Thursday, June 18

Jeremiah 15:19-20 (NIV)

 

Therefore this is what the LORD says: "If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.  I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you," declares the LORD.

 

Repentance is not only for lost people. Repentance is for Christians, even the best of Believers. We all wander from the Lord; our hearts are programmed to stray from God. Our tendency is to doubt and not believe; to fear and not trust; to look to men for answers and not to God. Been there? Have you repented?

 

Repentance means, “to turn around.” For a Christian this means we turn from doubting God to trusting God; we turn from looking to men for deliverance or answers to looking to God; from relying on our own wits to get us through to relying on the Holy Spirit. This goes against our carnal nature. This is a conscious choice we make. We must say, “Lord, I repent of (name it) and I choose to (name it).” 

 

Jeremiah bears his heart to us. He was a prophet speaking “worthless words.” What good is a prophet who speaks worthless words? He was probably speaking to men before he listened to God, or maybe he watered down the message to make it more palatable. God said, “These people must turn to you....” Maybe he was trying too hard to buddy up with his audience and be “one of the guys.” He was losing the holy flavor from his life and, consequently, his razor edge.

 

God has called us to be a distinctive people. Are we losing that? If so it is time to repent! He has not called us to catch the spirit of our culture but to change the spirit of our culture. We are not to fear the criticisms and reprisals of men but to stand up for God and His truth whatever the reaction. God says, “I will make you a fortified wall of bronze” and “they will… not overcome you, for I am with you to save and deliver you.”

 

Let’s take God at this word today.