By the world’s standards, Jeremiah was a failure. He preached for decades, and few listened. Yet by God’s standard, he was one of the most successful prophets who ever lived.
Scripture tells us the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah through the reigns of Josiah and Jehoiakim, and all the way to the captivity of Judah. Kings rose and fell, and the nation’s fortunes shifted, but one thing never changed: God kept speaking, and Jeremiah kept listening. That is the heart of his success. For many years, God found Jeremiah faithful enough to carry His word. Jeremiah’s success is the word of the Lord came to him for many years.
Consider the sacrifice that such a life demanded. Jeremiah was rejected, opposed, and often alone, yet he remained a trusted messenger. His track record was not wealth or influence but this: the word of the Lord came to him, again and again, because God found him faithful.
The world measures success by money and possessions. God measures it differently. For a prophet, success is counted in years of faithfulness, in how long God can find a servant willing to deliver His word without compromise. Jeremiah’s faithfulness was his success.
Sadly, many people miss Jeremiah’s kind of success, not because God has stopped speaking, but because their hearts are set on money and possessions. God finding us faithful in delivering his word for many years is Success.