God's Word a Joy and Delight

Jeremiah 15:16

"Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by Your name."

The psalmist of Psalm 119 repeatedly beseeches God to "revive" him according to His holy word. For the depressed heart, nothing can so lift up the soul and countenance as the Word of God. Jeremiah must have experienced this renewal as he found God's word and immersed himself into it. Jeremiah had a really tough ministry. He was once thrown into a cistern with nothing but mud by his enemies for speaking the truth! He was a lone voice in Judah warning the people of the coming destruction by the Babylonians. Not only was it tough, it must have also been extremely lonely. Think about being in a cistern by yourself for a number of days knowing that everyone wanted to kill you. If there ever was a man who should have been depressed it was Jeremiah. Yet, because of the power of God's Word to revive the heart, Jeremiah can speak of "joy" and the "delight of my heart." He was not a bitter prophet. He was a prophet who continually found joy in the promises of God. Christians ought not be depressed, bitter, or lonely. If you are, let the word of God and His precious promises revive you as it did Jeremiah. Stay strong in the Lord and God bless!