Jeremiah 16:14-21: a reflection

14“Therefore behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that it will no more be said, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;’ 15but, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries where he had driven them.’ I will bring them again into their land that I gave to their fathers. 16“Behold, I will send for many fishermen,” says the LORD, “and they will fish them up. Afterward I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain, from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks. 17For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from my face. Their iniquity isn’t concealed from my eyes. 18First I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double, because they have polluted my land with the carcasses of their detestable things, and have filled my inheritance with their abominations.” 19LORD, my strength, my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the nations will come to you from the ends of the earth, and will say, “Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, vanity and things in which there is no profit. 20Should a man make to himself gods which yet are no gods?” 21“Therefore behold, I will cause them to know, this once I will cause them to know my hand and my might. Then they will know that my name is the LORD.”

In the midst of a passage heavy with judgment, Jeremiah lifts his eyes to God in a cry of trust: LORD, my strength, my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of affliction. Amid all the trouble around him and coming upon his people, he turns to God as his strength, his stronghold, his refuge, the one to whom he flees in the day of affliction. He does not turn to the empty idols, which he calls lies and things of no profit; he turns to the LORD, his refuge in trouble.

Notice where Jeremiah turns in the day of affliction: to God, his strength, stronghold, and refuge. When trouble came, he did not turn to the false gods, the idols his fathers had inherited, which he saw were lies and could not help; he turned to the LORD, who was his strength when he was weak, his stronghold when he was besieged, his refuge when he was in danger. In the day of affliction, God was where Jeremiah fled; God was his strength and shelter, the one to whom he turned when trouble came.

That is worth taking to heart, for in our own days of affliction, we need to know where to turn. When trouble comes, we can turn to many things for strength and refuge, things that, like idols, cannot finally help; but Jeremiah turned to God, his strength, stronghold, and refuge in the day of affliction. God is where we are to flee in trouble, our strength when we are weak, our shelter when we are besieged, our refuge when we are in danger. In your day of affliction, turn to God, your strength, stronghold, and refuge, rather than to things that cannot help; flee to him as Jeremiah fled to the LORD in his trouble. When affliction comes, let God be where you turn, your strength and shelter and refuge, as Jeremiah cried, LORD, my strength, my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of affliction; for God is a sure refuge in trouble, unlike the empty things we might otherwise turn to.

Lord, in the midst of a passage heavy with judgment, Jeremiah lifts his eyes to you in a cry of trust: LORD, my strength, my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of affliction. Amid all the trouble around him, he turns to you as his strength, his stronghold, his refuge, the one to whom he flees in the day of affliction. He does not turn to the empty idols, which he calls lies and things of no profit; he turns to you, his refuge in trouble. Show me where Jeremiah turns in the day of affliction: to you, his strength, stronghold, and refuge. When trouble came, he did not turn to the false gods, which he saw were lies and could not help; he turned to you, who were his strength when he was weak, his stronghold when he was besieged, his refuge when he was in danger. Take that to my heart, for in my own days of affliction, I need to know where to turn. When trouble comes, I can turn to many things for strength and refuge, things that, like idols, cannot finally help; but Jeremiah turned to you. You are where I am to flee in trouble, my strength when I am weak, my shelter when I am besieged, my refuge when I am in danger. In my day of affliction, help me turn to you, my strength, stronghold, and refuge, rather than to things that cannot help; help me flee to you as Jeremiah did. When affliction comes, let you be where I turn, Lord, my strength and shelter and refuge. Thank you that you are a sure refuge in trouble.