Jeremiah – Chapter 20

If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,” there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. Jeremiah 20:9 – While strange to think of a biblical prophet like this, we see in this chapter Jeremiah did not want this calling on his life. Proclaiming the destruction of his people was a heavy burden for his soft heart to bear, and then the public humiliation and abuse that came from his people as a result just broke Jeremiah. In our verse above the prophet even admits that there are times he considered stepping away from this calling. He says he’ll stop talking about God, he won’t even mention his name anymore. While tempting for Jeremiah, such a path was impossible for him to take. The message God put in Jeremiah’s heart was like a fire in his bones that was raging to get out. As exhausting as telling the message was, it would be exponentially more exhausting trying to hold in what was raging to get out. For us, we too can look at the life of following God as exhausting to deal with. We think like Jeremiah did, we’ll just stop mentioning God and no more live our lives in God’s name. Yet for the believer such a life ought to be impossible. The Gospel ought to be like a raging fire within us seeking to get out, and trying to hold it in should be more wearisome than sharing it. Why then might that not be so in your life today? Do you feel a burden on your heart to share the message of God to others? If not, we should be asking why not. For every believer has the same calling to share the Gospel. If that raging flame has turned into a smoldering ember, what may be in our life right now causing our fire for the work of God to be lessening? I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3250

Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers. Cursed be the day on which I was born! The day when my mother bore me, let it not be blessed! Jeremiah20:13-14 – No, I didn’t take these verses out of order, this drastic change in attitude was put down in scripture just like that. It though reminds us that our walk with God isn’t always going to be great. One moment we’re doing well, the next moment a struggle hits and everything has changed. This is a life thing though for all, not just Christians. We who follow God though have a hope in this roller coaster of life that the world doesn’t. Be sure to lean on God in the good times and even lean on Him when the struggle comes. Trust He knows what He is doing and follow His lead. In good times and bad, you can have this assured hope that God is with you and for you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 939

“And you, Pashhur, and all who dwell in your house, shall go into captivity. To Babylon you shall go, and there you shall die, and there you shall be buried, you and all your friends, to whom you have prophesied falsely.” Jeremiah 20:6 – Pashhur was a priest who was disgusted by what Jeremiah had to say and was actively punishing Jeremiah for saying words of the Lord that were contrary to his own. Notice though in this last phrase spoken to Pashhur that he will die, but also all his friends will die who he didn’t speak the truth to. All those that listened to his lies will end up dying along with him because they never heard the truth from who they should have heard it from. That remains true today. Each one of your friends and family that you don’t share the truth of the Gospel to will die and spend eternity away from God. Unless they hear the truth from somewhere else and accept it, if you who God has placed in their story doesn’t share the truth of Jesus with them they may never know about Him and die without Him. Maybe you aren’t actively sharing a different message with them to believe in like Pashhur was, but just not telling them the gospel is still not telling them the truth. Be sure the people God has place in your story are hearing about His story from you. Let it be known and said of you that you told the truth to all. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2152