July 23

July 23

Jehoiakim (Southern King 11 years) -- Jeremiah's vs. Hananiah's message to Jehoiakim.

Today's Readings:

Reading 1: 2 Kings 23:31-37

Reading 2: Jeremiah 26

Reading 3: Jeremiah 28

We have often seen in our readings that obeying God in the Old Testament period was literally a matter of life and death. Sin is a powerful taskmaster, and God is opposed to sin as an oncologist is to cancer. God's purpose is to eradicate sin and stop its cancerous hold on his creation - humankind.

Today we read of the high stakes Jeremiah faced in his obedience to God. Prophesying disaster is never popular, but God told him to warn the nation. By contrast, Hananiah had a "feel good" message for the king and the people.

In these cases, the only way to know who was the true prophet was to wait and see whose words came true. In this case, the outcome for Hananiah was death, proving Jeremiah's prophecy true.

We, too, are called to demonstrate God's heart to the world around us, but now it is a loving sacrifice that we can demonstrate, reflecting Jesus. What will you do today as you represent our loving Savior in the places to which He has called you?

Have a great day!

Mark.