We have Jeremiah prophesying in the name of the Lord saying bad stuff is going to happen if you don’t repent and change your ways.

We have a whole lot of prophets prophesying in the name of the Lord saying all this good stuff is going to happen.

Who do you listen to?

You can probably see the temptation to believe the one who says good stuff to you, especially because it doesn’t require any work on your part. You are told you are good just the way you are.

Do you gravitate to the teachers, speakers, devotionals, etc. that tell you that you are good just the way you are? Do you like the ones that will tell you that you aren’t under condemnation, that God loves the sinner, that we’re all okay in our messy state, that God’s forgiveness will just cover it all, that God is pleased with us and is our friend without asking anything from us?

Or do you gravitate to the ones who will challenge you? Do you like being convicted and helped to grow in the Lord? If you like my teaching, then this is you. I will definitely challenge you.

If you listen with ears to hear, the challenge comes with hope. Even Jeremiah, who was prophesying death and destruction, came with a note of hope. After they had been carried off to enemy territory, in time, God would visit them and bring them back to their city and restore it.

And He does. Don’t shy away from the hard word. Don’t pick and choose your truth. Don’t cling to a teacher. Cling to God’s word.