Stay The Course No Matter The Situation

Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.“

It sounds a little strange that I use the book of Isaiah to talk about another prophet by the name of Jeremiah but when you think of one man in the Bible that went through incredible circumstances and yet stayed faithful to the Lord, Jeremiah would be that man.

Lord gives us of one of the reasons for the new covenant found in Hebrews 8 where the Lord had found fault with the Old Covenant and He said, “that the fault He found was that they did not continue on.” When you study the life of Jeremiah, he was one that did continue on.

Jeremiah was a man who stayed on task. Sometimes, it’s hard to stay focused, to stay on task, especially if your direction is unpopular. Jeremiah, however was able to persevere even while he faced intense persecution and ridicule. Jeremiah faithfully communicated God’s word to His people for 40 years, warning them about the doom and the captivity that was sure to come unless they repented and turned to God. But, no one listened to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah often lost hope regarding the job God given him as a prophet. Even the people in Jeremiah’s own city hated him. His messages were definitely not popular. But Jeremiah remained obedient to his calling to warn the people, even in his despair, he praised God. 

Even though he suffered immensely for it, Jeremiah was faithful to God. Against all odds, he stayed on task, preaching and warning God’s people. What was the cost of such commitment? People hated and threatened, Jeremiah and even whipped and imprisoned him. Yet, Jeremiah refused to waver from God’s assignment. He endured in spite of difficulties. He preached on and on for 40 years, even with no response. Yet God continually encouraged Jeremiah. 

You may never face the level of persecution experienced by Jeremiah, but wherever life finds you, you can still draw on the same resources and encouragement God made available to Jeremiah. In whatever situation you are facing, don’t balk, fall back, drop out, or quit. Stay the course in spite of any persecution or scorn, turn to the Lord.

Review and renew your commitment to Him, count on His grace to see you through any and all problems. Like Jeremiah, keep your heart and mind fixed on Him and do as he did “Praise the Lord”. Jeremiah 20:13

Pastor Lee Cruse, who believes that as time gone on until our Lord comes to get us, we are going to have to learn to trust in our Heavenly Father more than ever.