Jeremiah 20:13-18. This is part of Jeremiah's prayer/lament/venting to the Lord over his situation. He is in a tough spot because God is prompting him to speak to the people, but he is suffering greatly for it. Here he offers praise to the Lord, "For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers." But then he goes on to curse his mother's womb for bringing him into existence, to curse the man who brought news of his birth to his father, and to wish that he had been killed in the womb "so that my mother would have been my grave." He asks "Why did I come forth from the womb to see toil and sorrow, and spend my days in shame?"

I had Jeremiah in my last blog post, too, and I have had the second part of this reading before. As I have said before, Jeremiah really speaks to me. I feel very much in a similar situation - being prompted to speak and being ridiculed, cut off, and suffering greatly for it. It is very difficult and I often find myself asking God why he is allowing this. But then I quickly rebound and think of all of God's blessings, and I praise and thank him.

It feels so strange, somewhat bipolar, this bouncing back and forth between pain and joy, and even finding some degree of purpose and pain. And that is how Jeremiah sounds here - first praising God and singing to Him, and then cursing his own life and misery.

I totally hear you, Jeremiah! I very much look forward to talking to you one day!😉