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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

You deceived me, LORD, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long.  Jeremiah 20:7-8

Read: Jeremiah 20:1-8
Listen: Jeremiah 20

TODAY’S MESSAGE

Jeremiah the Prophet has a pretty tough job. God tasks him with calling the nation of Judah back to faithfully following God. The people have been persistent in their unfaithfulness, and Jeremiah must bring this unpopular message to them. He does so in a valley outside the city and then in the temple courts. Things do not go well, and Jeremiah is beaten and put in stocks for his faithfulness. It’s at this point that Jeremiah reaches his breaking point. However, even at his breaking point, Jeremiah has a lot to teach. We have seen Moses and Elijah before deal with their breaking points by first talking honestly with God. Jeremiah does this too and honestly tells God what he’s feeling.

It is essential to remember that we can be honest with God too when we face a breaking point. Maybe we are doing our best to follow God’s way in our career, social life or love life, and it just doesn’t seem to be working out the way we expected. We might feel alone, abandoned, betrayed or even deceived by God. Whatever we are feeling, our God invites us to bring these to him honestly and share our hurt, frustration, anger or confusion with him. Our God invites honesty from us in these moments.

IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY

Journal about what you are feeling. Try to identify feelings that need to be shared honestly with God. It might be frustration, anger, disappointment, betrayal or a combination. Bring these to God honestly in prayer.

2023 SPIRITUAL PRACTICES

Join us all of 2023 developing a different spiritual practice each month. SPIRITUAL PRACTICES are intentional regular activities to deepen our relationship with God and mold us to be more like Jesus.

September is COMMUNITY. Keep track of our spiritual practices at beyondtheweekend.org/spiritualpractices.

Download a printable PDF of the BTW week here.