Ready Recipients – March 14, 2022

Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!” Then Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people: “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the things you have heard. Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the LORD your God. Then the LORD will relent and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you. As for me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right.”
Jeremiah 26:11-14

Ready Recipients

Every year I hear people complain about the beginning of Daylight Saving Time because, on that first night, everyone has to set their clock ahead one hour and lose an hour of sleep. Have you ever been the one to remind someone that “Daylight Saving Time begins tonight?” They usually aren’t very happy to hear it. It’s never fun to be the one who shares unwelcome news.

Jeremiah was a prophet who had to share some unwelcome news—news that was far more important and serious than the beginning of Daylight Saving Time. God had commanded him to warn the people of his day that if they did not repent of their sins against God, he would destroy them. When leaders of the people heard it, their response was, “This man should be sentenced to death.”

You may never have wanted to put one of God’s messengers to death, but all of us have at times treated God’s calls to repentance with something less than ready acceptance. What is remarkable is that, even for this ungodly attitude, we have God’s forgiveness through Jesus. We can be certain that when we turn from our sin to him for forgiveness, he will always be there to restore us. May this reality make us ready recipients of God’s messengers when they call us to repentance.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, make me a ready recipient of your messengers. Amen.