New Wineskins
How long are you willing to do what God asks you to do? How long is our attention span? An hour? A day? A week? When God asks you to do something, how long will you keep at it before getting tired and weary, ready to give up?
Looking at the life and ministry of the prophet Jeremiah is a study in perseverance. In Jeremiah 25 the prophet says this:
2 So Jeremiah the prophet said to all the people of Judah and to all those living in Jerusalem: 3 For twenty-three years—from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—the word of the Lord has come to me and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened. Jeremiah 25:2-3
Twenty-three years! Especially given the life spans of people back then, that’s an entire career of faithfulness. Twenty-three years of speaking to the people on the behalf of God. Twenty-three years of the people not listening and rejecting God. Twenty-three years of ridicule, isolation and scorn. And yet Jeremiah endured. He got tired at points. He went through rough patches and low valleys, but he endured. And here’s the kicker: Jeremiah is twenty-three years in by Jeremiah chapter 25. The whole book of Jeremiah stretches 52 chapters, at least another decade. That’s over thirty years of faithful service. What a testament!
How long are you willing to do what God asks you to do? There is a ministry God has called you to, a family He’s asked you to serve, a marriage He’s asked you to be faithful to, a group of people He’s asked you to care for. Through the highs and lows, don’t stray away from what God has called you to do. Jeremiah was faithful. You can be faithful too.
How long are you willing to do what God asks you to do?
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