May the mumbling commence!
Sometimes, God calls us and asks of us difficult
things. If we do what God calls us to
do, sometimes we will not be mister or missus popular. But to refuse to do so will bring even worse
consequences. Read from Jeremiah chapter
twenty:
O Lord,
you persuaded me, and I allowed myself to be persuaded. You are stronger
than I am, and you overpowered me. Now I am mocked by everyone in
the city. Whenever I
speak, the words come out in a violent
outburst. "Violence and
destruction!" I shout. So these messages from the Lord have made me a
household joke. And I can't stop! If
I say I'll never mention the Lord
or speak in his name, his word burns in
my heart like a fire. It's like a fire in my bones! I am weary of holding it
in!
I have heard the many rumors about me. They call me
"The Man Who Lives in Terror."
And they say, "If you say anything, we will report it." Even my old friends are watching me,
waiting for a fatal slip. "He will trap himself," they say, "and
then we will get our revenge on him." (Verses 7-10)
We cannot outmuscle God.
God is stronger. Yet, we must
allow ourselves to be persuaded.
Then the will of the Lord will flood our lives. Nothing will stop it – even if we want it to
be stopped. We will burn with the desire
to speak it out, to live it out. And we
will do it to its fullest.
And sometimes the words that God puts in our mouths will
not be welcome. Rumors will start. Threats will roll in. Hatred will blossom. Still, we will not be able to stop, because
we are persuaded that the Lord’s Word and will must be done – despite all
personal and immediate cost.
And it’s not just about Jeremiah either. This call has been given throughout the ages.
It still goes out today. Will we allow
ourselves to be persuaded? Read from
Matthew chapter ten and the sending out of the apostles:
Jesus sent the twelve disciples out with these
instructions: "Don't
go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel – God's
lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is
near. Heal the sick, raise the dead,
cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have
received!
Don't take any money with you. Don't carry a traveler's bag with an extra
coat and sandals or even a walking stick. Don't hesitate to accept hospitality,
because those who work deserve to be fed.
Whenever you enter a city or village, search for a worthy man and stay
in his home until you leave for the next town.
When you are invited into someone's home, give it your blessing. If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your
blessing stand; if it is not, take back the blessing. If a village doesn't welcome you or listen
to you, shake off the dust of that place from your
feet as you leave. I
assure you, the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off on the
judgment day than that place will be.
Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. Be as wary as snakes and harmless as
doves. But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and beaten in the synagogues. And you must stand trial before governors and
kings because you are my followers. This will be your opportunity to tell them about me – yes, to witness to the world. When
you are arrested, don't worry about what to say in your defense, because you will be given the right words at the
right time. For it won't be you
doing the talking – it will be the
Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Verses 5-20)
That’s terrifying!
We’re sheep among wolves. Let’s
go! May God lead us and be our rear
guard!
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
No comments:
Post a Comment