Hear, Accept, Obey - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) June 22, 2021

Jeremiah 26:2-6 - “This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from their evil ways. Then I will relent and not inflict on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. Say to them, ‘This is what the LORD says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city a curse among all the nations of the earth.’”

At this point in Biblical history, the Israelites had turned away from God in many ways. They weren't obeying God's law and many worshipped other gods. The Lord had reached out to them over and over again through His prophets but to no avail.

On the occasion described in Jeremiah 26, Prophet Jeremiah spoke the word of the Lord to the people as instructed in the courtyard of the temple - this way everyone coming to spend time in God's house would receive His message. Can you believe what happened next? The priests, the prophets and the people got mad at what they heard and decided Jeremiah needed to die! Their reasoning was that he'd prophesied against the temple and city.

Just in case you are wondering, Jeremiah escaped death that day. (Praise the Lord, God already promised him in Jeremiah 1:19 - They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.)

Yet there's a peculiarity we can easily ignore in the story and particularly the verses shared above. I know I did. Do you notice that the events take place at God's temple? The priests, prophets and people where at what we Christians would essentially know as church. How is it that they had come to the house of the Lord and yet did not want to hear the word of God?

Makes you scratch your head doesn't it? However, the answer to this is straightforward. We often only want to hear God's word when it suits our personal biases and interests. We want to hear men and women of God tell us everything is going to be alright and preach from the Bible as if it's a book of lullabies.

However, God - although our loving Father - is also "the Man of war" (Exodus 15:3). We are told in Isaiah 8:13 - The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.

That means sometimes His word to us will be tough to swallow. It will make our knees buckle. We can't expect Him to only speak in sweet nothings. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and that means sometimes, He will roar. Jeremiah 23:29 - “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?

We need to expect to hear and obey whatever God has to tell us. Whether it suits our desires or forces us to straighten up, repent and do better. We don't want to be like those who wanted to kill a true man of God simply because he uttered criticism they didn't want to hear. Micah 2:11 - If a liar and deceiver comes and says, ‘I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,’ that would be just the prophet for this people!

May God help us to hear His word even when it isn't sweet and may He grant us grace to obey, IJMN, I pray, Amen.

I hope you'll join us for Praise & Pray (for others) at 12 Noon EST when we will fellowship in honor of the Lord Most High. God bless you!