Today is a text for us as pastors. Everyone else is just going to have to eavesdrop in on the conversation.

If we had endured everything the prophet Jeremiah endured during his ministry, it would be easy to throw our hands up and say, “To Hell with these people! I’m done! If they want to ignore God’s Word, let them do so to their own peril!” After all, he was beaten and put in the stocks. (Jeremiah 20:1-2) He received a death sentence. (Jeremiah 26:11). He was left to die in the mud. (Jeremiah 28:6) On top of everything else, he was repeatedly called a liar and people refused to listen to him even though he had a word from the Lord.

As pastors, you and I have been there. Some of us have preached to people Sunday after Sunday who just didn’t get it. Some said we didn’t preach on sin enough. The same people then said we preached on sin too much when we call out their sins. It’s hard to please people and it makes you want to give up because you want your people to engage with the Word of God and have their lives transformed for the better.

However much we might want to give up on Monday, there’s still a persistent fire in our bones come Sunday. Why? Because God doesn’t give up on His people and neither should we. Isaiah 55:11 tells us that God’s word never goes forth without a purpose, it does exactly what God intends for it to do.

Pastor, be encouraged that God doesn’t give up on people because that means that He hasn’t given up on you either!