My heart was heavy as I read more prophecy and destruction in the book of Jeremiah. I asked God to help me find some practical truths, and while I am sure there are many, here are two I’ll share.
First, it is so easy to ignore God’s commands! How many chances did people get to repent? So many! And for generations, they just ignored God. I imagine it became easier and easier the long they sinned. Aren’t we the same way? We can live in sin and justify it—we can even twist Scripture to justify it! The deeper we get in a particular sin, the easier it becomes to shut out God’s truth. There was a time in the not-too-distant past (and I say this with a mix of shame and gratitude for God’s grace) that I was not living in a way that was pleasing to God. I felt the Holy Spirit pricking my conscience, but I pushed past it. I had a long list of excuses. And the longer I lived that way, the less I even thought about it. Thankfully, I changed, and I look back and can’t believe that was ever me! But that’s the way sin works. It's so sneaky. How many of us would have been destroyed in Jeremiah’s day?
The other piece I found practical was the importance of speaking truth, even when it’s hard. I don’t know that it gets much harder than what Jeremiah was dealing with. He was imprisoned, beaten, and everyone wanted to kill him—all because he was telling the truth. We don’t need to be a prophet to know what the Bible says about truth and sin. Are we speaking that truth to others? This one is so tough. It’s delicate. It’s NOT FUN. I struggle with this. I think, “What right do I have to tell someone else how they’re living is wrong?” I honestly don’t know the answer to this, but I think that’s because it’s different for everyone. However, if you feel the Holy Spirit urging you to speak up, you should speak up! It’s unlikely we’ll be imprisoned or get death threats. But follow God’s leading. You can speak truth but also speak love.
I thought it was interesting in chapter 37 when King Zedekiah secretly asks to see Jeremiah, and asks if Jeremiah has any messages from the Lord. Jeremiah replies, “Yes! You’re going to be defeated by the King of Babylon” (37: 17). Strangely, after giving that bad news, Jeremiah was actually treated marginally better—for a little while.
It can be very lonely to be a Christian when we live in a world full of people who openly hate God. The hate may be even closer than just “the world.” Maybe your family is like that. Maybe your workplace is like that. Are you trying to stand up but you’re standing alone? Just remember that you’re not alone when you’re a part of the SoGF family. On Sunday mornings, during your Connect Group meetings, as you request and receive prayer, just know we are all one body.
I have a therapist who also happens to be a Christian. This week, we talked a little about prayer, and he said something so profound and I wish I would have written it down. He said something like, “A lot of the time, God answers our prayers by the people he sends into our lives.”
Isn’t that so true? Many of you have been the answers to my prayers. I encourage you to lean on one another when times are hard. God has been so good to us, even though we sin. Don’t be afraid to speak truth, and don’t hide from the truth.
