Jeremiah In The Cistern

Would you rather listen than read? Listen here.

Burning Within Him

This week in our Reflecting The Son series, reading the Bible together in a year, we are in the latter half of the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah has to be one of the most tenderhearted men in the Bible and he did so much for God. We read more than once that he did not want to do the work of a prophet, but the burning within him would not allow him to stop.

“But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it!”

Jeremiah 20:9 NLT

Jeremiah In The Cistern

Jeremiah endured so much for speaking God’s truth. The people of Judah beat him, flogged him, put him in the stocks, and imprisoned him where they tortured him. In Jeremiah 37:20, he pleads not to have to return to Jonathan’s dungeon because he knows he will die there. In place of the dungeon, they put him in a cistern.

“So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.”

Jeremiah 38:6 NIV

I got to go to a cistern when I visited Istanbul. It was incredible, an ancient underground water system. It was quite the tourist attraction, but I would never have wanted to remain in there alone. The cistern where they left Jeremiah had no water and consisted only of mud that he sank into.

When Your World Is Caving In

Stop and imagine the horror of this. Allow yourself to go deep underground into the cistern for a moment. Darkness would overwhelm and feel as if it were pressing in on you. The mud is so thick you can not move and you slowly sink deeper. There is no food or water. The air feels heavy and damp, and the smell of decay envelops you. Think for a moment what this would make you feel.

Probably the same feelings as when someone receives a devastating diagnosis, or a spouse announces they want a divorce. Maybe you have experienced this when you have received another rejection notice, and it left the bills unpaid. We have all felt these feelings.

Feeling of Desperation

For patients with Lyme Disease, this feeling of desperation is all too prevalent. I, and most patients, are told, “it is all in your head,” “you are reacting to past trauma,” or “you have experienced sexual abuse.” I have heard them all. Many people go untreated because of this.

Every time I go to our local ER, for a Lyme related issue, I am told I need to seek professional psychological help. The lack of help and disbelief of symptoms leave me feeling degraded, hurt, and doubting myself. The night I wrote about a few weeks ago when I had an allergic reaction to medication was scary (read here), but terrifying because I knew I had no place to go for help if it escalated.

SOT

Now moving into a new procedure of SOT (Supportive Oligonucleotide Therapy), I am entering with a lot of trepidation. It has only been around for ten years, so is still very new in the medical world. I am excited to move forward because of all the positive results the procedure is having, but I fear the side effects. Most of all, what happens if I come home from the doctor that is a thousand miles away and I have a reaction? Not having a safe place to go feels frightening.

Reading about Jeremiah in the cistern touched my heart because I can’t imagine the feelings of fear that encircled him, but I know the feelings disease brings.

But God…

God did not leave Jeremiah in the cistern, and I don’t believe he will leave me sick, or you in the situation you find yourself. He placed Jeremiah on the heart of Ebed-Melek to rescue him. Ebed-Melek went to the king to tell him where they left Jeremiah and that he needed to be removed. The king gave Ebed-Melek permission to remove him and gave him thirty men to help pull him out.

God did not leave Jeremiah in the cistern, and I don’t believe he will leave me sick, or you in the situation you find yourself. #healing #powerofgod Click To Tweet

Not only did Ebed-Melek get ropes to pull him out, but he also found old clothes to have Jeremiah put around himself to protect his frail body from the course ropes. God did not leave Jeremiah in the cistern to die.

The first question many would ask is, why did God allow Jeremiah to go into the cistern in the first place? Why did God allow me to get Lyme Disease at all? I am sure you have had your question as well. When we don’t go through the trial, we don’t get to see what a mighty God we serve.

Jeremiah got to see the love of Ebed-Melek and the care he took to pull him out. He got to see God rescue and fulfill a promise He had made over and over.

“‘They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.’

Jeremiah 1:19 NIV

“‘They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.’ Jeremiah 1:9 Click To Tweet

He Showed Up With A Bear

I have got to experience God’s hand of healing for one disease and now I get to see how He will take care of the other two. This week I flew to San Francisco to start the process of SOT. It begins with a blood draw and then next month I will return for infusions.

I am excited about what this treatment will do, but fearful of the unknown. I have shared these concerns with my doctor and he has been so gracious and listened to them all. But God did more to ease my insecurities… He showed up with a Bear.

Yes, a Bear. A beautiful little schnoodle named Bear. Bear is a support dog that comes to the clinic to sit with people while they have their treatments. Sweet Bear jumped in the chair before me, waiting for me to sit with him. He snuggled up as close as he could get and just sat with me. His presence changed the entire mood of the situation and I felt God say to me, just like Bear is sitting with you, I am with you.

God Is In Control

I would be lying if I said all the fear was gone. I believe Jeremiah would be lying if he said he had no fear while in the cistern. But I know as I move forward, God is in control. He is with me. He is sitting with me in the chair, holding my hand and saying we got this. I know I will see His glory shine in this.

I know some of you reading also have feelings of unrest, or sinking, or that the walls are caving in on you. I want to remind you that Jesus is sitting next to you, too. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Ask Him to show you where He is at work in your life right now. I know He will use the struggle you are in to bring glory to His kingdom and draw you closer to Himself.

Can I pray for you?

Lord, thank you for never leaving us alone. Thank you, that when we are in the cisterns of life, you are with us. You never leave us or forsake us. I ask that each of us struggling right now would feel your presence surrounding us. Give us the peace that surpasses all understanding and knows without a doubt you are holding our hands guiding us through the valley. In Jesus’ name. Amen.