Read Jeremiah 20:7-18

“Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.” (Jeremiah 20:9)

Yes indeed! — the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword! It never returns void on its subjects and in it is life, truth and authority! And when the Word is implanted deep within the heart of a Christian, it becomes a burning fire that cannot be contained, but must be proclaimed!

This was the prophet Jeremiah's experience. He was being mocked and persecuted for preaching the Word of the LORD. He wanted to quit his divinely ordained ministry and be silent. No one was converting or listening. There was no apparent fruit in his preaching. He was discouraged, depressed and defeated.

"No more, Lord. I'm done. I will no longer make mention of You or speak of You."

Have you ever felt this kind of defeat before? Has discouragement ever possessed you to the point of turning your back on God? You're not alone. But know this, Christian, you will be more miserable still.

For something happened to Jeremiah that he did not expect and could not escape from. God's Word became like a boiler within his belly, and he found himself incapable of holding back. It built up in him until his spirit was so weary that he had to surrender to the unmatchable power of the Word! His love for the priceless treasure of the Word won over against his love for himself, and it flowed out of him like a torrent of water. It set Jeremiah free.

The ungodly suppress the truth in unrighteousness, but the godly cannot do so. The truth will burn away at them with such spiritual fervor that they must preach it and proclaim it from the rooftops.

This, Beloved, is the power of the Word of God within you. God's Word is unstoppable, even against your own power to try to stop it if you wanted to. And praise God for that! It is evidence that Christ is alive in you, and will never let you go. He is transforming you day by day through His Word, and with surgical precision it is changing your life.

Therefore, let God's Word consume you, dear friend. Feed that burning and living flame. Implant it deep within your soul. For then, even in the face of the most overwhelming adversity, you will find power and freedom as God's chosen vessel to proclaim His truth.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:16)

“If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:11)