How should we respond when confronted with challenging truths from Scripture? A King Who Refused to Tremble Jeremiah 36:24: “Yet in spite of all these words, neither the king nor his servants who heard them were afraid, nor did they tear their garments.” • King Jehoiakim heard God’s warning, sliced the scroll column by column, and tossed it into the fire. • His cold indifference shows the danger of a heart that will not yield, even when confronted by unmistakable truth. Why Challenging Truths Still Matter • God’s Word is living and active—“sharper than any double-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). It exposes motives we would rather keep hidden. • Every Scripture is “God-breathed and profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). None of it is optional. • Disregarding a hard passage does not silence God; it only hardens us (Zechariah 7:11-12). The Heart Posture God Desires • Contrast Jehoiakim with Josiah, who, when he heard the law, “tore his clothes” in grief and humility (2 Kings 22:11-13). • The people of Nineveh “believed God… put on sackcloth” and God relented (Jonah 3:5-10). • “This is the one I will esteem,” says the Lord, “he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:2). Practical Steps for a Soft Response 1. Pause and let the passage sink in. Resist the urge to rush past discomfort. 2. Admit the truth: “Lord, You are right; I am wrong” (Psalm 51:4). 3. Confess specific sin revealed by the text (1 John 1:9). 4. Submit your will: “Speak, for Your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10). 5. Act promptly—be a “doer of the word, not merely a hearer” (James 1:22). 6. Keep short accounts; repeated obedience keeps the heart tender (Hebrews 3:13). The Blessing of Obedient Ears • Those who look intently into the perfect law and continue in it “will be blessed in what they do” (James 1:25). • God draws near to the humble (Psalm 34:18) and gives more grace (James 4:6). • Our lives become a living testimony that His Word is good, true, and life-giving (Psalm 19:7-11). Living It Out Today When Scripture confronts us, we stand at a crossroads: Jehoiakim’s fire or Josiah’s torn clothes. Choose the path of trembling, repentance, and obedience, and discover the freedom and blessing God intends. |
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