The last couple of weeks, Sunday’s messages at church have been from the book of Jeremiah. He is aptly called the Weeping Prophet. He had God’s Message to proclaim and the people did not want to hear it. They wanted to hear from the false prophets that were proclaiming peace and safety. In Jeremiah 19 He says to the city of Tophet, “Behold I will bring on this city and on all her towns all the doom that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks that they might not hear my words.” Chapter 20 tells us that because of this message, Jeremiah was struck and placed in stocks for a night. Upon being removed from the stocks he (called by God) opened his mouth again with yet another prophecy against the man who put him in the stocks. He would not be silenced or led by fear. He spoke for the Lord with boldness, knowing that he was protected by God and knowing that he was speaking God’s Words.
While our lives in America are quite different from the life Jeremiah lived, and it is not likely we will be struck and placed in stocks for proclaiming God’s Word, we still shrink back. We are driven by many different fears which cause hesitation to speak and act as God would have us to. And, unlike Jeremiah, we do not preach doom – we proclaim hope! We tell of our glorious Lord and Savior and call people to repent and turn to Him where they will find rest for their souls. We proclaim the Good News! There is HOPE!
Last night at Bible Study we were discussing what helps us to proclaim the Gospel freely to the people around us. It was encouraging to hear the different ways that God works in each of our lives to drive us to compassionate proclamation to the lost and dying world around us. It was also encouraging to see all of the different venues we have each been placed in to influence. God’s work is being done!
I want to be like Jeremiah. I want to proclaim God’s Word, even when it doesn’t seem to be for my good. I want to love God and love others so much that my words are the words God would have me to say, even when it is hard to say them. May I be found faithful to my precious Lord Who saved my soul. I have been bought with a price and my life (and words) are not my own. He is worthy of all our praise!
