“But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name, his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”
Jeremiah has been beaten and left in the stocks overnight by the Priest. He is angry and depressed that God has given him a message that causes others to attack him… Yet upon his release, he doubles down on the predictions and warns those who would resist God.
Jeremiah doesn’t like being the
bearer of unpopular news but admits that he has no choice… The truth is the
truth, and it burns like a fire in his heart.
Am I as motivated as Jeremiah to
speak the Word of God when it is unpopular?
Does it burn within me? Am I like Paul in 1 Corinthians, “compelled” to
preach the gospel?
Jeremiah and Paul share that trait… and anyone who genuinely embraces the gospel, shares that trait as well.
The power of the gospel is uncontainable. Understanding that I have been freely delivered from eternal punishment should compel me to tell others. The joy of my salvation ought to produce an internal pressure that demands release. Can you really love someone, and not tell them what Jesus did for them at Calvary?
We are told to be wise, but that cannot diminish our boldness for Christ. We should use strategy and insight when sharing truth, but we cannot water it down … And like Jeremiah we may suffer for it.
Scripture says that when you speak the truth, you may be hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down, but you will not be defeated. Being a messenger of God requires stamina. Expect the battle and be prepared to endure it.
No matter what we face, the gospel was not given to us to be hoarded and contained. We are commanded to tell others. Boldly preach His name. It may be unpopular, but it is the cure for the disease that has infected us all.
It is possible to preach the gospel without loving others …But it is impossible to truly love others and not preach the gospel.
“Only he is fit to preach who cannot avoid preaching, who feels that woe is upon him unless he preach the gospel” - Charles Spurgeon
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