August 19 2001
"This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD's
house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come
to worship in the house of the LORD. Tell them everything I command
you; do not omit a word.
Jeremiah 26:2
God is a fan of repeats and reminders. This is the exact same message he had Jeremiah deliver earlier. He also had Jeremiah deliver it in such a way that it if their hearts set on pleasing God it would provoke violent reaction in the people. To stand within the structure of the temple and to deliver this message was a bold thing - there was no action more sure to stir up anger and violent feelings within the people. I'm not sure why God chose this particular method - more than once. I think about the times someone has given me the same message multiple times.. depending on where my heart is at I either appreciate the reminder because I'm off-track or it irritates me because at that moment, I don't want to hear what's wrong in my life and/or I don't want to change. I do appreciate that God doesn't hold back, that he allows our 'buttons to be pushed'... He'll use someone to get in our face and tell us the truth whether we like it or not. How I respond is entirely up to me - I can either reject it and stubbornly go about my way or I can hear the message and be thankful that God never quits.. that he loves me/us enough that he just keeps on reminding us of what we need to hear!