Jeremiah 26-29
“You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22).
In chapter 26, Jeremiah experienced hate on account of obedience to God. He was obedient to telling the people God’s message and they wanted to kill him for it. In our current day, the world is trying very hard to normalize certain sins and they spew a lot of vitriol toward Christians for not supporting it and promoting it. We see in certain areas of the world where Christians are even being killed for their beliefs.
Did Jeremiah crumble under the threat of death? He absolutely did not. In the face of the threat of death, he stood his ground and continued to be obedient to God’s call to warn the people. God wants us to not have a spirit of fear and timidity but to be bold—even in the face of danger. Thankfully, we don’t need to rely on our own limited power, because we have a far greater source of strength. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
If we are practicing obedience to God’s word, we can be sure that we will receive push back from the world. We need to be resolute like Jeremiah and not conform to the wickedness of the world, but instead call it out so that we can help bring as many people as possible into God’s kingdom.
-Kristy Cisneros
Reflection Questions
- What might you be thinking and feeling and doing if you were in Jeremiah’s shoes? Is there anything you find particularly admirable about Jeremiah?
- What is the purpose behind speaking up (not omitting a word) even when it is not positively received?
- Have you ever faced a potentially fearful situation because of your faith? How do you think you (with help from the Spirit of God) might handle it today if you ran into persecution for believing in and speaking for God?
- What might you be able to do today to strengthen your faith in order to speak every word from God AND perhaps handle persecution better in the future?
Seek Grow Love 