Wisdom in Jeremiah

  7 O LORD, you deceived me, and I was deceived; 

       you overpowered me and prevailed.  

       I am ridiculed all day long;  

       everyone mocks me.  

 8 Whenever I speak, I cry out  

       proclaiming violence and destruction.  

       So the word of the LORD has brought me  

       insult and reproach all day long.  

 9 But if I say, “I will not mention him  

       or speak any more in his name,”  

       his word is in my heart like a fire,  

       a fire shut up in my bones.  

       I am weary of holding it in;  

       indeed, I cannot.  

 10 I hear many whispering,  

       “Terror on every side!  

       Report him! Let’s report him!”  

       All my friends  

       are waiting for me to slip, saying,  

       “Perhaps he will be deceived;  

       then we will prevail over him  

       and take our revenge on him.”  

 11 But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior;  

       so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.  

       They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;  

       their dishonor will never be forgotten.  

 12 O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous  

       and probe the heart and mind,  

       let me see your vengeance upon them,  

       for to you I have committed my cause.  

I also came across an exegesis of these verses in the blog Mundo Passageiro…  I especially wanted to share the contemporary application given in section 6  

 http://mundopassageiro.blogspot.com/2007/11/exegetical-paper-jeremiah-207-18-1.html 

be encouraged and have faith

Today I just hope that you will be encouraged.  I know that  for me, there are times when I must remember the wisdom of John 16:33,  

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (NIV)