Jeremiah 1:18-19

For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land— Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land. They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the LORD, “to deliver you.”
Jeremiah 1:18-19 NKJV

Strength. God promised Jeremiah that he would be stand strong against the opposition that was going to be thrown against him. God did not promise Jeremiah that his life would be easy. If there were no danger from enemies, a city would not need walls. A fortified city would be able to stand against the armies of attacking nations and protect its people. An iron pillar stands straight and invincible. Bronze walls would provide so much more strength than the normal stone walls that it could be considered impossible to penetrate. Jeremiah did not give himself this strength, God made Jeremiah strong. Those who would oppose him included everyone who was anyone in Judah, the kings and princes with the political power and the priests and prophets with the religious power. And, all the rest of the people would oppose him for good measure. Jeremiah would be able to stand against them and they would be stymied in each and every attack. This strength was not the physical strength of Samson, but a spiritual strength that made it possible for Jeremiah to continue to speak the words of the LORD each day. Physically, Jeremiah could not stand against any of those who opposed him. Into the dungeon whenever the priest and princes decided he needed to be silenced. Into the miry pit, so no one would have to listen to his treasonous sentiments. No, physically Jeremiah could do nothing against the opposition. Spiritually they could not silence him. Verse 19 tell us why, "For I am with you," says the LORD, "to deliver you." Jeremiah could stand because God stood with him. They would fight Jeremiah, but they would not prevail against him, because God stood with him. After all the kings and princes and priests and prophets ere long dead and everything they said was forgotten, Jeremiah lives on. The words of God that he spoke and Baruch wrote are here for us to examine. The story of his faithful life is ready for us to study to glean the lessons of faithful service to God. His body could be beaten and mangled and even his life blood could be spilled. He was an iron pillar because he stood with God. He will again some day stand with God and be delivered forever from the woes of the sinful world, replaced with the joys of heaven and the new earth. Jesus took his sin and washed him clean. Jeremiah, in the strength God gave to him, had stood with God to speak all that he was commanded. He completed his mission, never faltering, because God was with him to deliver him. Jesus has taken our sins also, Jesus is offering to wash us clean and deliver us from the woes of this sinful world. May we, like Jeremiah, allow God to make us strong so that we too can be a fortified city, standing against all evil.

Lord,
Today make me strong. Not strong physically, but strong in the power of Your word. Strong to stand with You against the opposition of Satan and his allies. Doing Your will, and serving You in all that I do. Forgive my failures and give me the strength to cling to You and allow Your will to be done in my life.