The Given Command

Thus says the LORD: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word, Jeremiah 22:1

The gift of the prophet: secret knowledge from God Himself that no one else has. Whoo hoo! Way to go me! The duty of the prophet: go on down there and disturb the king in his house. Hopefully he won't have his soldiers drag me out back and take my head. I wonder what the life expectancy of prophets were back in the day?

It does not appear that any calling from the Lord is without its peril. In the Bible, Jesus comforted us with the fact that in answering His call the world would hate us too. Peter, executed; Paul, executed; Stephen, stoned to death; James, executed; John the Baptist, off with his head... the list goes on throughout the ages. There are those in the world working to do the same to us. So, why would anyone answer the call to prophecy or to spread the good news of Jesus?

For every time Jesus told us how tough this life will be, He gave us promises of love, eternal rest, Heaven, His return, strength to endure, living water, and many other great and wonderful things that are to come. Our rebirth in Christ is but the start of an eternal life with our Lord. The struggles of this life are the tiniest preparation for the glory of God that will be our eternal home. Peter, Paul, and the others who died for their testimony were with Jesus just that much sooner, and I'm sure they would remind us these many years later of that very thing.

The times and the age will soon come to an end, go with God.

Bucky