In preparation for graduation, the...
Illustration
Object:
In preparation for graduation, the pastor who would deliver the baccalaureate message requested a meeting with some of the students. He explained that it would help him prepare his message to the graduating class if he met with several of them. "What would you like me to cover?" he asked.
One student raised a hand and said, "What is God saying to us?" That response surprised the pastor. The student continued, "We will hear much advice over the next couple of weeks from leaders in the field. We will hear the keys of success but what we really want to know is what God is saying to us."
It was a humbling moment for the pastor. The student was correct in his assessment. We hear how to be a good neighbor and how to become the person you've always wanted to be. But what is God saying to us at the start of a new year?
The prophet Jeremiah did not mince words. He was not trying to win any popularity contest but proclaimed the word of God. His audience did not always want to hear what God was saying to them. Perhaps that is why we shy away from listening for God's word to us at the beginning of a new year.
Our lesson from Jeremiah contains a word of hope. "Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.' " God remains with us.
One student raised a hand and said, "What is God saying to us?" That response surprised the pastor. The student continued, "We will hear much advice over the next couple of weeks from leaders in the field. We will hear the keys of success but what we really want to know is what God is saying to us."
It was a humbling moment for the pastor. The student was correct in his assessment. We hear how to be a good neighbor and how to become the person you've always wanted to be. But what is God saying to us at the start of a new year?
The prophet Jeremiah did not mince words. He was not trying to win any popularity contest but proclaimed the word of God. His audience did not always want to hear what God was saying to them. Perhaps that is why we shy away from listening for God's word to us at the beginning of a new year.
Our lesson from Jeremiah contains a word of hope. "Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd a flock.' " God remains with us.
