“Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 1:17-19
I saw this guy running. He was looking up and to his left and wham - some guy comes flying out of nowhere and basically body slams him. They both do this clumsy spinning fall thing and then some other guy who was running and looking at the same thing the first guy was looking at full on steps, hops, trips over the two guys rolling on the ground. He just stomps them. Ouch. I am talking big time assault here. It looked like a news clip from a volatile riot or something. But then the last trippy dude gets up quick and reaches out both his hands and pulls the other guys up and they all walk away. No punches thrown. No angry shoves. Football just isn't real life, eh? I mean I saw people getting mashed, and kicked and blindsided and everyone was cool about it all. Nobody's calling the cops or suing anybody. Nobody is even mad?
That's because they all understand their purpose. Stop the ball from getting to the wrong side of the field. The goal is not to inflict injury (even though sometimes it looks like it) or even to stop one individual per say, but rather to keep the ball from progressing down the field in the wrong direction. And even if you don't have the ball you are still a target because you might get the ball, or you just had the ball or you were keeping someone from the ball. Every snap and there are pileups and push-offs all over the field. Message to the other team. Not gonna let you move the ball in the wrong direction.
God had a message for the people of Judah. A strong message about moving back in the right direction. A message about getting rid of all the worthless worship and false gods and getting back to loving and obeying the true living God - I - Am. God had been talking to them Himself for some time now, through many generations, but no one is listening. So God gets this young guy, Jeremiah, to be the messenger for Him. God is about to engage in a conversation with all of Judah: her political leaders, her religious leaders and even all the people themselves - through Jeremiah. This young guy is the one given the message to give the message. God knows the people don't want to hear about it. He knows the people are gonna lash out. He also knows they aren't gonna lash out directly at Him. Nope.....God knows they are gonna lash out at the messenger. Yup, Jeremiah is just pointing down the field, telling everyone the right way to run and showing them how to do it and wham! here comes plenty of players trying to tackle him and he doesn't even have the ball, just telling which way to run with it.
Talk about caught in the cross fire
But God has a plan. He won't just leave Jeremiah hanging like that. No way...God makes Jeremiah into a battering ram and forces his point annihilating all the opposed. God makes Jeremiah into this brute who trounces everyone.
RRRRRR SCRATCH >>>> brtbrtbrtbrt
Nooooo.....That's not a God tactic. God protects and defends Jeremiah. God declares and causes Jeremiah to become a fortified city, and iron pillar, a bronze wall. What? No blazing sword, no giant hammer? Nope. Each of the things God declares Jeremiah to be are defensive, not offensive. Fortified city has walls protect the houses and people inside, an iron pillar is not easily toppled over and a bronze wall is not easily set on fire on splintered. All are stand in your position things. They don't even have to move from their stationed position in Christ. Just stand and see.
God just wants Jeremiah to say what God wants him to say. He isn't going on the offense. God is. God knows that when they get the message and don't like it the people will turn on Jeremiah, but God will defend him, God will rescue him. Jeremiah does not have to fight with anyone. He just has to share the words, give the message and let God take care of the fallout. Hallelujah. We just have to talk. Not even argue. Just say what God gives us to say. God will take care of the rest. Just say the words and point in the right direction.
So next time you feel the Holy Spirit asking you to share His loving way of living with someone new, or even someone you've shared with over and over, and seems like over again, remember.....it isn't your message. It is God's message of love. If you get caught in the cross fire between them and God let God handle it with His wisdom not yours. After all the goal is not to win an argument. Our goal is simply to point others on the field with us in the right direction.
God is telling us the same thing he told Jeremiah. Get Ready! Get Up! and Get Talking!
"Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you." Jeremiah 1:17
Freely you have received - freely give!
Just thinking out loud.....
Debber
