Throughout history, the Lord has raised voices in critical seasons to speak the truth in love to nations that have rejected His truth. That rejection opens the door to sorrows that can only be avoided by repentance. To raise the subject of a coming judgment is foreign to the ears of those who have never heard a warning spoken from a pulpit or from their preferred news source. When Jerusalem was about to experience a siege from foreign invaders, the Lord found a person who would speak the truth when the truth did not want to be heard.

For most of Jeremiah’s life, he was poor, unpopular, isolated, and lived under persecution. By human measurement, he would be considered a failure. He would be ignored today as a leader by many of the measurements we use to select our religious or secular leaders, but the Lord saw him differently. Jeremiah was obedient to speak the truth no matter what the personal cost and that fearlessness is what is needed now from our leaders.

Jerusalem had rejected God’s plea for them to repent. As a result of their disobedience, the consequence of that disobedience opened the door to judgment. “It is the fruit of their own schemes because they refuse to listen to me. They have rejected my word” (Jeremiah 6:19).

That rejection of the truth was fostered by prophets and priests described by the Lord as leaders who misled the people. “They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace” (6:14).

The Lord, speaking through Jeremiah, said “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you replied, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’ I posted watchmen over you who said, ‘Listen for the sound of the alarm.’ But you replied, ‘No! We won’t pay attention!’” (6:16-17).

Today, the “old, godly way” of our ancestors has been rejected by many as somehow no longer applicable in our modern world, and sadly, some within the Church have come to the same conclusion. God has not changed. Truth has not morphed into some socially acceptable alternative designed by mere humans. It was and will always be God’s way that leads us to life.

God has placed voices within the Church who are warning us of what is to come. Those voices will point out our deafness to the sound of truth. The Lord defined for Jeremiah how he would create the content of his message. “Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals, that you may determine the quality of my people” (6:27). 

The quality the Lord was looking for in the inhabitants of Jerusalem were pliable hearts of repentance – hearts submitted to God’s good and godly ways. He is looking for that same heart today in His people. Do not be offended when the Lord points out the junk metal in our lives that we touted as precious metals because they glittered under the lights of our delusions. When the metal of our lives has been tested by the Lord and found to be worthless, the wise among us will repent and turn to walk the old, godly way once again. We are at a crossroads with only one true way. That way is the only safe path when the world is moving deeper into darkness and away from the unchanging truth of God.