Jeremiah 37:12-21 KJV
12 Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people.
13 And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.
14 Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
15 Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.
16 When Jeremiah was entered into the dungeon, and into the cabins, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;
17 Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
18 Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?
19 Where are now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?
20 Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.
21 Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city were spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

Jeremiah struggle seems simple until you realize in Jeremiah personal struggle, he is then forced into imprisonment. Several things we got to remember we are often in times of struggle caught in the world around us struggle. Even been through a double crisis the crisis of hurt, or feeling entrapped and then entrapped by society, or government that is around you. The societies disaster that is causing you to fall has now imprisoned you into their system that will fail in due season, yet the society situation can improve if it is a disaster or storm, it just might take a while. In battle in worn torn country, it might take awhile for your fate to be determined fully. Yet your personal crisis of not having independence to walk or go where you want was Jeremiah dilemna. He could not flee Jerusalem on his own will, once trying to flee he now place in a prison, in a basement sewer. Where he fed bread and water for trying to escape or leave his current situation. He was free to walk around or so he thought, until the captain at the gate would not allow him to leave. Then the king made it clear Jeremiah would be imprisoned and not set free for many days.

Jeremiah is a man of faith. His called of prophet came as a child, and God said he knew him in his mother's womb and ordained him a prophet. He told Jeremiah he would put the words in his mouth. Now his call of God has left him in the dungeon. How many of us would love God at this point? Think of Noah safe in the ark, still loving God. Jeremiah not knowing how long the seige will last or if he get out of his imprisonment. How long he have to stay in that filth. Don't worry he gets out in the next chapter in Jeremiah, however he spent a lot of time in his exile over many days, not just a week, before they would come seeking Jeremiah to enquire of God.

There is a lot we do not know about Jeremiah, but we can put ourselves in his position for a moment of how he might of felt. No doubt in the dungeon in his despair he prayed and sought the Lord, for when he came out of imprisonment into the kings palace he had to make more inquiries for the king to God. What then is Jeremiah filled with choices beyond his call. A soldier call to battle has no choice in the matter, when it through a draft. Yet men for centuries have gone to war because of choice or by lot/draft/chosen by the government. Jeremiah however was called by God first and then the palace. The only hope is God either brings deliverance and freedom or allows one to see the palace fall, while the prophet is under the protection of the wings of God almighty. Jeremiah a prophet maybe has the best seat in the house for the siege, only to find himself now in the dungeon, not able to leave but imprisoned by a choice and desire to walk out of Jerusalem. Called to love God and his word. Called to be a man of God in the nation of Israel during destruction. Yet he does not grumble and he does not complain of his situation.

Maybe the reason Jeremiah does not complain is Jeremiah has the front row seat so to speak of the events that will be unfolding. He is willing to take his punishment for whatever duration, because he tried to leave his situation and God is saying you can't leave, and the king saying where are you going? Your free will had already expired long ago. Yet we all feel this way in life, whether in school, work or marriage. Yet most of us it is not a call of God in regards of having to remain where we are. It usually a choice to go to school above high school education, remain working because in time one knows it will work out, and three marriage, to leave means divorce, but it to may all work out. As a child of God are we praying to God, making our request and situations known to God. Okay God knows the situation are we inquiring of God how to handle the situation or do we just want to bail. It normal to want to bail from school, work and even marriage from time to time, no matter how grand the opportunity may be. The desire to run, to feel entrapped, to feel vunerable to the situation can lead us to a path of destruction, yet still finding ourselves inprisoned by our situation. Can you still love God when destruction is all around. Can you handle the choice you made, the responsibility God has called you to despite the battle around you.

If you love God why are you fleeing your call? The answer maybe human, or humanity flaw over took you in the heat of realization of a possible means to escape. When it failed, it failed with in Jeremiah freedom to walk where ever. It came because one Captain thought he needed to remain. His liberty gone, and yet did he inquire of God before trying to leave the answer is no. Was your duties to remain at the palace or to go about at your own free will and do what you want. Is you call to marriage or work a call to remain as you are. Jeremiah face the consequences for his own selfish decision caused by fear of not wanting what he knew would come to Jerusalem. His idea of protecting himself greater then the call on his life.

God had even proven to the king and princes of Israel that Jeremiah was called by him, but they refused to listen taking their free will into destruction of Jerusalem, instead of leading the country into repentance. Yet Jeremiah could not leave their wickedness but had to remain to prophesize. When destruction comes is it Jeremiah fault? No the call to repent began early on in the book of Jeremiah. God does chasten his children and so does the government unless they too are corrupt.

Yet Jeremiah did get out of the dungeon, but the reality he was in disgust, was no worse then the disgust he probably at times felt in the palace. Loving God is not about our circumstance, it is accepting God as Lord and King, but also allowing his decision and path that looks like destruction be understood for a believer is not destruction, but a future path of deliverance. To love God, you do not have to love the things you see or like the situation you find yourself in. What you have to hope is the only filth your in is not of your own making. That you heed to God because of his protection and his will. Jeremiah was not just imprisoned for fleeing but also telling the truth. Sometimes people can not handle truth when a prophet is around. They desire not to hear it because they are in trouble without repentance.

Our choice is when our situation is not good, when we feel stuck by our call, by the will of God or man, is to seek God of what he wants us to do. To seek his will, because his will is going to happen. To be on his side of his will, is better then to be against his will. Does it sound fair, would you rather walk around not in the shadow of God almighty, with disaster, destruction, and evil befalling the world? Israel would eventually turn to even canabilism when under seige. Horse flesh would also be eaten. The pains of war so great, that even ravens hover over the city of destruction waiting for death to come and lay in the streets. Yet Jeremiah could say he was in the shadow of the wings of the almighty. Yet does it in scripture? No but no doubt Jeremiah would of known the Psalms and perhaps repeated them to his heart as we do when we meditate on the word of God. Jeremiah had a front row seat to the events of destruction but protected by God almighty himself.

Dear Heavenly Father to love you in storm or path of destruction is to stand in your shadow knowing your protection is all around us. Help us to rely sololy on you and continue in our love for you because we stand in the shadow of your wings, in Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Jeremiah 4:1-14 KJV
1 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.
2 And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
3 For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. 5 Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities.
6 Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.
7 The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.
9 And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
10 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.
11 At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,
12 Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.
13 Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
14 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

Psalm 57:1-2 KJV
1 To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.