah 20:7-18
