“But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.” – Jeremiah 7:24

Was Jeremiah talking about the people of ancient Israel some 2600 years ago? Yes, he was and they suffered badly for their continued stubborn disobedience. Do these same words describe many people, including many professing Christians, today? Unfortunately, the answer to that is also yes. Be careful not to let these words describe you.

God’s people are often tempted to “walk in their own counsel”, meaning doing whatever they think best rather than what God has commanded. We like to tune our ears to teachers and advisors who say what we want to hear rather than those speaking God’s word with fidelity. Our minds bubble up with reasons why our situation is different, why we’re different, and why God’s Word is for and about someone or something else. Don’t fall into clever reasoning about why the plain words of Scripture don’t apply to you. They do! If they plainly apply, apply them! Don’t look for ways to ignore them. Walk in God’s wise counsel rather than your own limited (shall we say) counsel.

Don’t be stubborn of heart, be tender of heart. Don’t dig in and double-down on things once you realize God has a different perspective from you. Be quick to adopt God’s perspective. You won’t regret it! #FollowJesus

“The Lord upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.”
– Psalm 145:14

What a beautiful truth! When you’re falling… when you’re bent double by your burdens or your pain… God doesn’t look at you with contempt. He doesn’t yell at you to stand up straight. He doesn’t tell you to keep a stiff upper lip. Rather, God is right there with you. Holding you up. Strengthening you. Catching you. Lifting you back to your feet. Lightening your burden so you can stand up straight. That’s Who God is!

Once you’re in a relationship of love with God through faith in Jesus Christ, He is very present in all your times of trouble. He is deeply aware of, and concerned about, your suffering and weaknesses. He isn’t a distant observer of your situation. His time and attention aren’t limited or divided. He is walking right there with you every step of the way. He’s even carrying when you need Him to!

If Jesus is your Lord, then don’t ever be afraid to ask God for help. For strength to keep going. Pray to Him day-by-day, hour-by-hour, or minute-by-minute. Draw near to Him, knowing that He will draw even nearer to you. Ask for His strength to be revealed in your weakness. Turn your burdens over to Him. Release your anxieties and fears to Him. Walk in step with Him, neither running ahead or lagging behind. Trust in the Lord, because this is truly Who He is! #FollowJesus

“And when your people say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.’” – Jeremiah 5:19

Many today gladly live as if there is no God. Or they imagine God is irrelevant, blind, weak, or stupid. Unfortunately for them, while God is unimaginably patient, His patience doesn’t extend forever. On the other side of His patience is righteous wrath and just judgment. Why? Because God is completely just and righteous. When people consistently reject and forsake God, demanding His removal from their presence and lives, there are consequences. When whole nations reject and forsake God, there are even more consequences.

If you’re a Christian, don’t be surprised if, and when, those consequences arrive. Don’t be shocked when they also touch your life in profound and terrible ways. Fear not! God will sustain and spiritually preserve you through them, though they may be awful to witness and experience. Until that day comes, pray for a great awakening in this country. Pray for a widespread turning to the Lord by those who currently reject Him. Pray for your community, county, state, and nation to eagerly seek Lord Jesus rather than whatever they’ve been seeking. Pray for these things to happen before God’s patience runs out. And, of course, #FollowJesus

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” – Matthew 18:6

Have you ever considered how important it is to NOT encourage others to sin? To not facilitate, recommend, rationalize, excuse, aid, affirm, or otherwise help a follower of Jesus to make an ungodly decision or do an ungodly thing? What Jesus says in this verse is truly something to contemplate! Jesus says that if you’re leading or encouraging another believer to sin (whether young or old) it would be better to have a thousand pound stone tied to your neck and be dropped in the ocean to “sleep with the fishes”. That’s unbelievably hard truth from Jesus! But it’s truth nonetheless.

Many Christians understand they aren’t supposed to sin themselves but can be entirely too casual about helping others to sin. In our culture in which we’re supposed to agree with, affirm, and celebrate anything that enters another person’s mind, we can easily become someone who helps others to sin. If our visible faithfulness to Jesus means that thoughtless (or intentional) words of affirmation sound like Jesus would approve of sin, that’s a dangerous place for us to be in!

Carefully consider your words and your actions. Don’t just be concerned for your holiness but consider carefully the impact that you may be having on others. #FollowJesus

“Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
let my head not refuse it.”
– Psalm 141:5a

We live in a very sensitive and defensive culture. We’ve been raised to naturally HATE to be critiqued, criticized, corrected, or rebuked for doing wrong. Our pride hates to be poked like that. Our shields instantly raise and our first instinct is to lash out, strike back, and crush all opposition. Generally speaking, Christians aren’t different anyone else in this regard. But we should be! The Bible is clear that we must be.

It’s also clear that we will be enormously blessed once we learn to respond to words of correction from godly people in a supernatural way. To respond with humility, openness, and respect for the person who speaks. To believe they want the best for us rather than the worst. To truly hear what they’re saying and discern whether it’s coming from a place of wisdom and love for us. To let the Holy Spirit speak through them.

Once we can get over our pride and reprogram our instincts to actually welcome the feedback, critique, and rebuke of godly brothers and sisters in Christ, we can GROW. Not all feedback is useful but a lot of it is. It can help grow our skills. It can help us grow spirituality. It can protect us from sin. It can help grow in maturity. It can grow our impact for God’s Kingdom. It can ultimately grow God’s Kingdom itself.

However, we must learn to welcome the correction of other believers if we’re going to grow in this way. To understand it as kindness, not cruelty. To see it as an act of love rather than hate. To see godly correction as ointment and medicine for our souls and lives rather than deadly poison. To let our heads and hearts truly hear, understand, and apply that which is true and useful. Think carefully about how you respond to words of correction, critique, and even rebuke from fellow Christians. Are you eagerly and joyfully seeking to learn in this way that the Bible repeatedly endorses? #FollowJesus