Jeremiah 1:17 – But you, dress yourself for work; arise, and say to them everything that I command you. Do not be dismayed by them, lest I dismay you before them.
It’s hard to say things that people will not want to hear. That was going to be Jeremiah’s job. The people of Judah were not following the Lord. In fact, God was about to tell them that he was more angry with them than he was with the northern kingdom that he had allowed the Assyrians to overrun a century earlier.
When we have hard things to say, we have two choices. We can either choose to say the hard thing and upset the people to whom we speak, or we can choose to ignore what needs to be said. Often we choose the latter option, because we do not have to hear the voice of God expressing his disappointment.
This is why what we see here in Jeremiah is of such value. God lets Jeremiah know that, should he choose to ignore God’s command and keep the people happy, he would be in deep trouble. God tells Jeremiah not to be dismayed by the people so as not to speak the truth. If Jeremiah is too afraid of men, God will make Jeremiah even more afraid. God basically tells Jeremiah, “if you think they are scary, wait until you have to deal with me.”
Saying hard things to people is hard, but facing the discipline of the Lord is harder. God calls his servants to speak the truth of his word. If we refuse to speak the truth, we show that we fear people more than the Lord, that we are more willing to disappoint God than man. Let us learn to be bold. Yes, it is sometimes difficult and uncomfortable, but the alternative, dishonoring our Lord, is far worse. And, if we will honor God, he will fill our souls with the joy of seeing his glory.
Pastor Travis Peterson 