Jeremiah 37:20-21
“‘Listen to me, please, my master—my king! Please don’t send me back to that dungeon in the house of Jonathan the secretary. I’ll die there!’ 21 So King Zedekiah ordered that Jeremiah be assigned to the courtyard of the palace guards. He was given a loaf of bread from Bakers’ Alley every day until all the bread in the city was gone. And that’s where Jeremiah remained—in the courtyard of the palace guards.”
“‘Listen, my lord the king, I beg you. Don’t send me back to the dungeon in the house of Jonathan the secretary, for I will die there.’ So King Zedekiah commanded that Jeremiah not be returned to the dungeon. Instead, he was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace. The king also commanded that Jeremiah be given a loaf of fresh bread every day as long as there was any left in the city. So Jeremiah was put in the palace prison.”
The Lord always waits until his intervention is the only thing that will save me. Surely it would be easier if he came forward earlier in my neediness. He is not interested in my comfort, but in my holiness. He wants me to lean into relationship with him, trust him. Now, later in life, I’ve grown to expect this. And the waiting is easier because I’ve experienced his faithful deliverance in the past.
By learning to wait with patience I’ve learned I can endure, always more than I think I can. I can stand against the tide. I hope I never have to live in a cistern like Jeremiah. But I know one thing, God will be right there with me
Lord, again, thank you for being my personal school master. Your lessons are wise and fruitful, always in my best interest. I’m learning how to live with you. What a privilege. I love you.