Jeremiah 15: 4, "I will make them an object of horror among all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem."

Jeremiah would conduct his prophetic ministry which would begin during the 13th year of King Josiah.  Josiah's reign would tragically end 18 years later.  Although Josiah's time would be a time of spiritual awakening and renewal, it would only delay the inevitable judgment that resulted from the wickedness of his grandfather, Manasseh.  Manasseh had reigned for 55 years, and for most of  it, he led Judah and Jerusalem into the worst of sins and rebellion.  So vile was his reign that judgment and ultimate exile was irreversibly set in motion for the nation.  After Josiah's death the kingdom quickly deteriorated, and Jeremiah would spend most of his years preaching against the wickedness of Judah/Jerusalem and the coming judgment.  There were other prophets that had much "happier" ministries, but Jeremiah was given a most difficult assignment, yet he proved to be God's man with God's Word for that time.  He remained faithful and fearless through it all.  Jeremiah's difficult ministry was not because of his own sins, but because of a ruler who reigned long before Jeremiah was even born. 

We should be careful when seeking how to evaluate our ministry.  If we set our heart on the things of God and seek to live uprightly and proclaim the Word faithfully--and yet face constant difficulty--it may not be because of something we have self-imposed.  It may possibly be from something that was set in motion which we have inherited! And going forward we may eventually be able to overcome, or maybe not.  Not all ministries are happy ministries all the time, but all ministries must be holy ministries--all the time.  We must strive for holiness and obedience in our lives:  love God, lead our families, stand for truth, advance the kingdom, and finish faithful!  When we do this--that is all we can do! From this position we must trust God to reveal His ministry to and through us and learn to be content and thankful regardless of the circumstances we face or endure (2 Corinthians 11: 23-28, Philippians 4: 10-13).  We do not serve Him because conditions are acceptable, but because we are called; we serve HIM unconditionally!

In  Christ,
Tommy Middleton

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