August 16

Jeremiah 36-38
The prophet is thrown into jail as an innocent man.  It is difficult to imagine how he must have felt.  When given the chance, he pleads his case before the king and is given a modicum of freedom.  There have been many headline stories of people who have been imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit; many of them released through DNA evidence.  It is heart-rending to read of people who have been robbed of years of their life.  Unfortunately, there are those who, even with the evidence, still believe the innocent person is guilty of the crime.  Therefore, they continue to live with the stigma, their lives being changed forever.  The primary difference with Jeremiah is that his stigma is his devotion to the Lord.  This stigma is still alive and well.  If we stand for truth, in our modern world where truth is grossly distorted, you will be stigmatized.  However, Jesus encourages us to rejoice and be glad, because when we suffer we are in good company.  We should feel honored to be included with Jeremiah and the rest of the prophets.