Scroll

Ladies,

It has been far too long since we have posted here! My heart is heavy for my own lack of discipline in past weeks. I have been in the Word and in worship and prayer, but I have often come with a heaviness of heart, instead of joy in His presence. Can anyone identify?
But I hear the Lord's call to return to Him, my first love, and I am delighted to obey.

This morning I was not able to come together and pray with you ladies, which saddened me since I miss our times of seeking Him together so much! But I opened the Word to Jeremiah ch 36, and immediately my heart began leaping! It is best to read this yourself to really understand what I'm referring to, but here goes!
Jeremiah had instructed Baruch, his scribe, to write a scroll! This scroll was to be a summary of all the messages the Lord had given to Jeremiah concerning God's people. They were warnings to the people of God's coming discipline, and they were intended to be read in the hearing of all the people for the purpose of repentance.
The things that struck me about this passage were:
1) the cooperation of both Jeremiah and Baruch with the Spirit of God. There is such a picture of the Church in this! Jeremiah was not free to take this scroll and read it to the people, because He was imprisoned for speaking God's Word! So even though the Lord gave the original message to him, He had to entrust it to Baruch. And Baruch was then given the task of delivering it to God's people. There had to be trust and absolute cooperation on the part of both these men in order for God's message to be delivered to the people. This reminds me of New Testament Christianity because while some were suffering for the Gospel, others had to be faithful to carry and spread the message of Christ. As Americans we are free right now to spread the Gospel. Am I being obedient and faithful to my Lord and my Christian brothers and sisters who are being persecuted for the sake of the Gospel?
2) Baruch's task was simply to be obedient in delivering the prophecies of Jeremiah. He did not have a personal message from the Lord, as did Jeremiah, but was faithful with the message to speak it to others. Again, am I being faithful with the Words of the Lord? God delivers personal Words, and they are life to the soul, but am I being faithful with His universal message of Salvation for the World that we sing about at Christmas? Am I a faithful ambassador of Christ to carry that message of life to others? Or am I too concerned with my plans, my family, my ministries, to deliver His message? Baruch gained an audience with the highest officials in the Temple, not because of His own authority as a prophet, but because of the authority of God's Word!
3) the purpose of the scroll was to remind, to rebuke, to warn, and to cause repentance for the purpose of restoration. This makes me wonder in my own words from the Lord, what has He given me as reminders, as rebukes, as warnings, and how is He calling me to prepare or repent or warn others of His coming? I am WAY too lukewarm as a Believer in Jesus these days, and it is to my harm, but it is also to the harm of others around me. King Jehoiakim rejected the Words of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, and the whole nation of Israel suffered because of his handling of the Word of the Lord. Am I speaking the Word to others or holding it inside because of fear? The Temple officials were more fearful of the reaction of King Jehoiakim than they were of the coming judgment of the Lord, but Jeremiah and Baruch, who had every reason to fear for their lives remained faithful to the message of the Lord. Am I like the temple officials fearing the response of men, or like these prophets of God , faithful to His Word knowing my life is hidden in Him?

I am excited about this New Year and will continue to seek to hear His voice each day, but I am longing to be a messenger of Christ's peace, an ambassador of the hope of the Gospel. I am challenged to be a bearer of His truth wherever I go.

Loving each of you in His love!