Graceful Truth

EVERY LEADER’S FIGHT OF FAITH

November 14, 2024

EVERY LEADER’S FIGHT OF FAITH


How do you lead people in faith when everything seems to be going in the opposite direction? When all the odds are against you? When others are distracting and contradicting the things you believe God wants to say? When it doesn’t seem to be working, although you feel that you are honestly following what God has told you to do?

A LONELY SHEPHERD

The book of Jeremiah is a record of the leadership of such a shepherd. God called him to be a prophet in a dark season in Israel’s history. His strong, prophetic words finally led him to be thrown into prison.

But all of his words from God came true. And people realized, after the judgment, that God had been speaking through Jeremiah. His faithfulness vindicated God.

WRESTLING WITH FAITH

Jeremiah, though, had moments of doubt where he questioned what God was doing. Chapters 14-15 record such a moment. And in the middle of Jeremiah’s questions and fears, God comes with a strong reminder of what Jeremiah’s posture should be. Here it is in the Amplified and New Living translations.

Jeremiah 15: (Amplified)
19 Therefore thus says the Lord [to Jeremiah]: If you return [and give up this mistaken tone of distrust and despair], then I will give you again a settled place of quiet and safety, and you will be My minister; and if you separate the precious from the vile [cleansing your own heart from unworthy and unwarranted suspicions concerning God’s faithfulness], you shall be My mouthpiece. [But do not yield to them.] Let them return to you—not you to [the people].
20 And I will make you to this people a fortified, bronze wall; they will fight against you, but they will not prevail over you, for I am with you to save and deliver you, says the Lord.
Jeremiah 15 (NLT)
19 This is how the Lord responds:
“If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me.
If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman.
You must influence them; do not let them influence you!
20 They will fight against you like an attacking army, but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall of bronze. They will not conquer you, for I am with you to protect and rescue you.
I, the Lord, have spoken!

Every man of God’s great challenge is self-doubt. We wrestle with whether or not we’ve heard God properly and if we are leading in the right direction. No honest leader wants to misrepresent God. And we’re human. But God uses humans. He has made us in His image and calls us to rule over this world and the next with Him. He has made us like He is so we can join Him in what He does. That’s His way.

God awakened me at 2:30 am today because he needed me to receive this and deliver it to a faithful pastor I know who is facing a great faith challenge. An important moment in his ministry career. To call him to faith. To help him run through the tape believing God. If you think of it, pray for this unnamed pastor today that God might use His word to lift him and his people to fresh belief. The city in which he pastors desperately needs this church as a great gospel outpost for the kingdom.

Perhaps it’s also a word for you, as it is this morning for me too.

 

 



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