Many Christians have read the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations, but few (including myself, until recently) have made these a topic of thorough study. Some contend that the prophetic narrative of Jeremiah and its epilogue, Lamentations, have Jewish historical significance only and no application for the Church today. Others choose to merely skim these texts because their “doom and gloom” format is distressing; they may glean little from these books other than gratitude to God that they did not have Jeremiah's calling. Others might lack the discipline to stick with the topic to the end; after all, Jeremiah is the second longest book in the Bible. In regards to excuses for ignoring these texts, I had many, but now have none. The burden of the Lord is upon me; my meditations are full and my conscience swollen. My deepest conviction is that the Church today should heed the spiritual principles disclosed by Jeremiah, especially his warnings against idolatry and ignoring revealed truth.
