God’s Powerful Words – August 16, 2022

“Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?”
Jeremiah 23:29

God’s Powerful Words

The prophet Jeremiah faced challenging work. God called him to speak the hard truth to a people who did not want to hear it. Instead, the people had surrounded themselves with false teachers. These false teachers spoke what the people wanted to hear. They claimed God was speaking to them and saying everything would be fine.

But these were lies. The false teachers had not received any messages from God and certainly not one saying that things were fine. Jeremiah warned the people that disaster was right around the corner. Unless they changed their ways: their cities would be destroyed, and they would be taken captive.

The people thought that Jeremiah’s words, really God’s words, were empty. But in time, God’s words proved true. God’s words consumed the false promises of the lying teachers like fire. Their cities were smashed into pieces, and their people captured.

God’s words may not always deliver what we want to hear. They do not promise us a false peace that we desire. We all love affirmation of our actions. But God’s words do not affirm our actions when they are contrary to his will. Instead, we hear that those actions are sins we need to turn away from. Like the people of Jeremiah’s times, we find those words offensive.

But God gives us these hard words in love. Let God’s word smash sinful habits, so we can find life in him. Let God’s words be the fire that consumes shame and guilt.

Those willing to listen to the truth of God’s words will find a much greater peace. They will discover that God promises a security far greater than we could ever imagine. God’s powerful words promise that Jesus has made things right between God and us.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to cancel out the false messages and lies and to listen to the truth of your powerful word. Forgive my sins. Make me trust always in you. Amen.