When the Truth Hurts
Read Jeremiah 21:1–24:10
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9. My heart is broken because of the false prophets, and my bones tremble. I stagger like a drunkard, like someone overcome by wine, because of the holy words the Lord has spoken against them.
10. For theland is full of adultery, and it lies under a curse. The land itself is in mourning—its wilderness pastures are dried up. For they all do evil andabuse what power they have. . . .
15. Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says concerning the prophets: “I will feed them with bitterness and give them poison to drink. For it is because of Jerusalem’s prophets that wickedness has filled this land.”
16. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to his people: “Do not listen to these prophets when they prophesy to you, filling you with futile hopes. They are making up everything they say. They do not speak for the Lord!” Jeremiah 23:9-10, 15-16
Some people just don’t want to hear bad news. They don’t watch the news on television because it gets them too depressed. The news stations keep broadcasting the negative stories, insisting that they are exactly what keep viewers tuned in. News directors say that if they air only good news, the viewers lose interest and switch to stations that feature murders, fires, and political scandals. So the question remains: Do we want to hear bad news or don’t we?
From Jeremiah’s experience, he’d probably tell you that people don’t want to hear bad news at all. As he shares God’s newsflashes with the people in this passage, they denounce him and God for the bad news. But the really bad news isn’t coming from God or Jeremiah.
You can ignore some criticism. “Where’d you get that awful tie?” for example. But sometimes the issue hits close to home and won’t let you escape so easily: “You shouldn’t use bad language or read those dirty magazines.” It’s the inescapable criticism that gave Jeremiah’s listeners fits. When people deliver bad news that carries the weight of Scripture, we simply don’t have the option to turn our backs on their words.
Have you ever rejected a message or made fun of it because it would require you to change your ways? Before dismissing someone who says something negative about you, consider what he or she has to say. The message this person brings may contain some invaluable truth that will help to change your life for the better.
