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July 7, 2023
Cling to Jesus
My precious child there are times you will have tough assignments, but you must press through to have victory. There are character traits I am establishing in you such as, ‘compassion, empathy, discipline, obedience, creative ways to communicate with others, and the tenacity to cling to the vision even if it is tough and no one is standing with you.
One of My prophets Jeremiah received one of the toughest assignments of any leader. He was called to lead stubborn people who refused to believe the Word of the Lord and follow his lead. (Jeremiah 7:27-8) He was born toward the end of the reign of King Josiah, the last good king of Judah. God gave him an assignment at a time when moral, political, and religious decline was at its peak, which ended the Babylonian exile. God called him even before his body took shape in his mother’s womb; He had ordained him to be a prophet to the nations – to pluck up, tear down, and build again. (Jeremiah 1:1-5) Jeremiah was a young boy when God began preparing him to serve as a prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5-10) He was a priest called to the prophetic, and it was not a happy time. He had to deliver a hard message from the Lord. His assignment was to invite people to change and repent, to raise the standard they had forfeited, and to call them to recapture their values and heritage.
Jeremiah learned early in his life to depend on God and His continuous grace. You could think of him as the CEO called to turn around a failing organization. Jeremiah had an entire country, not a corporation to turn around! He couldn’t fire anyone and was rejected by many. Unfortunately, he was not voted ‘Most Popular,’ and many didn’t listen and died. Jeremiah led the Hebrews during a very tough time but he never lost the vision God gave him. He clung tenaciously to his assigned task through persecution, rejection, and being locked up in prison, yet he stood strong as a leader. (Jeremiah 37:15-18, 38:6)
He bought a field from his uncle to redeem the family. (Jeremiah 32:6-15) Jeremiah was called the ‘weeping prophet!’ Why? Because he shed many tears over the hardness of his people and the severity of their judgment. He faced many battles yet never lost his compassion, and his heart didn’t become cold despite the hard-hearted listeners of his message.
He continually invested himself in his cause even though his people called him a meddler and a traitor. Jewish men, nobles, and kings tried to assassinate him throughout his life. God warned him from the beginning that the masses would reject his leadership, yet he continued to set the pace to do what was right. Several times, Jeremiah was ready to quit and walk away yet he pressed on with no compensation – it is the same today when you are faced with great opposition! God continually reminded him of the vision and gave him strength for the warfare ahead. At one time, Jeremiah likened the Word of God to an inner fire that would consume him if he didn’t continue to speak the Word of the Lord. For over forty years he pressed through great challenges with the supernatural help of God.
Remember this: when God gives you an assignment, He will empower you to accomplish it. As a leader, you must expect criticism, and there will be times you have to confront people! Leaders must not only endure change but create it! Divine conviction drove him, along with divine compassion and a divine call! What inspires you? Are you discouraged and feel like quitting? Cling to Jesus as Jeremiah did! He will not fail you!
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