The very centre of every believer’s life lies solely in their submission to the Word of God. It is from this that wisdom, discernment and even the courage to carry out His mission come. Ever since Jeremiah became a prophet, he knew that his life belonged entirely to the Lord and was aligned solely with His word. Whatever the Lord commanded him to say, he had to say it, whatever the consequences. 

At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of the LORD, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. He was commanded to stand in the courtyard of the House of the Lord and proclaim the calamity that the Lord had planned because of the deeds of Judah and all its wicked leaders. Indeed, at that time God was still giving them an opportunity to turn away from their wicked ways, but it seemed that this would not happen. The Lord said, “If you refuse to listen to Me and do not obey My Law which I have set before you… I will make this house like Shiloh, so that this city may become a curse to all the nations of the earth.”  

In the past, there was a place of worship to God at Shiloh; even that place could be destroyed when it lost its function, as God’s people no longer lived in obedience to Him. The people of Judah may have thought that because they possessed the Temple, Jerusalem could never be destroyed. Yet all that proved meaningless when they lacked obedience to God and His word. Naturally, the prophets, the priests and all the people protested against the prophet Jeremiah; they wanted to arrest and kill him. Instead of repenting and turning back to God, they sought to target the messenger of God. 

Dear Friends of the Bible, let us return to the realisation that our lives should always be centred on God and His Word. At this time, the LAI is once again holding the Month of Bible Prayer, a fitting reminder to persevere, hope, and pray to the Lord. In His Word, He may be calling us to repent and return to Him. Do not reject or ignore His warnings.