Tell Me Only What I Want to Hear!

DAY 225
5-14-10
JEREMIAH 41-44


Good Morning!

As I was reading this morning, it occurred to me how foolish people are - all people in all times. We say we want God to speak to us; and when we get his message; if we like it we’ll obey it. If we don’t like it we’ll ignore it; deny it; or change it. Case in point…

Jer. 42:1-3 “…all the people from the least to the greatest approached Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, "Please hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do."

Very good! That is the right request to make. That is the right decision to make. Let’s keep reading…

Jer. 42:5-6 Then they said to Jeremiah, "May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God."

Very good! That is always the right response of a person of God. Let’s continue…

Jer. 43:1-2 When Jeremiah finished telling the people all the words of the Lord their God…all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, "You are lying!

Oops! Now they blew it. That is so like us! Tell us what we want to hear; not what we need to hear. Even in Jesus’ day, when his words were too hard; or not what people wanted to hear – they left him.

John 6:60-61 & 66 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you?...From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

Now read what God’s word says to New Testament believers:

2 Tim 4:3 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Trust God’s Word no matter how challenging.

Barry