November 22, 2024
Everybody has their opinions. But sometimes, perhaps often for most, what they believe is wrong. And to build a life upon what is not true is deadly.
What happens when God’s Word runs contrary to a man’s opinions? That man has only two options: to receive God’s Word and proclaim it or to resist and try to destroy God’s Word. Usually, their means of destroying the truth is to try to silence the messenger.
JEREMIAH’S OPPOSITION
Jeremiah was the lone voice in Israel during a dark time. God had pronounced judgment upon the nation because of their repeated rebellion and worship of idols. He had sent the Babylonians to take them into captivity. He told Jeremiah to prophesy accordingly to the people and then to ask them to surrender to the Babylonians so they would not die in battle.
But lying officials came to the King, impugning Jeremiah’s motives and, ultimately, causing him to be sent to prison.
“Thus says the Lord, ‘This city will certainly be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and he will capture it.’ ” Then 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.” (Jeremiah 38:3-4)
They accused Jeremiah of trying to harm the people when, in reality, he was telling them what would help them. He was willing to risk his reputation and life to tell them the truth.
CROSSING THE LINE
Every man or woman comes to some point where they are faced with the big choice: Will I follow God and do what He says—even if there is a personal cost—or will I compromise and tell people what they want to hear so I can be liked?
It easy to compromise for it is the path of least resistance. But those who do live with a severe deficiency in their character. People cannot trust them, for those people know that when the moment comes, the messenger will not be truthful, tickling the ears of their listeners in order to be seen and liked by men.
But most tragically, they cannot be trusted by God. God made us like He is so we could join Him in what He does. We are the channels of His truth to a needy world. If our agenda is self-preservation, we lose our usefulness and become a sad caricature of our God. But if we choose to listen to God and proclaim what He says boldly, we become the mighty men and women who are usable in His great plan.
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