在美國賓州的一家巧克力糖果工廠，有兩名員工掉進巨大的巧克力漿桶中。這聽起來像是某個笑話的開頭，或許對巧克力愛好者來說，這更像是個甜蜜的困境。雖然兩名員工沒有受傷，但因腰部以下都陷在巧克力糖漿裡，還是無法自行脫困。最終消防員必須在大桶的側面鑽一個洞，才能將他們解救出來。

當先知耶利米陷在滿是淤泥的井裡時，絕對不是一個甜蜜的困境。身為上帝的先知，他傳信息給耶路撒冷城內上帝的百姓，呼籲他們趕緊離開這座城，因「這城必要交在巴比倫王軍隊的手中」（耶利米書38章3節）。西底家王的一些大臣卻要求「治死」耶利米，認為他所傳的信息使軍民士氣低落（4節）。國王允准之後，這些人就用繩子把耶利米縋到井裡，他「就陷在淤泥中」（6節）。

國王的另一位臣子以伯米勒是個外邦人，竟然為耶利米求情，說這些人惡待耶利米，西底家才明白自己的過失，並吩咐以伯米勒將耶利米從井裡救出來（9-10節）。

即使我們像耶利米一樣做正確的事，有時也會覺得自己彷彿深陷淤泥中。當我們陷入困境，等候上帝的幫助時，讓我們祈求上帝幫助我們不灰心喪志。

Two workers at a Mars candy factory in Pennsylvania fell into a large vat of chocolate. This might sound like the beginning of a joke—and perhaps a lovely predicament to chocolate lovers! But the men—though unhurt—were waist-deep in the confection and couldn’t get out on their own. Firefighters ultimately had to cut a hole in the side of the vat to deliver them to safety.

When the prophet Jeremiah found himself at the bottom of a mud-filled cistern, the story was anything but sweet. As a messenger to God’s people in Jerusalem, he’d proclaimed the urgency for them to leave the city because it would soon “be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon” (Jeremiah 38:3). Some of King Zedekiah’s officials demanded Jeremiah be “put to death” because they claimed his words were “discouraging the soldiers” (v. 4). The king consented and they “lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern” where he “sank down into the mud” (v. 6).

When another of the king’s officials—a foreigner, no less—advocated for Jeremiah’s well-being, saying the others had “acted wickedly,” Zedekiah realized he’d made a mistake and ordered Ebed-Melek to lift Jeremiah “out of the cistern” (vv. 9-10).

Even when we’re doing the right thing—as Jeremiah was—we might sometimes feel like we’re stuck in the mud. Let’s ask God to lift our spirits as we wait for His help in the troubles we face.