BUDGET FOR THE TRUTH

 ANCHOR OF LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE For THURSDAY, 12TH JANUARY, 2023.

Topic: BUDGET FOR THE TRUTH

MEMORIZE: “”Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them" (Jeremiah 18:20).

SCRIPTURE READING: JEREMIAH 18:18-23

¹⁸ Then they said, "Come and let us devise plans against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come and let us attack him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words." ¹⁹ Give heed to me, O Lord, And listen to the voice of those who contend with me! ²⁰ Shall evil be repaid for good? For they have dug a pit for my life. Remember that I stood before You To speak good for them, To turn away Your wrath from them.²¹ Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, And pour out their blood By the force of the sword; Let their wives become widows And bereaved of their children. Let their men be put to death, Their young men be slain By the sword in battle. ²² Let a cry be heard from their houses, When You bring a troop suddenly upon them; For they have dug a pit to take me, And hidden snares for my feet. ²³ Yet, Lord, You know all their counsel Which is against me, to slay me. Provide no atonement for their iniquity, Nor blot out their sin from Your sight; But let them be overthrown before You. Deal thus with them In the time of Your anger."  

EXPOSITION

1. To be on the side of the truth is to always live out the truth, speak the truth, stand on the truth, contend for the truth, propagate the truth and die for the truth (if need be), with the purest motive, love and divine wisdom. 

2. There is a price to pay for being on the side of the Truth. Unlike Jeremiah, you must budget (count the cost) and receive grace for it in order to endure to the end.

3. Some of the things you should prepare for are:

a. Hurting and secret devices by the enemies of the truth v18.

b. Harmful and injurious "strive of tongues" against the innocent e.g. lies, false representation etc v18.

c. Hardened and deviant attitude against the truth in order to prove a point to those holding on to the truth v18.

d. Heartless and needless contention against the possessors and professors of truth v19.

e. Horrible plans to silence, injure or bury the destiny of the truth bearer(s) v22.

f. Hidden agenda to ensnare and entangle the vocal truth bearer through his words, works, women (men), etc v22.

g. Hatred and other manifestations of hatred by haters of truth.

Note: Jesus Christ, though experienced all these, was totally victorious because He prepared His mind for it and had the grace to endure all contradictions of sinners Hebrews 12:2,3, John 16:33.

4. Wrong attitude during persecution vv21-23.

a. Anger and bitterness.

b. Discouragement and withdrawal from consecration.

c. Unnecessary prayers.

Jeremiah's "prayer" was unnecessary and vain. Why?

Jeremiah himself had prophesied by inspiration that those things will happen to them if they did not repent, e.g. see Jeremiah 11:22,15:7,6:26. Since they refused to repent, those evil will still happen to them without Jeremiah's negative prayers. If they repented, no amount of negative prayers will work against them. See Romans 12:17,19,20.

PRAYER POINT:

i. Lord, give me abundant grace to always manifest all the virtues of those on the side of the Truth.

ii. Lord, let all the plans of haters of truth against my destiny always and forever fail.

iii. Give me the love that will never be bitter or revenge the evils of the wicked.

iv. Lord, visit your Church and purge all hidden traits of hatred for truth from every member. 

DAILY BIBLE READING IN A YEAR –  Genesis 37-39.

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ANCHOR OF LIFE is the daily devotional of the Anchor Of Life & Redemption Ministry (ALRM) written by Pastor Dr. Samuel Bayonle Ayorinde. It is an extraction of God’s Word designed to draw the sincere seeker closer to God on a daily basis through an insightful exposition and analysis of God’s Word.  

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