Do Not Be Silent
Daily Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 19-22
Daily Focus Passage: Jeremiah 20
Believers face the constant pressure to remain silent about their faith. The world abuses the idea of freedom to silence believers concerning the truth of the gospel. The Western world holds that you may believe what you desire but must remain silent about your beliefs. In other places, when a believer identifies with Christ, the people of the world turn against them, and they endure many forms of persecution. The prophet Jeremiah faced persecution as he declared the message of the Lord to the people. The persecution did not stop Jeremiah from declaring God's message; instead, the persecution fueled his passion to proclaim God's truth.
FAITHFUL DECLARATION AND OBEDIENCE BRING OPPOSITION
Jeremiah's message centered on the coming punishment from the Lord against the people because of their disobedience. The people lived in a rebellion, including serving and worshipping idols. The people rejected the Lord and his truth. The people heard the message of the Lord through Jeremiah and responded by persecuting Jeremiah because of his relationship with the Lord. The persecution Jeremiah faced provides examples of persecution believers could face.
Jeremiah faced physical persecution. Jeremiah received physical beatings because of the message he declared from the Lord. Jeremiah did not allow the physical torment to stop his faithfulness to the calling of the Lord. Some believers experience similar physical torture because of their faith and obedience to the Lord. These believers endure the pain and do not allow the punishment to stop their faith.
Jeremiah faced the persecution of imprisonment. Jeremiah was placed into the stocks upon being physically beaten. The placement in the stocks mirrored the state of imprisonment. The world bound Jeremiah with the purpose of silencing him. Instead, Jeremiah allowed his imprisonment to become motivation to declare message of the Lord that sets captives free in repentance and faith. Today, some believers endure imprisonment because of their faith in the Lord. They willfully endure momentary imprisonment to declare eternal freedom in the Lord.
OPPOSITION MUST NOT SILENCE THE MESSENGER
Jeremiah refused to allow persecution to become the silencer of declaring the message of the Lord. He did not cower to the threat or reality of persecution; instead, the prophet used the persecution as a catalyst for faithful proclamation. He declared a message that included the punishment coming from the Lord, and as a result, the message caused reactions that led to persecution. The continued proclamation of Jeremiah demonstrates the importance of the continued declaration of believers today.
We must declare because of obedience to God's call. Jeremiah would not be silenced because he desired to live as the servant of the Lord. He committed himself to the Lord and chose obedience to the Lord over favor of the world. Jeremiah’s passion rested in his certainty of the Lord’s message and presence. Jeremiah declared and endured because he understood that the calling of the Lord was a command and not a suggestion.
We must proclaim the Lord's message. Jeremiah did not revolt against the people or speak out of his flesh. Instead, the prophet spoke the messenger of the Lord. The messenger was a tough message centered on the coming wrath and punishment. Jeremiah knew that he was not allowed to adjust the message or adapt it to please the ears of the masses. He remained faithful to declare God’s message to the people. Likewise, we must declare God’s message and not our message to the people.
We must recognize we have an audience of one. Jeremiah knew that his audience was the Lord alone. Jeremiah sought to please the Lord alone and not please the world. He knew that the applause of the Lord is much more important than the applause of humanity. Jeremiah knew declaring the Lord’s message would bring glory and honor to the Lord. Likewise, when we declare God’s message, we do so with the intent of pleasing our audience of one.
