Jeremiah is my favorite book of the Bible. We see God calling Jeremiah into a life, speaking Truth to God's people who were walking in wickedness. The amazing story of Jeremiah is that God didn't call him to go into the nation of Judah and try to convert everyone. He told Jeremiah to do one thing and that one thing was to be faithful and obedient to him.
When I look and read the book of Jeremiah it always brings me back down to reality. Jeremiah's reality is God called him to be faithful and obedient no matter what circumstance he was in. Now you might be saying, "How can I relate to that?" Jeremiah served God's people in Judah for 40 years and did not see one convert. Not a single person turned and pleaded for God to save them. Not one!!! He faced persecution and rejection all through his ministry. Jeremiah ministered in that circumstance for 40 years! But don't get to focused on his condition. Look at his heart. He stayed devoted to his calling and his calling was to serve the living God faithfully and obediently. It wasn't to get everyone saved. We can't forget the words of scripture, "To live is Christ and to die is gain" For us at Living Hope to acknowledge our true calling we must all die. Jeremiah had to die. Was it hard, yes! Was it tough at times, yes! Was it impossible? Of course it was impossible for Jeremiah to live in those circumstances, but with God nothing is impossible! Jeremiah had to fully give himself to the Lord. That was the only way he could survive.
I want to leave you with a story about John Wesley that has been so challenging for me:
John Wesley had been preaching throughout the countryside and as he was riding his horse he was praying and meditating on God’s Word and he realized that for three days he had not been persecuted. No one had chased him or cursed him or tried to scar his body with stones and sticks. So he got off of his horse and got on his knees to pray and he said, “God have I become a carnal man and has my message become so wordly that no one any longer persecutes me. Then, while he was praying, a farmer who hated him saw him praying and picked up a brick and threw it at him and it barely scraped his nose. And Wesley praised God and said thank you God that I know now that you have confirmed your favor towards me.
This is a challenging story because Wesley wasn't living like most Christians today. Most Christians today in America view their faith as, "get up and go to church on Sunday's and read your Bible a few times during the week and if your really feeling moved serve within the church" I am not saying that you aren't a Christian if you do this, but what I am saying is that being in this comfortable state can cause you to get callused in your thinking. I have fallen into this trap many of times. I am learning that if your Christian faith isn't hard then you need to test yourself with scripture and see whether you are in the faith.
2 Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?"
Bryan Lewis
High School Events Director
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