A very good morning to you my precious friends and family
Jeremiah 15:16 says “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of Hosts.”
There is an old story of a Scottish miner, who every day after coming home from the pit, would bath, change his clothes, and then pour over his well-worn Bible. One day he had a visitor who asked, “Where are you gleaning today?” “Romans 8,” the miner replied. Several weeks later the visitor came again, and finding the miner still in Romans 8, exclaimed, “You were digging into that chapter when I came to see you some weeks ago.” “Aye, sir,” replied the miner. “I’m sinking a shaft here.”
The context in Jeremiah is the Lord’s anger with Judah. In the verses prior God is telling Jeremiah what will happen to the people but in verses 15–18, Jeremiah is praying to the Lord. Jeremiah talks about the difficulty and persecution that he’s gone through and in verse 16 he says “Your words were found, and I ate them “.
Jeremiah was telling God, “I read Your word, Lord. I believed You, and it changed my heart.” Several have suggested that the slang phrase “soul food” is a picture of what the word of God is to a believer. God’s word provides the nourishment that His disciples need if we’re to grow. As we slowly digest and absorb the word of God, through quiet reflection in our hearts, we receive the nutrition we need to face the new day. Wise believers down through the ages have prayed and asked God to continually give them an increasing desire, hunger, and taste for His word. The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 2:1–2 tells us: “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like new-born infants, crave for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation”.
What was the prize which Jeremiah describes himself as having found? It was the Word of God. He says, “Your words were found”, just as a man, while digging in the ground, found a rich treasure beyond his desires.
What did Jeremiah do when he made this discovery? “Your words were found, and I ate them.” He made the words of God his food--he made a meal of them--not only did he “hear, read, mark, and learn,” but he “inwardly digested them.” It is dealing with them as the hungry man does with food. It is converting the Word of God into wholesome nourishment. The Word is therefore “hid in the heart,” as the food we eat is in the body, and becomes, as it were, a part of us, the very life blood of the soul.
The happiness which he acquired is a consequence. “Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.” A noble testimony this to the effectiveness of God’s Word.
How sweetly it went down; how blessed its effects upon the prophet’s heart, when “joy and rejoicing” were the consequences! David also “ate” God’s words; and Psalm 119 verse 103 shows the account of it! “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth”. As believers we can also declare with the prophet Jeremiah that the precious Word of God, when fed upon by faith, that “Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart”.
Jeremiah, emotionally internalized the words of God. He suffered, but is better for it because he has “eaten” the word of God.
For us as believers we know that word of the Lord is pure and righteous altogether. The Word of the Lord stands firm for ever and ever and we are encouraged to hear and share the Word - to obey and meditate on the Word of God and to read, learn and inwardly digest its many truths, if we are to show ourselves approved unto God. We are called to be doers of the word and not hearers only - and we are to trust in its precepts and promises and not to despise or hold lightly the living word of truth.
But the Word of the Lord also contains some severe warnings, for both nations and individuals as well as many lovely promises. None of us are free from the difficulties and dangers of life - (Corona affects all of us), nor are we exempt from the corrective hand of our God and His rod of discipline in our life and on our world.
But, the word of the Lord is pure and righteous altogether - and stands fast for ever and ever.
Jeremiah found hope and comfort in God's word and was able to say amidst severe persecution and trial: “Your words were found and I did eat them. 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.”
Martin Luther said, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me.”
Let us pray
LORD our God and Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your Word and for our Lord Jesus Christ, the living Word of God. I pray that Your Word would become for me a joy and the delight of my heart for I have been called by Your name, and saved by the blood of the Lamb. I pray that I may be a doer of the word and always trust in its laws and promises, no matter what difficulties and dangers I may have to undergo. Please give us a greater hunger for Your word each day. In Jesus’ name.” Amen
Much love in Christ from Maurice and Margaret
