Today’s passage: Jeremiah 20:1-18
Helpful thoughts:
- Passhur’s name means something along the lines of, “deliverance is around”. His new name, given by God in verse 3 means, “Terror on every side.”
- He was not the High Priest, but a priest and the chief guard (Like police) of the Temple. Either way, a high ranking official in God’s Temple just struck and arrested God’s prophet. This should have been a shocking development.
- The contrast of God’s Word and the desires and responses of the people made ministry “hard” for Jeremiah. But, God is mightier than the praise of man and the joy of serving Him is greater than the endless endeavor of trying to “fit in” to the culture around us.
- In this statement from Jeremiah, we get an honest look into the heart of an imperfect man, serving a perfect God. When we rightly fulfill the ministry He gives to us, whatever that might be, our own hearts can fluctuate between joy, eager expectation, sorrow, fear, and everywhere in between as we consider the temporary and eternal ramifications of our obedience.
Questions to consider:
- Given the reality of the mixture of responses we get when following Christ and sharing the truth of the Gospel with others, what must we continually base our joy upon?
- If we only desire to see people accept us and accept Christ, what will happen to our evangelistic efforts? If we are looking to Christ and desiring to please Him first, how will that impact us in a positive way, even in the midst of adversity?
- How can verses like Hebrews 12:1-2 or Philippians 3:13-14, or even Revelation 21:1-5 bring us hope and courage to keep running this race with joy? What are some passages that are particularly encouraging to you, to keep your eyes on Christ and the truth in the midst of this world?