TODAY’S SPECIAL: Jeremiah 26:1-15
TO CHEW ON: "As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right. Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it, for in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.” Jeremiah 26:14,15
Josiah was dead. Jehoiakim, his son, was now king in his place. Jehoiakim didn’t follow his father’s ways. Quickly the country slipped back into sin.
One day early in Jehoiakim’s reign, God gave Jeremiah another assignment. “Stand just outside the temple,” He said, “and tell the people if you follow my laws and listen to my prophets with all your hearts, then I will change my mind about destroying this city. But if you don’t do these things, I will really destroy Jerusalem, just like I destroyed Shiloh.”
Jeremiah did what God said. But instead of listening and obeying, the priests and false prophets got angry. “How dare you say Jerusalem will be destroyed?” they asked. Soon the king’s officials arrived on the scene. “This man should be sentenced to death for what he is saying,” the priests said.
But Jeremiah was not scared. “I am only saying what God told me to say. Kill me if you like. But the only thing that will change is that it will add killing an innocent person on top of your other sins.”
Jeremiah was so fearless because he respected God more than anyone else, even the king. He would sooner do what God said and be in trouble with people than care what people thought and be in trouble with God. Let’s have Jeremiah’s attitude next time our friends or classmates make fun of us for talking about Jesus or believing the Bible.
PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to always put You first in my life. Amen.
MORE: In Trouble - Who Am I
Jeremiah was not the only Bible character who got in trouble for obeying God. Can you name these in-trouble Bible characters?
1. I refused to sin with my boss’s wife. Then she told lies about me and I was put in jail. Who am I? _____________ (Hint)
2. A wicked queen threatened to kill me after I killed her Baal prophets. Who am I? ____________ (Hint)
3. The neighbors wanted to kill me after I broke down my father’s idol altar. Who am I? ____________ (Hint)