Being In the family (Jeremiah 17, Mark 3)

“Behold they say to me, ‘Where is the word of the Lord?’ Let it come,” Jeremiah 17:15

Sometimes being in a family can be a messy deal.  For example,” The struggle of raising a family can be a difficult time, especially when your children reach the age of making their own decisions.”

Consider the struggle Jeremiah is locked in.  Here we find the man of God being challenged to stand in the gate of the city (Vs: 19) and proclaim God’s message.  Back in chapter 7 he was challenged to stand at another gate (The gate of the temple) and proclaim the word of the Lord.

Here was the Word of God:  God’s judgment is coming as the spoil for the people’s sin (Vs: 3).  The Lord has tested the heart of these people (Vs: 9).  The heart of man is deceitful above all things.  God is going to give every man the reward for what he has done, (Vs: 10).

Jeremiah is being accused of being a false prophet (Vs: 14-18).  But the opposite is the case, he is speaking the Word of the Lord, (Vs: 15).

Question: “Do you ever feel like you are like Jeremiah speaking to your family?”  The more you try to point them to God, the more they seem to blame you for standing in the gate?  Consider what Jeremiah is told to proclaim:

I.  Judah, you are to honor the Lord on His day, Vs: 21-26

If they honored the Lord on His day, then they would be honoring Him above all things.  God would honor them by giving them the Kingdom of God.

II.  Judah, would not honor the Lord on any day, Vs: 27

Think it through:

There are days when we think our family is really at odds with us.  But deeper still is the fact that they are at odds with God.  We must be consistent in standing at the gate sharing the Love of Christ with our families.  In Mark’s gospel we find the other side of the coin,  “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother,” Mk. 3:35

Our response:

This day I chose to rejoice that I am in God’s family.  This day I believe that my family is worth the effort to work through all the things that cause us sorrow because we know that joy comes in the morning.

Take time today to pray for those in your family that need a great movement of God!!!