“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart; for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16) KJV

When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies. (Jeremiah 15:16) NLT

Jeremiah was devoted to the Word of God.

This verse shows his great devotion to the Word and the resulting effects which included his call into service. To look into the details of this verse about Jeremiah’s devotion to the Word, we note his pursuit, partaking, pleasure, and placement.

Pursuit.

“Thy words were found.” (KJV) “I discovered your words” (NLT)

You will not find the Word unless you look for it. This says you will not learn much Scripture if you do not study it. “Search the Scriptures” (John 5:39) is one of the keys to finding great truths in the Word. Our lack of learning of the Word is often a lack of industry in pursuing the Word. “Thy words were found” also says that when one moves to a new community, he needs to look for a church where the Word is preached faithfully. Do not settle in a church where the Word is not preached.

Partaking.

“I did eat them.” (KJV) “I devoured them.” (KJV) “They are my joy and my heart’s delight.” (NLT)

After the finding comes the feeding. Many get new Bibles but never read them. This is like filling your cupboard with food but not eating the food. Some do not eat the Word because of poor appetites. They have filled their soul with the junk food of the world (such as TV), and so they are about as interested in the preaching and teaching of the Word as children are in vegetables.

Pleasure.

“Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.”

If you get into the Word faithfully and “eat” the Word spiritually, you will find it a great delight to your soul. But most people have little delight in the Word. They are like those Jeremiah spoke to whom “the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach, they have no delight in it” (Jeremiah 6:10).

Placement.

“I am called by thy name.” (KJV) “I bear your name.” (NLT)

This means Jeremiah was called into service for God. If you are devoted to the Word of God, you will have a place in the service of God.  Being devoted to the Word of God is absolutely essential if you want to truly serve God. Unfortunately, many churches and mission boards ignore this basic truth. This results in workers without a message and hence without value.

By John Butler,  Butler’s Bible Reading