25 SEPTEMBER

BARRIER TO FAITH

“Then all the officials came to Jeremiah and asked him, and he answered them as the king had instructed him. So they stopped speaking with him, for the conversation had not been overheard.” (Jeremiah 38:27)

Mrs Clark once told a story that two police officers stopped at her house to ask if she wanted to buy tickets to their annual party. It would be accurate to say that two police officers questioned Mrs Clark at her home but that would not be the whole truth. An accurate statement is factually correct; a true statement, besides being accurate, should mean what it seems to mean.

The officials wanted information from Jeremiah to use against God, his prophet and the king. They asked for information and Jeremiah gave them accurate information, just what the king had ordered him to say. Jeremiah was accurate and even though he did not reveal all the secrets, he did not lie.

We must be sensitive enough to understand the question. As much as we must not lie or withhold God’s truth from others, we must be wise to know when to withhold unnecessary information that will be used to bring evil to God’s people. We must not be chatterboxes, giving out all information, even when it is not requested for or required and may create problems.

ACTION: Think before you speak.

PRAYER: Dear God, please teach me to guard my mouth to preserve my life.(Proverbs 13:3).