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“"Speaking the Word of God with Sincerity"”

Thoughts for Today:

Who is equal to and capable of the task of marching behind Jesus, of carrying His sweet fragrance, and being put to use by Him? Paul will answer these questions in verse 6 of our next chapter. But before he does, Paul makes it very clear that anyone who deals with the Word is to do so with integrity and sincerity. It doesn't matter whether it is a pastor, Sunday school teacher, Bible study leader, worship leader, or anyone else -- if we are to be used as God's instrument, we are not to corrupt His Word with our own agendas, interests, nor ambitions. It is a great responsibility, and one which if failed, carries very grave and severe consequences.

For example, in Jeremiah 28, we find the false prophet Hananiah, offering a counter prophesy to the one given by Jeremiah. Hananiah said (verses 2-3), "This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: 'I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles of the Lord's house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon.'" Verses 15-16: "Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, 'Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. Therefore this is what the Lord says: "I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the Lord."'"

It may not happen today, tomorrow or even next year, but those who corrupt the Word of God, will be dealt with. (Galatians 6:7-8: "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.")

Questions to Ponder:

We can only speculate regarding the reasons Hananiah may have had to offer false prophesies. Perhaps he was threatened by Zedekiah king of Judah, or simply compensated to provide favorable ones. Regardless, he was severely dealt with by the Lord. Why? Because he did not handle the Word of the Lord with sincerity. Do you handle the Word of the Lord with honesty, sincerity and integrity? Have you placed enough emphasis on doing so?

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There's nothing like God's Word to create purpose in your life that lasts the entire day and beyond. We encourage you to Read, Carry and Share the Word of God. Pocket Devotions are sent by E-mail every weekday (Monday to Friday). On weekends we encourage you to be creative and study on your own in any area of Scripture where God leads you.

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About the author

Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.