Daily Devotional: Day 77
“Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word” (Jeremiah 26:2, NKJV; emphasis mine).
When you diminish God’s Word, you’ve diminished God. Period. The reason is, God is in His Word. Moreover, God’s Word is as good as Him. Consequently, by diminishing God’s Word, we diminish its power to fulfill the purpose God intends it to accomplish. A diminished Gospel leads to spiritual impoverishment and the illusion of being saved. But the reality is that a diminished Gospel cannot save; neither can it convey the power of God. Satan isn’t moved, I should add, by a diminished Gospel. To truly build people up, God’s Word must be delivered in its pure, unadulterated form (Cf. 1 Peter 2:2). This releases the full supernatural potency of the divine word. Those who receive the unadulterated Word receive the blessings contained in the Word and become transformed. We should also note that the Bible warns of severe consequences for those who tamper with God’s Word (Cf. Revelation 22: 18-19).
Jeremiah was appointed a prophet during a very difficult time in Judah, when most prophets had become false prophets to please the King and the people. In today’s Bible text, God sends Jeremiah to continue speaking the truth to the people of Judah. Notice the strong warning He gave to Jeremiah. He commanded him not to diminish a word. Jeremiah was under constant pressure and he faced death threats for the most part of his prophetic ministry. God knew about this pressure, so He warned Jeremiah to be strong and not diminish the force of God’s Word.
By the mercies of God, I’ve been a minister of God’s Word in an official capacity for at least 12 years. And I can attest to the fact that there’s a constant temptation to diminish the force of God’s Word because people might be offended or be hurt by the complete truth. There’s a temptation to flow with what’s trending and sanitize God’s Word to please the masses. The temptation is real, and all the prophets of God in the Bible had to deal with it. Even Jesus Himself had to deal with this temptation during His earthly ministry. All of us teach God’s Word in different capacities, maybe as a pastor, as a parent, as a Sunday School teacher, as a friend, as a spouse, as a co-worker, etc. We all must be careful not to diminish God’s Word, because the day we diminish the Word for fear of people, we’ve basically denied Jesus. When we fear people more than we fear God, it means that the people have become our God. But the question is, whose judgment do we fear, that of people or that of God? I know from personal experience that it’s not easy, but when we’re under pressure, that’s when our true faith (or lack thereof) in God is manifested. Let’s commit to deliver God’s Word in its pure state regardless of how people feel about it. Favor with God is better than favor with men.
Prayer:
Father God, you’ve created me to live by your Word. Dispel from my heart every fear of people. Fill me with holy boldness to proclaim your Word as it is without diminishing it. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
For further study:
1 Samuel 15:1-26
Higher-Self Realities 