Fire in Our Bones

Jeremiah 20:13 NKJV: “Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For He has delivered the life of the poor from the hand of evildoers.”

Each one of us has a favourite food. But not everyone in our friends’ circles likes the same food as us. Yet, we go to great lengths to passionately convince them to at least try it. And when we do, nobody minds hearing our opinion. But have you noticed when we talk about our passion for Jesus to an unbeliever, things get real tense?

Jeremiah received fierce opposition when he passionately shared his faith. He went to great lengths to deliver God’s Word to the people, but they rejected him, threatened his life, and ridiculed him. Out of despair and great discouragement, he wanted to quit but he couldn’t (Jeremiah 20:9). In utter frustration, Jeremiah cried His heart out to God. Finally, seasons changed and God gave him the victory. His season of discouragement changed to one of praise and thanksgiving.

Discouragement is part of life. We share the Gospel of Jesus with unbelieving family or friends and are ridiculed for it. Don’t let that stop you. When Jeremiah withheld God’s Word, he felt fire in his bones until He could hold it no longer. When we have encountered the God of the universe, we can’t contain it within ourselves. The Spirit will spur us to share it with others. Yes, not everyone will want to hear what we have to say, but that should never be a deterrent.

Today, make the bold decision to be a yielded vessel unto the Lord. Partner with the Spirit in spreading the Gospel message to as many people that are sent your way. Invite your friends, colleagues, and family to church to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalms 34:8). Share your testimony with them. And you can be rest assured your season of disappointment and discouragement will be short-lived. “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57).