Where is Your Fire? - June 27th, 2011

O LORD, You induced me, and I was persuaded;
You are stronger than I, and have prevailed.
I am in derision daily;
Everyone mocks me.
For when I spoke, I cried out;
I shouted, “Violence and plunder!”
Because the word of the LORD was made to me
A reproach and a derision daily.
Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him,
Nor speak anymore in His name.”
But His word was in my heart like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
I was weary of holding it back,
And I could not.

Jeremiah 20:7-9

History and Context:

Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. His ministry was to the soutrhern kingdom of Judah, after the northern kingdom was already destroyed by Assyria. Though his ministry began before Babylon came on the scene, the majority of the prophecies which we have today, were given between the first and second attack on Jerusalem by Babylon. Jeremiah remained faithful to the truth though no one would listen to him. He was beaten, thrown in jail, mocked, and ridiculed but he continued preaching the words that God gave him to preach with no exception. Chapter 20 begins with Jeremiah being, once again, beaten and imprisoned, this time by Pashhur the son of Immer, the priest who was also chief governor in the house of the Lord. Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet because in the midst of these attacks and persecutions, he not only remained faithful to the Lord, but he continued to lament and weep for the salvation of the very people persecuting him. Starting in verse seven of chapter 20 we see Jeremiah begin to break down in his cries to the Lord, but this break down is only temporary as we see him in the rest of the book continuing to stay faithful to the calling God has placed on him.

The Text:

The chosen text shows a brutal honesty from Jeremiah to the Lord. He cries out against the injustices that are coming against him, and later he even cries out for judgement on the people. He tells the Lord that if it was up to him, he would've already quit, but he couldn't. He couldn't because the words of the Lord were "in [his] heart like a burning fire shut up in [his] bones". This has always been amazing for me to see, because today it seems that the slightest lack of popularity or rejection will discourage us from speaking the truth of God's Word. Jeremiah recieved ten times more than any of us Christians in the western world, yet he found that he could not stop even when he wanted to.

The Challenge:

We need people who are willing to stand up like Jeremiah, against all criticism and persecution, and declare the truth in love. We need people who have the Word like "fire shut up in [their] bones". We need people who are weary of holding the truth in. We have been holding it in for too long, it's time to let it out. It's time to speak out. It's time to step out into the calling that God has for us. The challenge for today? Ask God to give you a fire like Jeremiah! This is probably one of the most difficult challenges I have given so far, so please don't take it lightly. Jesus promised that if we ask, it will be given to us. So only ask if you are willing to take on the burden that comes with. If you are willing, pray the following prayer with me.

The Prayer:

Lord, fill me with fire! Put your word in my heart like a fire shut up in my bones, so that, like Jeremiah, I can not hold it in. Fill my heart with passion. With passion for you and for your plan. With passion for your Word. Baptize, immerse me in the fire of the Holy Spirit! In Jesus' name, Amen!