The Truth of Our Land

My heart within me is broken
​​Because of the prophets;
​​All my bones shake.
​​I am like a drunken man,
​​And like a man whom wine has overcome,
​​Because of the LORD,
​​And because of His holy words. (Jeremiah 23:9)

The prophet Jeremiah had a little problem: the Truth was in him and it spoke volumes about what was wrong in his homeland. So strong were the holy words of the Lord, that Jeremiah reeled like a drunken man. How well received do you suppose Jer's ministry was with this sort of thing going on?

That little difficulty was compounded by the prophets Jeremiah spoke of: the false prophets rampaging about the land giving people a choice of who to believe. Wait, we have a man walking like a drunk spouting words that we don't like, and a bunch of prophets, probably dressed nicely and walking straight, telling us the nation is in good shape, a great nation and one to be proud of? So was the choice the people of Judah faced in their day. The false prophets told of the greatness of Israel; Jeremiah spoke the truth of the land and its people.

We face the same choice today: lies we want to believe and truth that sounds harsh and overly critical. Of course, we know from the Word that those lies beckon to the flesh with their seductive words. The Truth speaks to us in the quiet of the night, in the study of God's Word, or in the soft counsel of a wise brother or sister in Christ. The truth may not sound so good because we want to believe we are good people in a goodly land. The lies of the false prophets may try to hide the murder of the innocent ones, the chasing after the lusts of the flesh rampant throughout the land, or the rising persecution of God's chosen ones. We may not want to believe these things, or at least tell ourselves that it is a minority among the many good people of the land. But, what will the Lord say when the Rapture comes and only those who truly believe are taken up out of this world? What truth must we speak or write even though we will be received like a crazy drunk and kicked out into the street?

Feel like a trembling little sheep yet? Praise God the Good Shepherd is with us; the mighty Lion of Judah is about to roar!

Bucky