Don't Hurt the Messenger

 Jeremiah had all kinds of trouble when he delivered God's message to the people of Judah. The people got so angry with him that they wanted to kill him. When that happened he had to warn them. If they killed him, they would be killing an innocent man. (Jeremiah 26:14,15) God would not let them get away with that. Jeremiah was only the messenger. He did not deliver the message on his own. They had been listening to God, not Jeremiah. I wonder how often this same thing happens today. It would be good for us to guard against this misconception.

God uses men and women to deliver His message to others. Sometimes it is in a private conversation. Other times, it could be through a sermon or a Bible study. Whenever God uses another person to speak His Word to us, we need to listen to God, not just the messenger. The problem comes in that often the people who hear the message of God are not sensitive to His voice speaking to their hearts, so they simply think it is the words of another person, not God. This is why we need to keep our hearts soft and open to what God will say. We need to be listening for Him all of the time. Whenever we have a serious conversation with a good Christian or hear a message, we should ask God to make His Words clear to us. Then, whatever He says, we must do it, even if it means confessing and repenting of sins. That way we do not receive the punishment of God on top of missing His message.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Jeremiah 28-30.