"Jeremiah was a man who experienced affliction from the disciplining rod of God's wrath. It was not because Jeremiah was evil. He was God's prophet. And I believe Jeremiah has recorded his affliction in order that this experience may be of help and comfort to those who are experiencing this feeling of desperation that Jeremiah felt.

His lament was: "God has driven me into captivity, and made me walk in deep darkness…He repeatedly attacked me. He has broken my bones. He has besieged and surrounded me with bitter hardship. He has made me reside in intense darkness. He has walled me in so that I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with heavy prison chains.

"Even though I cry out desperately for help, he shuts his ears to my prayer. He has blocked every road I take with a wall of fitted stones; he has made every path on which I flee impossible to traverse. He is like a bear lying in wait for me, like a hidden lion stalking its prey. He dragged me from the path and tore me to pieces, and mangled me beyond rescue."

"When I continually think about this, I become emotionally depressed. But this I call to mind, therefore I have hope: The Lord’s many kindnesses never cease, for his great compassion never comes to an end. They are renewed every morning; your faithfulness is abundant! I said to myself, 'The Lord is the portion of my inheritance; therefore, I will put my hope in him'.”

Does that sound something like what you are going through? It certainly fit the description of my spiritual torment at the time. And from it came the poem Triumph

Jeremiah wasn't being put through his testing because he was wicked. He learned that it was not up to him to question God. He has his own reasons, which are too high above us for us to understand. If He were a vengeful God, we would all be condemned to die. But Christ has already taken our punishment. He died for our sin. He died for the sin of the whole world, but it does not stop there. Christ didn't die for the sins of the whole world in a "blanket" sense. He died for the sins of us as individuals. No one is innocent. We all have sinned and are worthy of death. Romans 3:23 Only Christ is worthy. We must put our trust in Him. It is through Jesus' death on the cross that allows us to come to the Father. Without Christ's intervention not one of us could face God.

© Helen Dowd

See also:
Lift Up Your Hands
Conquering The Giant - FEAR
But What About The Giants?"
Faith Answered
Triumph