GO TO GOD FIRST

Building a foundation on popularity and the opinions of others is like building a house on sand. It shifts whenever the tide comes in and comes crashing down when the rain falls and the wind blows. It doesn’t hold firm when hard times come. Notice I said when and not if, because hardship eventually comes for us all.

There’s an Old Testament prophet who knew a thing or two about experiencing the disapproval of others. Let’s talk about Jeremiah. The prophet’s obedience to God didn’t exactly make him friends; his decision to proclaim the word of the Lord made him enemies in high places. In addition to experiencing the harsh judgment of others, Jeremiah also experienced cruel punishment. One incident takes place in Jeremiah 20, when Pashhur, the chief officer of the priests, takes it upon himself to have Jeremiah beaten and placed in the stocks, only released the next day, after suffering excruciating physical pain and public humiliation (vv. 3–5).

Jeremiah’s obedience to God cost him dearly. He had to pay a painful price to remain faithful to his role as a messenger of God. As a matter of fact, Jeremiah considered either giving up or changing the message God had given to him on multiple occasions. He might not have said this publicly, but Jeremiah clearly wrestled with the tension of the suffering and humiliation he faced inwardly and openly with God. I imagine he wanted to quit and stop speaking out. . . .

Following God will often come with adversity and opposition, just like it did for Jeremiah. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it. Just as Jeremiah chose to bring his pain and problems to God, we, too, need to make the intentional choice to go to God first. Prioritizing His kingdom above building our own. This looks like constant surrender and placing our preferences at the foot of the cross. It looks like choosing faithfulness over fame.

Let’s be faithful to the One who has always been faithful to us, no matter the cost.

Prayer

Lord, I am so thankful that You have promised to be with me and strengthen me when I face trials and adversity. I want to choose faithfulness over fame, and I place my trust in You. Amen.