Jewel from Jeremiah

This is my first official post on my new blog! Thank you for your patience! This week began a new class—Cultural Anthropology with Mr. Brian Trainer, a teacher from my “home university.” Last Friday ended our Major Prophets course. It was a difficult yet rewarding two weeks. The Lord gave me a verse to claim from what we learned in class one day: Jeremiah 20:9 “Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” We discussed that those called to be prophets could not resist proclaiming God’s message. In the context, Jeremiah was being mocked for proclaiming the message God had called him to give to the people, so he said he didn’t want to speak of Christ’s name anymore. But . . . he just couldn’t keep from it. After Jeremiah says he will stop prophesying, he then says “but His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” WOW! I had never really noticed those verses before. I thought of the many times while I’ve been here in Peru that I’ve had to “forbear” from giving the Gospel verbally because I simply cannot speak the words. I also was convicted that I wasn’t as “bothered” with that as I should be. I want to be as passionate as Jeremiah about proclaiming the message God has called me to proclaim. I want the Gospel to burn within my heart, so that I cannot bear to hold it in!