The LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth.”
Jeremiah 1:9
From God’s Lips to Ours
Devotion based on Jeremiah 1:9
See series: Devotions
Seven-year-old Charlie was playing in the yard when he heard his dad call his name. Charlie slowly walked into the garage, where his dad was working. His dad said, “I want you to go in and tell your sister it is time for the two of you to clean up the toy room. Grandma and Grandpa are coming for dinner later, and we want the house to look nice.”
Charlie knew his sister wouldn’t be happy to hear that message, and he wasn’t either. So, instead of relaying the message, he told her, “Dad says we each need to pick up one toy in the toy room, and then we can have a cookie.”
Charlie’s dad was not happy when he walked in later to find cookie crumbs on top of the mess on the toy room floor.
God wanted a man named Jeremiah to give the people a message. He told him to warn the people about God’s judgment for their disobedience. They wouldn’t want to hear God’s message, but God uncovered a clear agenda for Jeremiah: Take my message and speak it to the people. Unlike Charlie, Jeremiah faithfully did what he was told to do, even though he would be persecuted and suffer for what he said.
God wants everyone to know and believe what he says. Many don’t want to hear what God has to say. But God’s agenda for us is clear: Take the message you hear and read in the Bible and speak it to others. Don’t hide it. Don’t change it. Don’t put your own spin on it. Speak the message I give you.
God’s message isn’t always popular with us, and it won’t always be popular with others. It reveals our disobedience and how we deserve God’s judgment. But then it uncovers the truth of God’s love for us in Jesus: Jesus came to die for us, to forgive our fears, and clean up the messes we make in our lives. Jesus doesn’t want anyone to die without knowing and believing that awesome saving message. God gives us the strength to speak his Word faithfully.
Prayer:
God, you’ve given me your Word. Help me to speak it without changing anything. Amen.
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