12 He bent His bow
And set me as a target for the arrow.
13 He made the [b]arrows of His quiver
To enter into my [c]inward parts.
14 I have become a laughingstock to all my people,
Their mocking song all the day.
15 He has filled me with bitterness,
He has made me drunk with wormwood.
16 He has broken my teeth with gravel;
He has made me cower in the dust.
17 My soul has been rejected from peace;
I have forgotten [d]happiness.
18 So I say, “My strength has perished,
And so has my hope from the Lord.”19 Remember my affliction and my [e]wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
20 Surely my soul remembers
And is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
22 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses [f]indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
You’ve likely heard it said, “no man is an island”, and we see that applied here. Jeremiah’s people were suffering the consequences of their wicked deeds and rebellious hearts. In the middle there was Jeremiah also, suffering along with them. God had set his sights on Judah, and His arrows had pierced them to the deepest depths. The state described in vv. 12-18 would not be wished on your worst enemies.
We like to think our actions don’t affect other people, but that’s a very self-centered view. Our deeds carry a weight of consequence that we cannot see, and it affects our friends, family, and can extend even beyond those we know. So even though Jeremiah had faithfully served God, here he was, saying “My strength has perished, and so has my hope from the Lord.”
So first, I want us each (me included) to remember the consequences of the things we do, and the people we affect by the same. But that isn’t the end of the story, for as Jeremiah reflects on this desperate state of affairs, he remembers something very important in v. 22. As hopeless as things appeared, they were still living. God had preserved a remnant, because His lovingkindness is unceasing, and His compassion cannot fail.
Yes, when we sin, when we fight against the very God who gave us breath, terrible things can and do happen. Yet God is not done chasing us, His pursuit is likewise unending, for His love endures forever. It’s wild and unthinkable, and still as true today as it was for Jeremiah. God is not willing that any should perish, and no matter how low we might sink, His mighty hand can still reach us. Grab hold of it, hold on to Him, and watch Him lift you to new heights as you put your trust in His hope.