Better to be faithful than popular. That's much easier said when it's popular to be faithful.
The prophet Jeremiah seemed to give little thought to the cost of unpopularity when faithfully speaking the word of the Lord. If there were opinion polls in his day they would no doubt have reflected very unfavorably on him. Speaking the word of the Lord was nothing less than a public relations disaster, which ultimately culminated in an ugly confrontation with the king.
"the officials said to the king, "Now let this man be put to death, inasmuch as he is discouraging the men of war who are left in this city and all the people, by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of this people but rather their harm." So King Zedekiah said, "Behold, he is in your hands; for the king can do nothing against you." Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchijah the king's son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud." (Jeremiah 38:4-6)
The ridicule many of us have faced for faithfully sharing the word of the Lord is nothing compared to the harsh treatment that Jeremiah faced. Being God's faithful spokesman mattered more than popularity or comfort.
I'm humbled by the example of such men. The word of the Lord concerning the place of future reward, the nature of death, and the nature of God and His Son Jesus is hardly popular and is all too easy to be silent or subtle about. The risk of popularity and ridicule easily overrides the call to faithfully share God's truth.
The greatest commandments to wholeheartedly love the Lord our God and our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40) is the overriding factor that offsets the risk of popularity or comfort. Love for God and His truth and our fellow man are the forces that overcome complacency.
I'm no Jeremiah, but he is a hero and model. I want to love the Lord and His truth and faithfully share regardless of its popularity. I want to be faithful to do as Paul instructed Timothy; to "preach the word; be ready in season (when it is convenient) and out of season (when it is not convenient)." (2 Timothy 4:2).
God and His word meant so much to Jeremiah that to refuse to share it was to have a fire burn within that could not be contained (Jeremiah 20:9).
May His word be a burning fire within each of us today - and always.
Steve
The prophet Jeremiah seemed to give little thought to the cost of unpopularity when faithfully speaking the word of the Lord. If there were opinion polls in his day they would no doubt have reflected very unfavorably on him. Speaking the word of the Lord was nothing less than a public relations disaster, which ultimately culminated in an ugly confrontation with the king.
"the officials said to the king, "Now let this man be put to death, inasmuch as he is discouraging the men of war who are left in this city and all the people, by speaking such words to them; for this man is not seeking the well-being of this people but rather their harm." So King Zedekiah said, "Behold, he is in your hands; for the king can do nothing against you." Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchijah the king's son, which was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let Jeremiah down with ropes. Now in the cistern there was no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud." (Jeremiah 38:4-6)
The ridicule many of us have faced for faithfully sharing the word of the Lord is nothing compared to the harsh treatment that Jeremiah faced. Being God's faithful spokesman mattered more than popularity or comfort.
I'm humbled by the example of such men. The word of the Lord concerning the place of future reward, the nature of death, and the nature of God and His Son Jesus is hardly popular and is all too easy to be silent or subtle about. The risk of popularity and ridicule easily overrides the call to faithfully share God's truth.
The greatest commandments to wholeheartedly love the Lord our God and our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40) is the overriding factor that offsets the risk of popularity or comfort. Love for God and His truth and our fellow man are the forces that overcome complacency.
I'm no Jeremiah, but he is a hero and model. I want to love the Lord and His truth and faithfully share regardless of its popularity. I want to be faithful to do as Paul instructed Timothy; to "preach the word; be ready in season (when it is convenient) and out of season (when it is not convenient)." (2 Timothy 4:2).
God and His word meant so much to Jeremiah that to refuse to share it was to have a fire burn within that could not be contained (Jeremiah 20:9).
May His word be a burning fire within each of us today - and always.
Steve
posted by steve @ 9:14 AM
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