When God calls us we must go along with him.

In our readings from Jeremiah we have skipped this passage from Chapter 20. Let's look at it.

Jeremiah, 20: 7-10

7.You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped;

    you were too strong for me, and you triumphed.

    All the day I am an object of laughter,

      everyone mocks me.

8. Whenever I speak, I must cry out,

     violence and outrage is my message;

  the word of the Lord has brought me

     derision and reproach all the day.

9. I say to myslf, “I will not mention him,

       I will speak in his name no more.

    But then it becomes like fire burning

       In my heart, imprisoned in my bones.

   I grow weary holding it in.

     I cannot endure it.  

10. Yes, I hear the whisperings of many;

         “Terror on every side,

         Denounce, let us denounce him.”

      All those who were my friends

         are on the watch for any misstep of mine.

     “Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail;

        and take our vengeance on him.”

Jeremiah belonged to a set of gentlemen who had the leisure to sit and discuss important issues, However, God called him to be a prophet. We too might prefer living as comfortable sinners, and so we can sympathize with Jeremiah who had God’s word burning inside of him.