Today’s selected reading continues in the Old Testament prophetic book of Lamentations, and more specifically, is found in the first eighteen verses of the third chapter. What do you do when the anguish you are facing within your heart and soul is connected to so much more than the devastation and destruction you have seen all around you? What do you do when you have witnessed the destruction and devastation of a people around you, yet you feel that you yourself have become a target? What do you do when you feel as though you’ve given everything you have given and there is nothing left to offer? When I read the words of the prophet Jeremiah in the third chapter, I am immediately struck by the first four words that are found within the first verse—“I am the man.” Pause for a moment and let the reality, the weight, and the magnitude of those words sink in to the very depths of your heart and soul. Pause for a moment and consider those times within your life when you have entered into your secret closet of prayer and have declared of yourself “I am the man,” or “I am the woman.” It’s worth noting that Jeremiah went on to declare of himself, “I am the man that hath seen affliction.” Make no mistake about it—the prophet Jeremiah did so much more than simply proclaim the word, heart and mind of the Lord of hosts. If there is one thing that is absolutely unmistakable about the life and ministry of the prophet Jeremiah, it’s that he was a man who not only possessed the spiritual sight and insight to see what was coming, but he actually experienced, walked through and endured it. I am reminded of two kings of Judah—Hezekiah and Josiah—who were both given warning concerning that which would take place and befall the nation and kingdom of Judah, yet they themselves would not personally experience the fulfillment and manifestation of it. Both of these kings were informed that the trouble the Lord purposed to bring upon His people would not be seen by them, and that they would be buried with their fathers. Though they heard with their ears trouble, disaster, destruction and devastation were imminent, they would not live to see, experience of walk through it. The prophet Jeremiah, however, was in a completely different position, for the prophet Jeremiah would not only speak of and proclaim the devastation, disaster and destruction that would befall the nation and people of Judah, but he would also walk through it with the people.

 WALKING THROUGH THE TRAGEDY WITH OTHERS! WALKING THROUGH THE AFFLICTION WITH OTHERS! WALKING THROUGH DISASTER WITH OTHERS! WALKING THROUGH SUFFERING WITH OTHERS! One of the things I so love and appreciate about the prophetic life and ministry of Jeremiah is that he wasn’t just ordained and appointed to stand and proclaim the word of the Lord to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. If you study the life of Jeremiah, you will quickly discover that he would eventually become the scorn and scourge for the kings of Judah who reigned after Josiah. You will quickly discover that Jeremiah would find himself in positions where he would experience tremendous opposition at the behest of those who were supposed to lead, govern and rule the kingdom of Judah—both politically and spiritually. Within and throughout his latter years, Jeremiah would find himself experiencing chains and fetters, which is actually quite remarkable when you consider it. While Jeremiah would speak of the chains and fetters of the army from the north, and eventually the people of Chaldeans, but he would also experience chains, fetters and shackles himself. Jeremiah prophesied of the captivity and exile of his people, yet while still living and dwelling within the land of Judah, Jeremiah himself would experience being isolated, being exiled, being cut off, being separated from his people. The prophet Jeremiah would be held and shut up in the court of prison, but Jeremiah would also experience being cast into the pit. Jeremiah prophesied of disaster, devastation and destruction, and in the midst of his proclamation before and in the hearing of the people of Judah, he would find himself experiencing both the pit and prison. This is absolutely astonishing, for even before the people of Judah would experience the disaster which the Lord foretold, Jeremiah would experience his own captivity and his own exile. Jeremiah did more than simply stand and proclaim the word of the Lord in the hearing and presence of the people of God, for he actually walked through suffering, oppression, sorrow and anguish himself. Jeremiah wouldn’t simply stand before the people of Judah and proclaim the word of the Lord, but would himself be directly impacted and affected by that word. Jeremiah wasn’t permitted, nor was he allowed to merely proclaim the word(s) of the Lord without those words bearing down upon his own soul, and even upon his own body.

 WHEN THE WORD OF THE LORD BEARS DOWN UPON YOUR SOUL! WHEN THE WORD OF THE LORD BEARS DOWN UPON YOUR PHYSICAL BODY! As you progress throughout the Old Testament prophetic book of Jeremiah, you will discover that he was a man who was incredibly burdened with and by the weight of the words which he was proclaiming before the people of God. Jeremiah continually and repeatedly experienced the weight and burden of the word he had been called to proclaim in the hearing of the people of God, and lived in a continual state of anguish, sorrow, and distress. ANGUISHED BY THE WORD OF THE LORD! DISTRESSED BECAUSE OF THE WORD OF THE LORD! SORROWFUL BECAUSE OF THE WORD OF THE LORD! Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet, for he continually wept before the Lord on behalf of the people whom he had not only been called to live among, but also proclaim. Jeremiah was not permitted to simply proclaim the word of the Lord without it directly impacting and affecting his own heart and soul. Jeremiah continually lived under the tremendous weight, burden and pressure of the word(s) he was called to proclaim, and he continually asked that head were as a fountain and that his eyes might flow forth tears before his God and before his people. Oh, how many ministers in this generation can stand before the people of God, proclaim the word of God, and yet experience absolutely no emotional reaction or connection to what they are speaking? How many ministers stand before a people today and are completely and totally unmoved and untouched by the words they are called to proclaim before the people of God? There are ministers who right now are standing behind pulpits and are proclaiming the word of the Lord, yet that word has never become a sword which has pierced their own heart and soul. Did you know that it is possible to stand before a people and proclaim the word of God, and yet not be affected or impacted by the word(s) you are proclaiming? There are men and women who treat the word of God as a sword to be used in the lives of others, but the sword is never permitted, nor is it allowed to touch their own heart and soul. Oh, how many ministers hide and conceal their heart and soul from the sword of the word of God, yet bring that sword to the hearts of souls of those they stand before. Heaven help that minister who expects the word of God to impact and affect their hearers yet are themselves unwilling to be impacted and affected by it. Heaven help that minister who feel as though they are immune and somehow exempt from the sword of the word of God piercing their own heart and soul. Heaven help those ministers who keep themselves guarded, distanced and removed from the impact and affect of the word of God.

 While Jeremiah was proclaiming the word of the Lord in the hearing of the people of God, he was also himself experiencing the intense impacts of that message upon his own soul and body. Jeremiah would experience the weight and burden of the word of the Lord upon his soul, for it continually produced a tremendous anguish, sorrow, and distress within him. Jeremiah could not escape the proclamation of the word of the Lord, for it was like a fire which was shut up within his bones—a fire which he was weary of holding on. Oh, how many men and women attempt to shut up and hold back the fire of the word of God within their hearts and spirits, not recognizing or realizing that the fire within their heart and soul was meant to burn and spread to others? Jeremiah attempted to abstain and refrain from speaking the word of the Lord, yet it was so strong within him that it was like a fire which was shut up within his bones. Please don’t miss the significance of this, for there is something to be said of “a fire that is shut up within your bones.” Pause for a moment and consider the reality of a fire even burning within your body. We are aware of fires burning within buildings, fires burning in fire places, fires burning in houses, fires burning in pits, fires burning in forests, but we aren’t aware of fire burning within us. Did you know the word of God is to be as a fire which is shut up within your bones? Did you know the word of God is supposed to be a fire that is permitted to burn within the very depths of your being? The word of God is supposed to be a fire that burns within your very heart and soul and sets your whole entire being ablaze. Remember the words which the two who walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus said after He had disappeared from their presence—“Did not our hearts burn within us as He talked with us along the way?” Tell me—when was the last time you experienced the word of God burning within your heart and soul? When was the last time your heart burned within you because of the word of God? When was the last time your soul was set ablaze because of the word of God becoming a raging inferno within you? It is absolutely imperative that we recognize the impact the word of God should and must have within and upon our lives, for it must completely ignite everything inside of us. There must be absolutely nothing that is left untouched by the fire of the word of God, for the word of God must completely burn and consume everything. This was the single main purpose of the fire which burned upon the altar, for anything and everything that was placed upon the altar was to be utterly and completely consumed by the fire. Sure there would be ashes that would remain, but everything that was placed upon the altar was to be consumed by fire. Tell me—are you willing to allow everything within you to not only be touched by the fire of God’s word, but also utterly and completely consumed by the fire of God’s word? Are you willing to allow your heart, mind and souls to be utterly and completely consumed by the fire of the word of God?

 The prophetic life and ministry of Jeremiah is absolutely remarkable, for he was more than simply a man who stood and proclaimed the words of God in the hearing and presence of the people. I can’t help but wonder what the people of Judah and Jerusalem thought when they witnessed Jeremiah by struck by religious leaders of that day. I wonder what the people of Jerusalem and Judah thought when they witnessed Jeremiah be shut up in the court of the prison and be held there by chains, shackles and fetters. What went through people’s mind as they witnessed Jeremiah being cast into the empty cistern which had no water, and as Jeremiah sunk down into the mire at the bottom of the pit. You wouldn’t expect one who faithfully proclaimed the word of the Lord to experience such hostility, such oppression, such distress upon his physical person, yet that was not the case with Jeremiah. Jeremiah faithfully stood and proclaimed the words of the Lord before and in the hearing of the people of God, yet that did not mean his life would be free from any adversity, any affliction, any anguish, any oppression, and the like. In fact, I would dare say that the more Jeremiah was willing and committed to faithfully proclaiming the words which the Lord had given him to speak, the more he would be in a position to experience opposition and resistance. The faithful proclamation of the word of the Lord not only carried with it a tremendous cost upon the soul of Jeremiah, but it would also carry a tremendous cost upon his physical body. There were several times when in an attempt to shut up and silence the word of the Lord within the land, Jeremiah would be restrained, cut off, separated, isolated and estranged from his people. It might not seem fair that Jeremiah would faithfully obey the will and command of the Lord, and would faithfully proclaim everything he was given to speak, yet the Lord never promised that faithfulness would lead to immunity. We tend to think that faithfulness before the Lord leads to immunity from that which takes place around us. We tend to think that faithfulness and obedience before the Lord will somehow grant us immunity from any type of affliction, adversity, distress and the like. The truth of the matter is that this simply isn’t the case. Jeremiah faithfully obeyed the will and command of the Lord, and he did not hesitate to proclaim every word the Lord gave and instructed him to speak. What’s more, is that it seemed like the more Jeremiah proclaimed the words he was commanded to speak, the more the affliction and adversity would arise within his life. Especially towards the latter part of the life and ministry of Jeremiah, he would experience tremendous opposition toward him and the words and message he had been called to proclaim. What do you do when the word of the Lord positions you for adversity? What do you do when the word of the Lord positions you for affliction? Jeremiah was a man who experienced firsthand the reality that the word of the Lord would position him to experience adversity and affliction. Despite it all, however, Jeremiah would remain faithful before and faithful unto the Lord his God, and would not waver in that which he had been called to accomplish.

What I so love and appreciate about the prophet Jeremiah is that he was more than simply a prophet who proclaimed the word of the Lord, but he was a priest who actually walked through and experienced that which he spoke about in the hearing of the people of God. I can’t help but be reminded of the words of the author of the New Testament epistle to the Hebrews concerning Jesus who is the Christ. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16). There is more that is written and said concerning Jesus the Christ in the following chapter, for the author goes on to make even greater statements concerning Jesus as our great and faithful high priest: “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin: who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. So also Christ glorified not Himself to be made an high priest; but He that said unto Him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. As He saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared; though He were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; and being made perfect, He cbecame the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him; called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisdec” (Hebrews 5:1-10). Notice within these two passages the tremendous and powerful truths concerning Jesus who is our faithful high priest, for we first learn that Jesus is not a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. We learn that Jesus was in all points tempted like as we are, yet was without sin. We learn that Jesus was ordained by God in things pertaining to God, and was appointed that He might have compassion on the ignorant, and on those which were out of the way. Moreover, the author goes on to speak of the high priest as themselves being compassed with infirmity. Perhaps the single greatest lesson we both discover and learn from this passage is that Jesus was not removed from that which we experienced, but essentially walked through everything we walked through. The author of the epistle to the Hebrews made it very clear that Jesus was a high priest who could be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and who was tempted in all points as we are. 

 THE FEELING OF OUR INFIRMITIES! Pause right there and consider what the author of the epistle to the Hebrews is actually saying. Consider the fact that the author could have written concerning being touched with infirmities in and of themselves, yet that was not what the author chose to do. Under the inspiration of the Spirit of the Lord, the author of the epistle to the Hebrews spoke of “the feeling of our infirmities”—in other words, the direct impact of the infirmities we experience within and throughout the course of our lives. It’s important to note and recognize that Jesus didn’t experience everything we have gone through, or even everything we may still have yet to go through. Jesus who knew no sin became sin for us, yet that did not mean that Jesus experienced each and every thing we encounter within our lives. Jesus didn’t experience divorce or separation from a spouse because of marital infidelity and indiscretion. Jesus didn’t experience the death of a son or daughter. Jesus didn’t experience being raped, molested or physically abused. Jesus didn’t experience alcoholism or drug addiction. Jesus didn’t face losing a job and being denied unemployment. Jesus didn’t experience some of the things that have become a regular and common experience in our day. There would be many who would dare ask the question—What kind of high priest is this? What kind of high priest doesn’t experience exactly what we experience? The key to unlocking and understanding this entire passage is not in the infirmity itself, but in the feeling of the infirmity. There have been numerous times when we have spent all our energy and focus on the infirmity itself while completely neglecting and ignoring the feeling of the infirmity. We spend all our time focusing on and worrying about the infirmity itself—that which happened to us five years, or that which happened to us ten years, or that which happened to us when we were a child, or an adolescent, or as a teenager of young adult. We spend all our strength focusing on that which actually touched our physical bodies, all the while completely ignoring the feeling that was produced by the infirmity. In all reality, I would dare say that it is not the infirmity we must devote our time, our effort, our energy focusing on. Much damage and harm can be done when we chose to isolate the infirmity itself rather than the feeling the infirmity itself created within our heart and soul. The adversary of our soul would love nothing more than to keep our eyes on what happened to us, for he knows that as long as we keep our eyes focused on what happened, we will never turn our attention to what that produced within our heart, soul and mind.

 OUR EYES HAVE BEEN FIXED UPON THE WRONG REALITY! I am convinced there are men and women right now who have their eyes fixed on the wrong reality. There are men and women who have spent their entire lives focusing on the event rather than the result of the event. There are men and women who spent their entire lives focusing on what happened to them rather than how that particular event affected them within the depths of their soul. There are men and women among us right now who have spent years looking back upon what happened in their lives, while the real culprit is not the event itself, but what the event produced within your heart and soul. THE EVENT IS NOT THE CULPRIT! THE EVENT IS NOT THE ADVERSARY! THE EVENT IS NOT THE ENEMY! We spend so much of our time focusing on the event(s) which have occurred within our lives, and we believe these events to be the adversary and enemy before us. The truth of the matter is that the event is neither adversary nor enemy, and is in all reality a moot point. I realize and recognize that there might be some who would read those words and emphatically declare, “But you don’t know what I’ve gone through. You don’t know what I’ve experienced. You don’t know what they did to me. You don’t know what she did to me. You don’t know what he did to me. You don’t know my past.” I readily and wholeheartedly acknowledge that I may not know what you have gone through, or what you’ve experienced. What I can say is that it is time to stop blaming the experiences and events that have taken place within your life. Moreover, it is time to stop blaming those whom you have perceived to be culprits and bandits within your life—those who you perceive as being responsible for what has taken place within your life. The one who wronged or wounded you is not the one to be blamed, or even the one to be considered and addressed. I believe that one of the greatest deceptions the adversary has fed us within and throughout the course of our lives is that it is the event and the experience we should be focusing on. I believe that the enemy and adversary has duped us into thinking and believing that the one(s) who wronged and wounded us are to be blamed, and should even be held accountable for their actions. The truth of the matter is that so long as we focus on the event, and so long as we focus on the individual, we can never and will never come to terms with the real culprit and the real bandit—ourselves. What?! How can you say such a thing? How dare you state that in spite of everything I have gone through that I am the bandit. I’m the victim. I’m the one who was wronged.

 Notice the author of the epistle to the Hebrews wrote concerning “the feeling of our infirmities” rather than speaking of, and even addressing the infirmities themselves. Why? Why would the author speak of the feeling of our infirmities rather than the infirmities themselves. I believe that one of the greatest reasons for this is because if he simply wrote concerning infirmities, we would not have a true high priest. What if I told you that Jesus isn’t so much concerned with the infirmity itself as He is the feeling the infirmity creates? What if I told you that Jesus might not even care about the infirmity as much as He does the feeling the infirmity causes and produces within our heart and soul? If the author of the epistle to the Hebrews wrote concerning the infirmities we experience, and the infirmities we face without the feeling directly connected to those infirmities, then we begin living based on experiences and events rather than on the condition of our heart and soul. There is a tremendous danger in living based on experiences and events rather than the condition of our heart and soul in spite of and in response to such realities. What if I told you Jesus can’t heal experiences? What if I told you Jesus can’t heal events? What if I told you Jesus can’t heal murder, or rape, or abuse? What if I told you Jesus couldn’t heal unemployment, or divorce, or molestation? But wait, what do we do with the declaration that by His stripes we are healed, and He sent His word and healed? Beloved, mark this and mark this well—Jesus cannot heal that which you have been through. Jesus can’t journey back into your past and remove that which has taken place within your life. Jesus can’t heal murder, or rape, or abuse, or molestation. Jesus can’t heal divorce, or even the death of a child. This is why the author to the epistle to the Hebrews wrote concerning “the feeling of our infirmities,” for it is the feeling and not the infirmity that must be addressed by the High Priest. The High Priest has never, can never, and will never heal the experiences we have endured, faced and gone through. What the High Priest can address, can deal with, can heal, can bind up, and can work on is “the feeling of those infirmities.” How many of us are looking for, and even expecting Jesus to heal the experiences we have gone through, and have been completely and utterly disappointed when we discover that He has yet to do it. I am convinced that so long as we focus on the healing of our experiences—something that can and will never happen—we will never focus on that which really needs to be healed. It is not your past which needs to be healed, nor is it your experiences, nor is it the events you experienced—it is your heart, your soul and your mind that needs to be healed. Jesus didn’t come to heal, bind up, and mend experiences and events, but hearts and souls. Stop looking for healing in the past and start looking for healing within.

 STOP. LOOKING FOR HEALING IN THE PAST AND START LOOKING FOR HEALING IN THE PRESENT! STOP LOOKING FOR HEALING OF YOUR EXPERIENCES RATHER THAN HEALING OF YOUR HEART! STOP LOOKING FORT HEALING OF EVENTS RATHER THAN THE HEALING OF YOUR SOUL! It is true that Jesus can be touched with “the feeling” of our infirmities, yet before we even speak of His being touched by and with “the feeling” of our infirmities, we must ask the Holy Spirit to come face to face with, and even come to terms with “the feeling(s)” concerning the infirmities we have. MIRACLES CAN’T TAKE PLACE IN THE PAST! We seem to think that miracles can take place in the past, yet miracles have never, can never and will never take place within our past. STOP LOOKING FOR MIRACLES IN YOUR PAST, FOR YOU’RE MISSING OUT ON THE MIRACLES OF THE PRESENT! Jesus is touched with the feelings of our infirmities, for He knows that the feeling(s) of our infirmities have the greatest potential to derail us within our lives. Jesus knows and understands that it is not the experience, nor the event that has the potential to devastate and destroy us, but the emotional and mental response to what has taken place. Jesus is touched with the feeling(s) of our infirmities, for He is more concerned with feelings than He is experiences and events. Would it surprise you to know that if you allow Jesus to heal your heart and soul—heal “the feeling(s)” you have been carrying for years now—your past can and will take care of itself? I am convinced the Spirit of the Lord is seeking to awaken us to the reality that the enemy has deceived us into believing that it is the experience that is to be blamed, and it is the experience which is responsible for where we are and what we are going through. Moreover, the adversary has deceived us into thinking and believing that that individual who wronged, wounded, betrayed, offended, and hurt us is the ultimate culprit. We give ourselves to unforgiveness, to offense and to bitterness because we think and believe that the individual is to be blamed for what we experienced and what we have gone through. We address the infirmity itself while leaving the feeling completely untouched, which is what the enemy desires. Jesus spoke about offense abounding in the Last Days, and I am convinced that one of the greatest ways offense can and will abound in the Last Days is because the adversary will turn the eyes, the hearts and the minds of men on to the events and the individuals rather than the feelings. It is so easy to look outward and look around us rather than looking inward, yet it is only when we are willing to look inward that we can truly experience the type of healing the Lord desires for us. The adversary would seek to always have us look upon the external and focus on the outward, for as long as we direct our attention and focus on those realities, we will completely ignore what is going on deep within us.

 BOUND BY THE INFIRMITY! BOUND BY THE EXPERIENCE! BOUND BY EVENTS! BOUND BY YOUR PAST! What if I told you it is not your past you need to be set free from, but the impact and affect the past has on you? The apostle Paul spoke of forgetting those things which are behind, and I am convinced the only way to truly forget and be free of those things which are behind is by allowing the Spirit of the Lord to deal with and address the feeling rather than the infirmity. Many of us have spent a considerable amount of time focusing on the symptoms rather than the actual disease itself. We have allowed the disease to run rampant within our hearts and souls while the adversary sits back and mocks us because of our ignorance. Jesus can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, for it is the feelings which need to be dealt with through and by the finished work He provided upon the cross of Calvary. Jesus doesn’t heal experiences or events, but hearts, minds and souls. Oh that we would be willing to acknowledge and address the feelings of our infirmities rather than the infirmities themselves, in order that true healing and breakthrough might take place. Jesus didn’t walk through everything you have walked through, and He didn’t experience everything we experience, yet He can deal with the feelings that have resulted and ensued because of those realities. Jesus can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, for it is the feelings that need to be addressed. We may begin asking the question “What have you experienced,” but we must not remain camped out there. If we spend too much time focusing on what we have gone through it may become impossible for us to then ask “How did it make you feel?” Oh that we would learn how to move past “What have you gone through,” and learn how to transition to “How did it make you feel?” Please note that I am not by any means calling us to live our lives governed by emotions and feelings, but what I am speaking of and declaring is that our feelings and emotions need to be healed, need to be transformed, need to be changed by the power of the Spirit and by the power of the cross. I would dare say that many of us chose to stay focused on the experience, for so long as we focus on the experience we don’t have to think about or address the feelings which ensued as a result. Jeremiah did more than simply proclaim the word of the Lord to the people of Judah, but he actually walked through it and experienced it with them. We must remember that Jeremiah was called from the priests of Anathoth, which means that he should have become a priest in the house of the Lord. Instead of becoming a priest in the house of the Lord, however, Jeremiah would be a different type of priest—a priest who not only warned of what was coming, but also walked through what was coming with them.

 A HIGH PRIEST WHO WALKS WITH US IN OUR TROUBLE! A HIGH PRIEST WHO WALKS WITH US IN OUR DISTRESS! A HIGH PRIEST WHO WALKS WITH US IN OUR ADVERSITY AND AFFLICTION! I absolutely love that Jeremiah not only prophesied of the coming disaster, devastation and destruction, but he also walked through it and experienced it with them. Heaven help those men and women who are unwilling to walk with us through the adversity and affliction we face and experience within our lives. Heaven help those individuals who are unwilling to walk with us through life’s experiences, and are with us when those feelings and emotions begin to rise up within our heart and soul. Speaking solely of ministers, I would dare state that there are a number of ministers who seek to live their lives elevated upon their pedestal and are unwilling to actively and actually walk among the people they have been called to. In other words, they are unwilling to flesh out this thing called life with them. Be very careful of those who are unwilling to walk through the valleys with you, and who instead choose to let you walk through them by yourself. Jeremiah spoke of captivity and exile, and he himself would be cast into prison and cast into an empty cistern. Jeremiah spoke of chains, shackles and fetters, and he himself would be bound with those same instruments. Jeremiah prophesied of the coming disaster and destruction and he had to walk through and experience it with the people of God. Jeremiah was not spared from the destruction and devastation which came upon and befell Jerusalem and Judah, but walked through it with the people of God. Oh that we would be men and women who would be willing to walk through life’s experiences with others in order that we might accompany them along the journey, and help them when life throws curveballs their way. Who is the Lord calling you to walk with today? Who is the Lord calling you to walk alongside today? Oh that we would be a people who be willing to walk with others as they walk along the path set before them. Oh that we would be willing to walk through the experiences others face, and that we would recognize that we cannot allow ourselves to be caught up in the experiences, the events, the infirmities themselves, but that we would instead focus on our response(s) and reaction(s) to what we go through together as a people.