As I shared in the last devotional, people have a tendency to look for messages that make them feel good and are pleasant to their ears. However, the Lord has given us sound doctrine through the Bible to ensure that we have a healthy growth. We all need the proper spiritual nutrients to grow in discernment and distinguish between God’s ways and the enemies’ schemes. Regardless of the number of years we have walked with Him, we still need to eat the meat of the Word to remain strong and be prepared for various spiritual battles in this world.
The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule by their own power; And My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end? Jeremiah 5:31
The people of God had turned away from the Lord; God used Jeremiah to tell them the process and the impact of their spiritual decline. Not only the Israelites were compromising, but they were also not interested in the truth. The prophets prophesied falsely, and people liked the happy news they heard from them. When Jeremiah told them they would be going into captivity, the false prophets told the people they were not going to because they were God’s special people. The priests enjoyed their positions of ruling over the people, and the people did not have a problem to follow whoever as long as no one stepped on their toes.
Isn’t this the condition of the American church? Our spiritual decline is evident as observed in various spheres of society such as entertainment, government, universities, churches, and the laws established. People are just looking to go to a nice church and hear an encouraging sermon. They live the rest of the week busy, happy, and occupied by their interests and all along thinking that they are glorifying God.
If you were to talk to some believers about what has changed in their lives in the last two years, their answers would primarily be about what God has done for them. Their focus is not advancing the Kingdom of God and His righteousness on the earth. Their goal is to get what they want out of life and meet their desires. They would rather just offer up a prayer than act on being an answer to a prayer. They may wish for people to get saved, but they will not take the time to get out of their routines to reach unbelievers and the unchurched. They surround themselves with friends just like them, so they can always be in agreement but not necessarily be in truth. They think they are making a difference for the Kingdom of God, but they would not rock the boat and speak up against the ungodliness propagated around them.
Some of the above is my struggle as well. I don’t want to be like the fig tree that Jesus spoke out against. The tree only had green leaves but no fruit. If we have itching ears for what we want to hear, we cannot be fruitful for the Kingdom. The good news is that we can change our posture and be willing to receive truth regardless of how uncomfortable it makes us. Lord, give us the courage to receive your truth and to act on it regardless of the cost!
