The Truth Can Be Hard To Say Sometimes

Jeremiah 27:4-6 -  Give them this message for their masters: 'This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says:  By my great power I have made the earth and all its people and every animal. I can give these things of mine to anyone I choose.  Now I will give your countries to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who is my servant. I have put everything, even the wild animals, under his control.

 

Jeremiah had to deliver a message that seemed very out of place.  God was fixing to hand over all the nations to king Nebuchadnezzar….a foreign king that ruled Babylon. God was going to use this foreign king to punish his people for not keeping their covenant with God. Jeremiah’s words seemed to be completely crazy.

 

Many false prophets were telling the people exactly what they wanted to hear.  They spoke in God’s name…..and told complete lies. They were easier to believe…and allowed the people to keep justifying the sin that had crept into their lives. Instead of accept Jeremiah and his true words from God… let his words transform them….they called him crazy and believed the lies of the false prophets.

 

Jeremiah was the brave one…who told the truth…..the truth that most people did not want to hear.  It is a reminder to me to always tell the truth…even when it is not what my friends want to hear.  It is a reminder that a true friend never buffers a situation with a lie…just to make it more bearable.  A true friend tells the truth…so the pain can be dealt with….so God can begin the healing…so God can give them the strength they need to transform and get rid of the sin that separated them from God in the first place.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to always make sure that I have asked you what the truth is. Forgive me for not always seeking your counsel in prayer…researching an answer in your Bible…or asking those that have known you longer than I for advice.  Help me to stand on the truth that I find…even when it goes against what the majority says….even when false teachers have said otherwise.  Amen.